Rev. John Makokha replies:  Well, it is anticipated that the next East Africa Annual Conference may be held during this time. The Bishop has the prerogative of making any appointments but with recommendations from each member country leadership. Looking at the way UMC leaders in Kenya have been strategizing and scheming against me, there is a strong concerted spirit of isolating and discriminating against me further during this session due to my positive stance on homosexuality. This session is likely to give homophobic and homohatred leaders an opportunity to shoot.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  You can call it defrocking, or anything, but this is only a human decision. I will only be worried if I loose Christ. They are not the ones who called me in this ministry. They will not shut my mouth. I will raise a red flag using the social principles on affirmation of LGBTI persons in our UMC churches and the Great Commission. We talk of open hearts, open minds and open doors in the UMC. We need to be welcoming congregations, not unwelcoming. Discrimination is sin. I have affirmed my belief in an inclusive church, that is, a church that welcomes all of God's children, that is free from any discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  If I am stopped, this church will dearly miss an affirming spiritual leader but the mission field is wide.  The workers are few but the harvest is plenty.  I will also miss my all- inclusive sheep that I have trained and preached to so far. Financially, it will not change my position since I have not been on any salary from the UMC.  God has been providing for us in His own ways, through the gifts of his people. I am sure He will continue providing for my family through caring people who will choose to support us financially. God has been faithful and keeper of His promise.

 

[Editor's note:  Rev. Makokha faces daily financial needs for both his ministry and personal, family needs. You can help him by giving a gift here, at this link.]

Rev. John Maklkha replies:  Thank you for that good question. Before joining Other Sheep, I had been actively involved in the LGBTI ministry for more than 5 years. I have conducted capacity building seminars ecumenically for ministers and laity on mission/evangelism work and human sexuality as a component in Eastern Africa region. I have counseled pastors, youth and married persons on sexual orientation. I have taught in Bible study sessions and preached sermons for inclusion and affirmation of LGBTI persons.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Oh! My God, no one can promote homosexuality. Sexual orientation, according to scientific research, has shown that it is innate and cannot be changed. You only promote what is outside. You cannot promote what is inside. What is happening, so far, is ignorance on matters of human sexuality that has caused a lot of suffering to LGBTI. This has perpetuated both physical and spiritual violence in Africa. I have been promoting education (awareness) and not promoting homosexuality the way it has been alleged; through capacity building programs such as seminars and distribution of materials. I have also been carrying out counseling of LGBTI and PFLAG. We have been requesting dialogue and praying for tolerance and not intolerance. Inclusion and not exclusion. 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  I am not only reaching out to United Methodist Churches, but working ecumenically. So far, almost all United Methodist Church leaders have received handouts and books on the Bible and homosexuality. I am passionately involved in organizing interdenominational seminars and workshops for clergy and laity. I have also been initiating dialogue with them. Counseling clergy and laity who are LGBTI. I have distributed resource materials to seminary and university students and professors. Lastly, I have been involved on KISS 100 radio and a TV talk show on the topic of homosexuality and social and religious justice.
 
This will create safer spiritual communities for LGBTS persons, their families, and their friends. I am confident that Jesus will break down all dividing walls of hostility and discrimination.
 
We are telling the church leadership that diverse understandings of Biblical texts is not disbelief.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Controversy between me and the churches in Kenya started long before Other Sheep met me. My independent study of human sexuality and my interaction with close family members and friends who were gay and lesbian led me to a different position from what conservatives believe. I taught in high schools and I encountered a number of youth who were gay. These led to both informal and formal controversies on the topic of homosexuality with both the clergy and laity. I have always preached love, compassion and non-discrimination. Some people accused me of being a liberal, but we should avoid judging others on the basis of sexual orientation.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  I wish to correct Rev. Neal Christie.  I have always been open, honest, and courageous and bold about my position and purpose in bringing light to the church on this topic. I have also been open on other issues such as HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, women empowerment, sexual violence and orphans and vulnerable children. The same supervisors he is talking about have, so far, isolated themselves from me and discriminated against me, when making big decisions, because of my position on homosexuality.
 
