Newspaper Reports that an Adventist Pastor has been Killed in Kenya

By AT News Team, Dec. 11, 2014:   The Star newspaper in Nairobi has reported that Pastor George Irungu of the Thamanda Seventh-day Adventist Church has died from an attack last Wednesday (Dec. 3). He was attacked by a gang at about 8 p.m. near a shopping center in the town of Kerwa, according to the newspaper, in what was evidently a robbery.

He was taken to St. Theresa Hospital by other people in the area, the newspaper stated. Then he was transferred to Coptic Hospital in Nairobi due to his serious condition. He did not survive despite medical care.

The All Africa news service quoted the pastor’s brother-in-law, Samuel Kimani, urging the authorities to investigate the killing and find the criminals involved. He said that Irungu “was a hardworking man who encouraged family members and worshipers to face life’s challenges with courage and confidence [in God]. We lost a pillar [of] society. No one can fit in his shoes.”

Because the denomination’s Yearbook no longer includes a complete list of all pastors, Adventist Today could not confirm Irungu’s identification. It is possible that he was a lay pastor or local elder leading a congregation and not a denominational employee.

Kenya has nearly 5,000 Adventist local churches and a membership of about 860,000. There are probably twice that many Adventist adherents.