I am now reborn, please call me brother Dre!
The last time I was an active member of Apostle Elkana's The Holiest of All Ghosts (THOAG) Tabernacle Assembly, that was before I was excommunicated, the congregants were growing. If you remember, I was excommunicated after forgetting to ask for sadaka on a day when we had the largest congregation in the history of THOAG.
At the time, I was the church's Youth Leader and on Teaching Practice at St. Theresa’s Girls Secondary School. Utilising that position, I managed to invite many students from surrounding secondary schools for a youth revival session. As the MC for the day, I must have gotten quite excited, forgetting to ask for the day's collections. By the time Apostle Elkana asked, quite a lot of people had already left.
Fast forward to two weeks ago when I was convinced by Apostle Elkana to return to the fold. I thought I would find the church's congregation having grown since I left. So, on the Thursday before Good Friday, when Apostle Elkana called me asking whether I would be in church, I told him I would have to check. "No, we need you because very few members are coming, and not everyone is like you who has read the Bible and understands crucifixion," he said.
I told him I would think about it, but after several more calls, I agreed that I would attend. I had thought this would be the end of the matter, but he kept calling.
"We are staging a small drama showing how Jesus was crucified on the cross," he started. I told him I looked forward to watching it and even asked him if he needed any support from me. I thought they might want me to be a judge or director, given my renowned experience in National Drama Festivals.
"I have experience with drama festivals and I can be a good judge or coach for the actors," I told Apostle Elkana.
"We do not need a judge as there will be no other teams to compete. I have personally directed the play," said the Apostle. I asked him what help he needed.
"As you know, the men in this church have really reduced since you left," he stated. "And we are struggling to get young men as they seem to go to the Pentecostal churches that have music and dance." I kept listening, wondering where this was heading to.
"So, part of the plan is to have someone being carried on the cross," he explained. "We had identified a young man who had accepted, but he has traveled. So, we are looking for a man to help. That's where you come in."
"Me? On the cross?" I exclaimed. "I am not ready to die for someone else. Jesus already died for all of us," I said.
"You will not die, we will just tie you on a cross and move around with you in a procession," he reassured me. I asked who will be carrying the cross.
"We wish we had more men but we do not have any, so it will be done mostly by the women, and any man we can meet," he replied. I reiterated that I was not ready to die for anyone.
That evening I sweet-talked Branton to play Jesus, and he accepted. I was in church early the next day, with me was Branton. Branton, who had accepted to act as Jesus, changed his mind and disappeared the moment the cross was brought.
They created something that looked like a human, placed it on the cross, and we went in a procession around Mwisho wa Lami. The only men were Apostle Elkana and I, the rest were women. We had a short service after the procession, during which Apostle Elkana declared me reborn. That evening, a part of me wanted to go to Hitler’s while another side said I was saved and Hitler’s stuff was evil. I overcame the temptations.
That evening Apostle Elkana called me to thank me for the generous offering. We had raised Sh270 as sadaka; the Sh200 had been mine. "We now can start budgeting sadaka."
Saturday was a resting day for me. I woke up around 11am, and after breakfast, I napped again before taking late lunch at 3pm. I battled with going to Hitler’s for a long time. I only went out after it got dark, lest I met someone. I did not want to embarrass Apostle Elkana by meeting a church member, as the day before, he had announced me as the world's latest reborn-again Christian. I met two people there who, luckily, were not church members.
Apostle called me incessantly that evening. He wanted to confirm that I would be going to church the next day. He was happy when I confirmed that I would be attending. And he went ahead to give me some assignments. I would be the one to usher in guests, collect sadaka, and also read the first readings.
There were so few people. On the left side were about seven women. On the right was only me with another young man, a nephew of Rasto who was visiting. I led the first readings. I had initially wanted to read the verse in English or Swahili, but the good apostle insisted that I read in our mother tongue. "We have old women here who will not understand English or Swahili."
The sermon was long and uncomfortable. It was clear Apostle Elkana was talking about me, for the topic was salvation and how easy it was for someone to backslide and go back to the old ways.
"Alcohol is good, but it is all vanity of vanities," he said, looking at me without looking at me. "Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so if you drank yesterday, it is okay, your sins are forgiven. But how do you ensure that you remain pure?"
After his sermon, he called me in front and introduced me as the Chair of the Church Development Committee. He had not even told me about it in advance.
"We have many projects coming up in the future, and Dre is the best person to lead us there," he said amid cheers and claps.
He then announced that there would be no church on Easter Monday but that the officials and I was now one of them, should make themselves available for planning purposes. In the meeting on Monday, he announced that the church needed chairs, a new sound system, and the floor cemented. And he looked upon me to deliver that.
That evening, for the last time, I passed by Hitler’s. I deliberately went very late. I was the only one.
And that, friends and enemies, is how I got saved. Praise God! It is never too late for you to make the decision and be saved as well. Our church’s doors are wide open.