I dream of working biblically with servant leaders in the UMC, but not supervisors. This is the heart of my ministry. 
 
I am treated like an outcast and a leper, and yet Jesus was inclusive. I have tried my level best to go an extra mile to sacrifice and work with all leaders, but in most cases it has been frustrating. Therefore, this accusation has no basis at all and it's based on mere gossip and propaganda of which Neal, unfortunately, has fallen a victim to. In my several emails to Rev. Neal Christie, I told him I had been isolated and many times had to make grave decisions for the furtherance of programs in line with my calling.

 

Rev. John. Makokha replies:  Rev. Neal is playing the politics of survival. For him to work in the East Africa Annual Conference, he has to work with 'politically correct' people. He has to soil me and deny me the same way the biblical Peter denied Jesus. After a private discussion with some homophobic UMC leaders in Nairobi during the seminar, a plot was hatched to isolate me and he was briefed.  He was told that since the UMC leadership would not be comfortable with me working in the whole East Africa Annual Conference, he needed to politically dump me as fast as possible. Rev. Neal wants to 'earn a face' before the East Africa Annual Conference leaders, because initially he had worked with the 'untouchable'. During the seminar, I am sorry to say, there was a lot of lobbying going on from the UMC officials and many times they signaled him out of the seminars to have him listen to their 'stories.' They did a lot of incitement and, regrettably, managed to convince him that he had picked the one man they were not comfortable with.  One of the leaders informed me of what was going on behind my back. Before the seminar took off, some of the leaders wrote him emails claiming the UMC leadership had reached a consensus that they would not attend that seminar just because it had been organized by me. I hope he has not forgotten that I had told him the UMC leaders were praying for a total flop of the seminar and even refused to participate in the planning and organizing of the seminar. I had to go many days without sleep because we had to make sure that everything from meals to accommodation, from seminar venues to facilitators for the various seminars, was in order.  But my advice to Neal is that he cannot claim to train clergy and laity in Africa on social justice if he wants to politically propagate the status quo and look for survival tactics. I thought he was going to bring healing, reconciliation and justice, but not an instrument of injustice, inflicting more suffering on some of us who are already in pain but soldiering on.
 
According to my own assessment, Neal may or may not be homophobic, but he is situational in his working. But my prayer is that he rises up and stands to the occasion.
 
He not only wrote an e-mail and cc-ed all the UMC leaders appreciating me, but at the end of the seminars he gave me a beautiful trophy and told everyone that they should emulate my example. I am amazed that he has become a turn coat! I have photographed it and I am sending it to you also.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  I have no concrete evidence that this is what Rev. Christie told Behind The Mask. But in the event that he told them, this is very very unfortunate since during the seminar we worked as a committee, not as an individual under the UMC Coordinator for Kenya.  
 
Neal continued shifting venues for the seminars for the UMC clergy from Nairobi's Eastland's area (Kayole), where we had budgeted for, to Lavington Methodist Guest House. The rates of the Methodist Guest House are almost three times more than Kayole UMC rates. And when, in his appreciation email, he says, "Your prerequisite flexibility in dealing with the myriad of unforeseen details is especially appreciated," I was convinced, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he had appreciated how I had been stretched further, but was somehow coping. He promised to take care of incidentals but left a bill which is yet to be cleared. He also borrowed 200 US dollars, to give to Rev. Josephat Rungu, from Riruta United Methodist Women, and promised to refund; but he has not done so to date.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  He has never discussed with me personally this allegation, and this is the first time I am hearing about it -- through the media. I was satisfied that all the accounting of the expenditure was done and that original official receipts hand been handed over to him upon leaving. I have, so far, received the cleared copies of the receipts with no audit query whatsoever from GBCS treasurer.  I am persuaded to think that Rev. Neal needs to put facts on the table rather than gossip when it comes to serious matters. It is unfortunate that a person of his caliber should engage in the cheap gossip of many UMC leaders in East Africa.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  I cannot understand why Rev. Neal chose the media to soil my name. But I think he is better placed to answer this question. I don't know what he promised the East African Annual Conference leadership in order to continue having seminars here. Could it be part of a plan, that such serious allegations, if they are heard in the West, for the whole world to see, then I would be finished.  Until now, the East African Annual Conference homophobic leaders have not been successful in silencing me and are not comfortable working with me. This could be a properly strategized plan to "finish John with his ministry." How unfortunate! 

