Trinity Response

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

The Pastor, Elders and Faithful members of Trinity Church Ushindi Ministry would like to issue the following statement of the facts to set the record straight over the issue of John Mugo Mwangi who we all love.

John joined our Church three (3) years ago, from the Anglican Diocese of Thika in Kenya. Trinity Church has been supporting John through scholarship of $6,000 per year and for three years he was at Trinity we paid $18,000.

The agreement with John was that he would voluntarily support the ministry of our Pastor in his ministry. However, John was under the discipline of his Bishop in Thika in Kenya. He had divided the Christians in his parish, shut the bishop out of the church and took the Bishop to court until he was ordered to vacate the church (a testimony that John said in Church).

In Christian love we wanted to help John to settle in the USA by helping him to file for a religious visa with the hope that his family would join him too. However Mugo could not get a letter of good standing from his Bishop, which is part of the requirement. We initiated a process of reconciliation between Mugo and the Bishop. We advised Mugo to write a letter of apology, which he did and some months later we supported him to travel to Kenya as a follow-up where they had a meeting. The Bishop requested him for time to make a decision. We were still waiting for the Bishops response but John decided to join another church.

When John told us of his plans to leave Trinity Church and start his own Church. We had a meeting with him and he promised us, that (1) He would not start his church within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dallas. (2) That he was not in a hurry to start a church, and that he would update us when the time comes. (3) He promised that he would not divide Christians at Trinity Church. In return we promised to offer our moral and financial support when he was ready to start his Church. Unfortunately a few days from that meeting he announced invitations to Trinity members to inaugurate his Church. It appears that Mugo had been all along planning and scheming behind our back to split Trinity church.

When Mugo left Trinity Church we soon realized that he had put himself in a dangerous situation because of his legal status and so we approached him to reconsider his decision to start a Church but he was adamant and refused to meet or discuss with anyone of us.

We therefore decided to confidentially alert Mugo and the Bishop of the Church he had joined through a Pastoral letter within the Church of the facts and danger that Mugo had exposed himself to;

Trinity Rector Rev. Bill Lovell wrote a letter to Johns new Bishop. This letter was not anyway punitive at all and was meant in good faith, to once again request Mugo to reconsider, repent and seek reconciliation. The Bishop was informed that:

1. John Mugo Mwangi is not a priest in good standing in the Diocese of Thika or any diocese in the Anglican Church of Kenya. His credentials are invalid for transfer. That John was “sacked” from the Diocese of Thika, for issues of pastoral integrity. That John caused a lot of harm in the Diocese, and that he is “not a man of good character”, and that he is “extremely dangerous.”

Please note that this is what Bishop Githiga who is John’s Bishop said about him.

1. That John Mugo Mwangi was violating the terms of his Student visa by starting a church and being financially supported by

The group he has gathered around himself.

1. That John Mugo continues to cause scandal and division among the faithful here in Dallas. Through gossip, half-truths and what appear to be outright lies, John has sewn much confusion, splitting apart friends and even family members. He has smeared and defamed Pastor Jacob Ngobia Muiruri, and has lured unsuspecting Christians into a mire of illegal and spiritually poisonous activity. John has caused a great harm to the Church and must be stopped.

The rector begged John’s Bishop;
“To take preemptive action and direct Mugo to immediately stop his tainted church plant.
Regrettably, his illicit behavior has made it impossible at this point for him to be allowed to continue his church work in Dallas in any form. He needs to repent, humbly submit to church authority, dismiss his followers (with apology), and get back to his studies until such time that he reconciles with his Bishop in Kenya.”

Against all ethics and Canon Law Mugo decided to make public a pastoral letter addressed to his Bishop to his members, with a clear intent of incitement. As a result threatening and abusive letters were written to Rector Bill, the Church and even pastor Ngobia. The Issue now took a different turn and the Church institution took over the matter.

With that public exposure, Mugo made himself vulnerable to investigations which may have led to his eventual arrest. Nobody can or should be blamed for what has happened to him but Mugo himself for his lack of judgment and failure to listen to counsel.

It is imperative to know that we at Trinity do not intend in any form or shape to report any of our current and former members to immigration. These are blatant lies hatched and spread by people of extreme questionable character and others have been fighting our ministry for years. It's important to know that some of these people have conned some in our community with fictitious promises. Others are relishing this moment for their personal gains as they have been fighting us for years. We are in ministry of mercy and service to Christ. It's our belief that God will do his will and we are your friends, not otherwise.

Let us all continue to pray that John Mugo (sic) will repent and be reconciled to God and his Church.
We at Trinity Church will continue to cherish and value the opportunities that God has given us to serve our community and we will forge ahead with the Gospel ministry.
May God bless you all abundantly.

Trinity Ushindi Ministry Leadership.

Be Blessed .

Web administrator for Pastor Jacob Ngobia.