Bishop Kiengei recalls being asked to surrender his church after it hit 10,000 members

Bishop Ben Kiengei has recalled a time when he was approached by a group of church leaders who sought to have his fast-growing Jesus Christ Compassion Ministry (JCM) absorbed into their denomination shortly after it surpassed 10,000 members.

Speaking during his tour of the recently opened JCM Chuka town branch on Sunday, November 2, 2025, the man of God said the approach came at a time when his new ministry was expanding rapidly, drawing thousands of worshippers and gaining national recognition.

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He revealed that the offer had been presented by some of the very people who had once distanced themselves from him.

“When the church had grown to around 10,000 members, that is when the same people who had rejected me came back. I welcomed them because I do not change my character,” he said.

Kiengei said the group expressed their desire to have JCM come under their umbrella in exchange for appointing him as a bishop with oversight of congregations stretching from Ruai to Utawala.

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He noted that the proposal was framed as a gesture of goodwill and unity, with promises of influence and wider reach within their church structure.

“The same people who had rejected me came back. I welcomed them because I do not change my character. They told me they wanted forgiveness, and I told them I had forgiven them long ago. Then they said, ‘Pastor Ben, we want your JCM church to come under us. We will make you bishop and give you congregations from Ruai to Utawala.’”

The preacher, however, revealed that he immediately sensed that the offer was not grounded in genuine partnership but rather in an attempt to take control of his growing ministry.

He said that deep down, he knew the move would have undermined the very independence and purpose upon which JCM had been founded.

“I told them it was a good idea, and they started rejoicing, not knowing I was not interested. I told them to come on Sunday and tell the congregation the same message themselves.”

Bishop Ben said he remained calm as he listened to their proposal, but maintained that his mind was already made up.

He narrated that after the meeting, he went home and shared the matter with his wife, telling her that they would rather face financial struggles than allow their ministry to be compromised.

“I told my wife, we better go broke but we will not go down I told them it was a good idea, and they started rejoicing, not knowing I was not interested. I told them to come on Sunday and tell the congregation that same message themselves,” Kiengei added.

The preacher said he had since learnt that maintaining one’s integrity sometimes demands rejecting opportunities that promise comfort but threaten conviction.

“I had already declared that I would never allow myself to go down again, because I knew they were not calling me to help me but to destroy me. Sometimes you must reject sweet offers and stand firm where God has placed you,” the preacher added.

Seasoned preacher

Before founding his now fast-rising Jesus Christ Compassion Ministry, Bishop Ben Kiengei had served in the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa, where his ministry journey began and steadily took shape.

He started out as a deacon in the Nakuru Diocese before being ordained as a priest and posted to the AIPCA church in Gatundu, which was later elevated to Cathedral status after the extensive renovations he spearheaded.

His service later took him to Kibia Memorial Church in Githunguri, where he ministered as both priest and chaplain of Kibia Academy, earning recognition for his leadership and pastoral commitment.

He would eventually take a bold step of faith to establish the Jesus Christ Compassion Ministry, the independent church he now leads and where he was recently enthroned as its first Bishop.