By Ezekiel Kimosop
INTRODUCTION
I have received some questions seeking my theological opinion on Dr. David Owuor's ministry which is also known as Ministry of Repentance and Holiness. I believe we had handled some aspects of this question under this forum in the past but for the sake of new participants, and in recognition of emerging developments, and the need to interrogate the movement's doctrines and practices, allow me to make a few observations.
I am usually hesitant to make a direct criticism of a particular church ministry or its leader unless there are legitimate and compelling theological reasons for doing so, and especially if the movement exhibits signs of cultic or neo-cultic leanings in its doctrines. I may not sufficiently comprehend the theological foundation and objects of this large Christian sect but I can speak from the much I have managed to gather from its radio broadcasts and my keen observation of its meetings as well as my interaction with some of its ardent followers and people close to them.
ORIGIN/CLASSIFICATION OF THE MOVEMENT
My view is that Dr David Owuor's religious group is difficult to specifically classify. I cannot for instance tell if it is a Pentecostal, Evangelical or Charismatic model. It appears to fall into the prophetic/apocalyptic group.
I have never come across its statement of faith, if any. Besides, the movement does not appear to host an official website.
To the best of my knowledge, the movement was exclusively founded by Dr. David Owuor who until his self-declared calling to ministry was reportedly a science scholar. His ministry partners, if any, are largely unknown. I have been unable to establish where Dr. Owuor initially worshiped or whether he was raised in a particular Christian tradition before his "calling" to prophetic ministry. His family life is also not publicly known. He hardly introduces members of his family during his meetings.
Is he married or celibate?
I was also unable to establish if he is a graduate of any recognized theological seminary or any ministry mentorship under which he was raised. Dr. Owuor's movement owns a radio station located at Nakuru Town known as "Jesus is Lord Radio" that appears to be exclusively dedicated to his ministry broadcasts.
The movement consists of local assembly networks in nearly every part of Kenya. The impact of the movement in rural Kenya is notable. Some Pentecostal/charismatic churches have closed down to join the movement. It appears that the movement focuses on evangelistic approach to church planting so that a congregation is established after a major meeting or series of meetings in a particular town or region. I have also observed some unique church planting strategies employed by the movement especially in rural areas where it is rapidly growing and taking over some established Christian communities. Its ministers do not appear to possess any theological training neither are they affiliated to any major religious umbrella body in Kenya. I have also observed that the movement plants churches or "altars" within close proximities of established rural churches where they covertly and even openly poach the faithful.
STRUCTURE AND CHURCH GOVERNMENT
There are no clear ecclesial structures in the movement's congregations, other than the presence of pastors and evangelists and this suggests that there is an apex leadership structure where the prophet has full personal command over the ministry. This is affirmed by a curious worship tradition where the congregations reportedly listen to Dr. Owuor's recorded teachings during Sunday services. This obscures the ecclesial authority of its congregational ministers, if any, in proclaiming the mind of God directly to the congregation. The group appears to subscribe to an egalitarian model of church leadership where women serve in the pastorate. It considers itself to be distinct from mainstream Christianity. The movement's followers do not appear to freely mingle with other Christian groups and will not attend worship in any other church except the movement's congregations. This exclusivism is perhaps informed by its unique theology and could explain the lack of cohesive affiliation affinities with established Evangelical groups.
MAJOR MEETINGS
The movement conducts regular conference meetings/crusades that move from one part of the country to another, usually along major towns. The meetings are open to all movement followers countrywide and this often presents logistical nightmares on accommodation and security. During a meeting held at Uhuru Park, Nairobi in 2018, most of the movement's followers slept in the cold for two nights, never mind that some have little kids with them.
On Saturday 7th July 2018, the movement caused a traffic gridlock in Nairobi City when nearly one million followers thronged the city to hear their leader speak and to seek miracles. In August 2019, Dr. Owuor held another mammoth rally in Nakuru which closed 18th August 2019. I am informed that more than 1250 police officers were engaged in another Nakuru meeting held in 2016, whose key sessions were televised on nationwide media.
