Seems like there is no end to pastoral scandals in this country. If they're not swindling you,they're stealing your wife,getting caught dead drunk,knocking dead motorists,concocting miracles,misappropriating church funds or,in this case,eloping with their GAY Boyfriends.
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If you thought our minimally-schooled politicians were scandalous,you haven't met our Men Of God. They're just the best.
After the nation was gripped by the Pastor Ng'ang'a killing soap opera that starred poor grammar and ludicrous assertions,we now have another Pastor on our plate. And this one,though not a popular televangelist,is proving to be quite the controversial one.
American theologian Gene Robinson was the first openly gay Episcopal Bishop. He presided over the Diocese of New Hampshire and retired in 2004.
After his coming out,which shook the Church and threatened to tear apart the Episcopal Church of the United States of America,many more Men Of God,ordained priests and self-appointed pastors,joined in the fray... And went public with their sexuality.
Among them was Rev. Otis Charles of Utah,the Right Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool of England,Bishop Thomas Shaw of Massachusetts and the Very Rev. Jeffrey John of Southwark Cathedral among many others especially in Britain's Anglican Church.
And now that it has become somewhat normal to have a Gay Man of God,a Kenyan pastor took it upon himself to be the first ever openly gay pastor in Kenya. And to get married.
Edwin Sikot,a 37-year-old who works as a pastor in the Lutheran church,and Isaiah Guda,a 25-year-old laborer,first met through Facebook through a mutual friend. After three years of chatting,they decided to meet last year.
‘In Kenya,meeting somebody is not easy. But when I met him,it was like my dream,it was the person I was looking for,’ Edwin told Gay Star News.
They entered into a long distance relationship,with Edwin preaching in Tanzania and Isaiah at home in Mombasa,Kenya.
But when they reunited,and Edwin found a church in Kenya that accepted him and his partner for who he is,they wanted to celebrate their union. And do a wedding like all other couples.
So around 20 people gathered in the compound of his church in the village of Mtitu Andei,and a fellow pastor came to bless their union. The majority of people first thought it was a bit of a joke,but soon realized their mistake.
“We had the wedding in the village where we stay. A pastor there, a good friend who understands much and who knows I am a gay and who knows about my relationship with Isaiah, brought a word – something like a service, for our wedding. We made a tent. It was just us and our guests, about twenty people. We said our vows to each other.”
‘The Kenyan government may not have a law for our marriage, but we were married under God’s law,’ Edwin said.
‘In Kenya, most of the people only marry for love. That’s what we did. I now have somebody in my life...Who I love..' Edwin said.
This is believed to have been the first same-sex wedding in Kenya, or at very least the first to receive a blessing from a religious leader.
Other Sheep,a Latin American-based Christian group,found out about the historic Kenyan Gay wedding and went to Kenya to congratulate them and posted a blog to commemorate it.
Subsequently,a couple days after it had been posted,Isaiah had gone into the city center to buy feed for their chickens. His brother followed him. Someone had told him about the wedding. He had brought friends, and started beating his own brother up.
Edwin came to Isaiah’s rescue before a mob could pummel him to death. He escaped with heavy bruises and cuts on his body.
Afraid,they are now attempting to raise the funds to stay with friends in Tanzania, Zanzibar or elsewhere.
Edwin has no regrets about allowing someone to write about him, in fact, he’s proud of it. He wants people to know and understand what is happening in his country.
‘I know I have to go through this, and I know that some are following me. I will not regret who I am. If it means I have to die, I will die,’ he said.
‘This is my life, why should I hide? If God makes his decision,I will accept it.’
He added: ‘We cannot change the world by staying quiet. We can only change the world by talking, taking action, and speaking out.’
The couple now lives together at some undisclosed location in The Coast of Kenya…Enduring endless stigma and violence and ostracization.
Isaiah tells us there are many gay men in Mombasa. He tells us, “I was searching for a gay friend.” He explains that his experience in Mombasa is that most the gays there are teenagers who “just want to meet and have sex and that’s all.” Isaiah wanted “to meet someone very serious, older who can guide me. He [Edwin] told me his age. I liked his age.”
Isaiah is not open to his parents, or to anyone. He tells us, “If you are not open and if you want to stay [connected] with your parents, you have to tell lies to be together with your man.”
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