Pastor Kanyari responds to Kenyans labelling his church a club
By Steve Ireri, September 21, 2026Salvation Healing Ministry founder pastor Victor Kanyari has responded to Kenyans who have been labelling his church a club and questioning whether the congregants who attend his services are normal.
Speaking in church on Sunday, September 20, 2026, Kanyari addressed the comments that have accompanied videos from his ministry that have been circulating widely online, with some Kenyans comparing the lively scenes at the church to those witnessed in clubs.
The preacher said he had noticed that videos from his church had increasingly been going viral online, exposing the ministry to a wave of comments from social media users questioning the atmosphere during worship sessions.
“And lately videos from my church have been going viral online and down in the comments you would see people writing and likening it to a club and asking where the club is based,” Kanyari said.
He said some social media users had gone further by questioning the state of the congregants who participate in the energetic worship sessions, with some asking whether the people attending his church were normal.
“And they also write and ask if these congregants in my church are normal. You want to tell me people think all people inside my church are mad?” he said.
Rather than taking offence at the remarks, Kanyari said he had decided to embrace the label and turn the criticism into humour.
“I want to respond and tell them that it is true; all congregants are mad, including the pastor. I am mad as they wish,” he said, before laughing.
The preacher appeared to use the response to demonstrate that he was not bothered by the descriptions being attached to his church or its worshippers online.
His remarks came amid a growing online presence for Salvation Healing Ministry, with videos showing lively worship sessions at the church attracting attention beyond the congregation.
Kanyari suggested that some of the comments directed at his ministry were deliberately focused on issues that critics believed would upset him.
He said Kenyans had a habit of identifying what they believed would hurt a person emotionally and repeatedly using it against them.
“Kenyans are funny, and when they know and find that thing that always hurts your heart, they will always focus on that to aim at you,” Kanyari said.
The preacher, however, said he had chosen a different approach by refusing to give his critics the emotional reaction they might expect.
He argued that one way of disarming people who intend to hurt someone through criticism is to show them that the issue they believe is painful does not actually cause distress.
“So it is better to show them that what they think hurts you and breaks your heart actually does not,” he said.