The prophet is also a global icon who travels to foreign countries for scheduled conferences and crusades, notably in Europe and South America.
MOVEMENT'S THEOLOGY
As stated earlier, the movement's theology is largely obscure and difficult to precisely determine or classify. We can only observe a few strands of its doctrines from the prophet's public teachings and the confessions of his followers. The church teaches salvation by faith through Christ but that is probably where its similarity with mainstream Christianity seems to end. Its eschatological doctrines is largely obscure and hence difficult to piece together. It also practices an unusual type of repentance where the followers put on sackcloth and ashes and match through local towns wailing and weeping ostensibly in mourning for the community and nation. It appears to portray itself as the crusaders of a new wave of moral consciousness in Christianity.
There is some overemphasis on miracle healing experience and the followers claim that their leader is gifted with unique powers by which he heals the sick and to prophesies about the immediate and distant future. He is even reputed to call down dark cloud and rain from heaven and to raise the dead! However, these claims have not been independently verified. This is consistent with a charismatic/prophetic ecclesial feature.
Dr. Owuor is credited with a number of prophecies touching on Kenya and the world, some of which are yet to materialize. One of his famous predictions a few years ago that I can vaguely recollect was that half of the city of Nairobi would collapse under an earthquake which shall be part of God's judgment on Kenyans. It never happened. Some of his faithful later claimed that the prophecy was not necessarily intended to literally occur but was rather symbolic of the spiritual weight of the sin of the nation!
Dr. Owuor once claimed on a live TV interview that his movement was distinct from the other churches because, unlike then, God spoke to him directly in person. He also claimed that God directly called him into prophetic ministry and often speaks to him about the spiritual condition of the nation so that he receives messages for political leaders as well.
During the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, Dr. Owuor reportedly claimed to have released the epidemic at on the world as part of God's judgment. These strange claims are often the subject of debate in Christian circles. He has lately gone silent, no longer hosting public meetings.
Does God speak through a single prophet alone?
A few years ago Dr. Owuor organized a national repentance meeting at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. It was attended by tens of thousands of people including top political leaders. No other church ministers were invited to speak during the meeting.
A recent development has placed Dr Owuor's movement in a new theological perspective. The man claims to be one of the two dreaded witnesses of the Lord who are mentioned in Revelation 11. During one of his recent meetings in Nairobi, a journalist questioned this claim, having noticed that the preacher was unaccompanied by the second witness. This apparently angered the preacher and he retorted that there were two witnesses ministering in the meeting, and that one was shorter! Of course no such witness was visible.
His followers believe that their leader will be heading to Jerusalem at the close of his ministry to preach and that he would be martyred there in accordance with the teaching of Revelation 11. The Bible nowhere teaches or implies that the two witnesses would also minister outside the city contemplated in Revelation 11:1-12 during their forty two months of public ministry. It is instructive that none of the dreaded acts associated with the two witnesses has been witnessed in Dr. Owuor's public ministry!
Dr. Owuor began his ministry as a bishop. He was thereafter referred to as prophet. Then came the superlatives: mighty prophet; mighty mighty prophet of the Lord and Mightiest prophet of the Lord. Mmmhhh. Lately, possibly from 2018, Dr. David Owuor earned a new title: he is referred to as one of the dreaded witnesses of the Lord!
What is his next designation? Is he headed for divinity?
Dr. Owuor recently taught that his followers should not go to God without first hearing from him. This is contrary to the teaching of Scripture in 1 Timothy 2:5 which teaches that "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."
CONCLUSION
Is Dr. Owuor's movement a biblically centered church?
While this question is difficult to answer directly, I would pose the following further questions and leave to the reader to draw their personal conclusions.
1) Dr. Owuor often speaks of or makes reference to other churches as "they" or "them", or "mainstream church". If a church leader hardly recognizes or acknowledges other mainstream Christian communities as legitimate, what is the biblical standing of his church movement? Are the rest of the churches fallen and lost and is his movement the exclusive way to God?