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Probably this is one of the approaches they schemed with the UMC leadership to deal with me. Again, looking at the cheap talk, it is assumed by UMC leaders that I joined an LBGTI ministry so I could make money and, looking at the statements Neal is said to have made. These are not his own words but words he was given during their gossip time. Therefore, might Neal be but the mouth piece of the UMC leadership, both in Kenya and in the East Africa Annual Conference, for political reasons?

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Due to my stand of fighting for the rights of gay men and lesbian women in the church in Kenya, the leadership has tried all ways to frustrate and persecute me including denial to release funds for my living support for over  two years. Despite all these frustrations, I have vowed to stand firm since the grace of God is sufficient and God loves all of us. Perhaps by withholding my stipend they thought as a family we will relent, but we have vowed to stand firm in this ministry because we've proved beyond reasonable doubt this is a calling from God and not man.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  My wife was refused continuity of part-time lecturing work on allegation of my association with the Other Sheep. Due to evangelical homophobia and homohatred my family was discriminated against, rejected and denied a source of income. But as Christians, we forgave all those who made this decision. Our children were told not to mix with others because they would "recruit" them into LGBTI ministry. We were also advised to seek alternative housing elsewhere because of the nature of our ministry. We prayed, God opened a window and we moved out. But we still love our school.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Some have made attempts to engage in a dialogue on this topic but the majority fear consequences from their leaders and sponsors. We organized a seminar for the clergy in Nairobi but ministers feared to attend. It is a pity that even some resource materials donated to some evangelical colleges have sometimes been returned to us due to disapproval on the basis of phobia and lack of academic freedom.

 

I have no power and authority to "split the church." But, through teachings and preaching, the clergy and laity have the free will to choose which road to follow. There are very few individuals within the church who believe the church needs to be inclusive, that is, accepting of LGBTI persons just as they are. It is time to initiate dialogue through the spirit of love for both the clergy and laity. We need unity in diversity as we reflect on some theological and sociological issues of sexuality.
 
Looking at leaders' worldviews, I do not think they are ready at the moment to initiate theological dialogue between ministers and clergy due  to the following reasons: Religious and cultural homophobia and homohatred is rampant; societal pressure; lack of sound understanding of  What the Bible says and doesn't say about homosexuality; lack of an understanding of the science of human sexuality. This kind of knowledge is lacking in most curriculum.

 

We are also lacking open-minded scholars in the church who can come together and dialogue effectively.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  It is not likely, but there is hope for the future. I think we need to be persistent on reaching out to the clergy even at individual levels or groups of twos and threes.  The clergy are very influential in any community. This should be done slowly and systematically, one level at a time. The best approach is ecumenical, according to our experience and study.

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  Lay leader of Riruta United Methodist Church: Mrs. Winnie Adhiambo;  Email: [email protected].

 

Rev. John Makokha replies:  I would like to request our church leaders to focus on the challenges facing the continent rather than wasting paper and ink and meetings on homosexuality. My pray is that the leaders focus on church leadership wrangles, HIV/AIDS, corruption, poverty, orphans and vulnerable children among others. This will make our mother continent to develop holistically and the church will grow. 
 
My dream is to see an LGBTI affirming church in Africa. This may take long, but that day definitely will come but with a little sacrifice and pain.