Oh, how low has the Church fallen!
Reports that the Government has finally registered a faction of the African Independent Pentecostal Church after 27 years of acrimonious leadership wrangles might have caused celebration among its leaders and followers, but it has also left a sour taste in many mouths.
The dispute, which pitted a splinter group led by Archbishop John Mugecha against Archbishop Samson Gaitho, best serves to underline how worldly the church has become.
Nothing illustrates this unfortunate state of the church better than the quote attributed to Archbishop Mugecha, who reportedly told his elated congregation at the new African Independent Pentecostal Church of Kenya headquarters in Githunguri:
"Today is a great day for all of us. We are no longer slaves. We have come out of Egypt... "
Twenty-seven years is indeed a long time to harbour bitterness. Most of the children born when the wrangle started now have their own families.
But this is a true reflection of how the Church has wandered from its mandate of being the salt of the earth, making Christianity to be frowned upon. The truth of the matter is that Christianity is on the downward trend.
Practices such as homosexuality and lesbianism in the church raise eyebrows simply because "they are newcomers".
Bickering, disputes, jostling for leadership positions, tribalism, nepotism and corruption have made permanent homes in the hearts of spiritual leaders.
Some of these problems arise because of the Church's struggle to remain relevant in a fast-changing world.
Globally, churches are opting to be "user-friendly" in an attempt to attract and retain members.
For example, a few years ago, an article in The Wall Street Journal described one well-known church's bid "to perk up attendance at Sunday evening service".
The church staged a wrestling match, featuring church employees. To train for the event, 10 game employees got lessons from Tugboat Taylor, a former professional wrestler, in pulling hair, kicking shins and tossing bodies around "without doing real harm".
Yes, no harm to the staff members, but what is the effect of such an exhibition on the church's message? Isn't the gospel message itself badly eroded by such tomfoolery?
That wrestling match is not an obscure example from some eccentric church on the fringe. It took place in one of America's five largest churches.
Similar examples could be drawn from many of the leading churches supposedly in the mainstream of evangelical orthodoxy.
The user-friendly philosophy has impacted negatively on the role of the Church in society. John MacArthur, in his book titled Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World, says: "The radical pragmatism of the 'user friendly' school robs the Church of its prophetic role.
"It makes the Church a populist organisation, recruiting members by providing them a warm and friendly atmosphere in which to eat, drink and be entertained. The Church functions more like a saloon than a house of worship."
Most Evangelical churches are becoming ever more market-driven. There seems almost no limit to what modern church leaders will do to entice people who aren't interest in worship and preaching. Many have bought the notion that the Church must pull in people by offering an alternative form of entertainment.
For instance, in America, there is a belief that developing a market orientation is precisely what the Church needs to do to make a difference in what has become a market-driven environment.
So preaching - particularly preaching about sin, righteousness and judgment - is considered too confrontational to be truly satisfying. Hence the need to couch the truth in ways that amuse and entertain.
But Charles Spurgeon would tell you that moving away from the historic positions of Biblical Christianity is dangerous.
Spurgeon, a great preacher and author in England in the eighteenth century, would maintain: "Biblical truth is like the pinnacle of a steep, slippery mountain. One step away, and you find yourself on the downgrade."
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Mr Ayieko is the editor of "EndTime News", a monthly Christian newspaper.
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