2) Why does the movement encourage believers from other Christian communions to leave their mainstream churches and join their movement? What new or special doctrines do they provide beside what other churches teach?
3) What and where are their articles of faith?
4) Why does Dr. Owuor accept heavy salutations such as "Mighty Mighty Prophet of God"? Does this not border on biblical blasphemy? Is it not taught in Scripture that God alone is mighty?
5) Why do his followers wash and clean roads leading to the venues of his meetings? Is is this not equally an act of cultic worship and blasphemy?
6) What became of the dozens of prophecies he predicted about Kenya including the sinking of a section of the City of Nairobi?
7) When his followers claim that their prophet has read the entire Bible on their behalf and exclusively listen to his radio broadcasts and read his publications, is this a healthy church practice? Is this not evidence of manipulation and control?
8) Why does Dr. Owuor travel with huge convoys of powerful limousines to his meetings, complete with a charade of armed and civilian security detail? Is this not an act of extreme avarice and immodesty for a church minister? Who funds his luxurious lifestyle?
9) What is the purpose of his famous long goatee and the white tuxedo that he regularly adorns? Does this attire carry any religious significance or symbolism?
10) Who ordained Dr. Owuor into ministry and what church umbrella body is his movement affiliated to?
These are just but a few of the many hard questions that we should wrestle with in arriving at a fair conclusion concerning the identity and faithfulness of Dr. Owour's movement to the tenets of Scripture. The Bible warns in 1 John 4:1-3 that we should test every prophecy to see if it is from God. We are required to examine the movement's fidelity to establish the substance of its biblical foundation, if any. Every Christian movement should be open to scrutiny in line with Biblical truth.
It is my hope that this article shall stimulate healthy discussion on this movement.
While this question is difficult to answer directly, I would pose the following further questions and leave to the reader to draw their personal conclusions.
1) Dr. Owuor often speaks of or makes reference to other churches as "they" or "them", or "mainstream church". If a church leader hardly recognizes or acknowledges other mainstream Christian communities as legitimate, what is the biblical standing of his church movement? Are the rest of the churches fallen and lost and is his movement the exclusive way to God?
2) Why does the movement encourage believers from other Christian communions to leave their mainstream churches and join their movement? What new or special doctrines do they provide beside what other churches teach?
3) What and where are their articles of faith?
4) Why does Dr. Owuor accept heavy salutations such as "Mighty Mighty Prophet of God"? Does this not border on biblical blasphemy? Is it not taught in Scripture that God alone is mighty?
5) Why do his followers wash and clean roads leading to the venues of his meetings? Is is this not equally an act of cultic worship and blasphemy?
6) What became of the dozens of prophecies he predicted about Kenya including the sinking of a section of the City of Nairobi?
7) When his followers claim that their prophet has read the entire Bible on their behalf and exclusively listen to his radio broadcasts and read his publications, is this a healthy church practice? Is this not evidence of manipulation and control?
8) Why does Dr. Owuor travel with huge convoys of powerful limousines to his meetings, complete with a charade of armed and civilian security detail? Is this not an act of extreme avarice and immodesty for a church minister? Who funds his luxurious lifestyle?
9) What is the purpose of his famous long goatee and the white tuxedo that he regularly adorns? Does this attire carry any religious significance or symbolism?
10) Who ordained Dr. Owuor into ministry and what church umbrella body is his movement affiliated to?
These are just but a few of the many hard questions that we should wrestle with in arriving at a fair conclusion concerning the identity and faithfulness of Dr. Owour's movement to the tenets of Scripture. The Bible warns in 1 John 4:1-3 that we should test every prophecy to see if it is from God. We are required to examine the movement's fidelity to establish the substance of its biblical foundation, if any. Every Christian movement should be open to scrutiny in line with Biblical truth.
It is my hope that this article shall stimulate healthy discussion on this movement.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019
[This article was partially revised on 20th October 2022]
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