National election dispute, ethnic violence affecting church institutions; mob surrounds Kenya's Adventist university
Seventh-day Adventists are joining the international community in expressing concern over violence in Kenya that has reportedly left 300 people dead and 100,000 displaced in the wake of presidential election disputes.
In a January 3 statement, Adventist world church Executive Secretary Matthew A. Bediako appealed to Kenyan “political leaders, heads of religious communities, traditional leaders and peace-loving people to come together and find ways to promote reconciliation.” The appeal will be televised on the church’s Hope Channel.
“Resorting to violence only creates victims, many of whom are innocent children,” Bediako said. “As a Christian church, we also urge all Kenyans to value solidarity and the Biblical principles of peacemaking, forgiveness and reconciliation above ethnic loyalties.”
Bediako also appealed to Adventist leaders and members to be examples in promoting unity.
Church leaders in Kenya report that about 200 students, staff and faculty at Adventist-owned University of Eastern Africa, Baraton are taking refuge at a nearby police station after officers escorted them on December 31 from the campus, which was surrounded by a mob.
Roads to the airport have been blocked by mobs and the workers remain at the police station, said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the Adventist Church’s Nairobi-based East-Central Africa Division. Preparations are underway to transport them to Nairobi.
A Kenyan official said violence has only affected about 3 percent of the country’s 34 million people, according to USA Today.
“As a faith community we strongly believe in prayer,” Bediako said to church members. “We therefore invite our brothers and sisters around the world to bring before God’s throne the people of Kenya, and other regions where there are crises. We pray that calm will be restored throughout Kenya, and throughout the world.”
There are more than 560,000 Adventists worshiping in some 3,500 congregations in Kenya.