The proliferation, for the past few years, of different denominations of churches has come with its own share of criticisms.
From weird names, fatal doctrines, false prophets to outright nuisance, especially those churches constructed on top of bars, schools, offices and even on the ground floor of residential flats.
They seem to engage in a shouting competition every single day of the week, the climax being on Sunday.
But to my friend Erick (not his real name), this exponential growth of different denominations is a blessing in disguise. Instead of spewing forth so many criticisms, he opines, people should see the brighter side of it.
You see, most of these churches, in a bid to fish as many lost souls (read recruit new members) as possible, they have improved tremendously on their customer care services.
In particular, what excites Erick the most is the provision of tea and snacks for first-time visitors. It seems even churches have mastered the fact that there is no second chance for a first impression and they are doing anything possible to make the most out it.
So every Sunday, Erick does not budget for breakfast. All he needs to do is to visit a different church every Sunday and enjoy all the benefits that come with being a first time visitor.
These can range from hot milk mixed with either coffee, chocolate, tea bags, cocoa, juice served with queen cakes, doughnuts, mandazi and even chapatti for the well-off churches to milked tea or a bottle of soda served with scones for the middle-class churches.
Low-class churches, he says, will do with strong tea and two slices of bread.
In a year, Erick needs to visit only 48 different churches, a feat he says is very small given that in Kayole alone where he lives, there are more than 100 churches.
By the time he exhausts all Kayole churches and starts venturing into the neighboring Komarock and Umoja estates, he will have reached the retirement age, if he takes this noble idea as his full-time job.
If he attends a church service, drinks tea as a first-time visitor and he happens to get saved, he considers it a double blessing. If he gets a wife (he is also on the lookout for a potential wife material), then he might just stick to a particular Church.
Some faithful have christened his behavior of Church hopping as 'church prostitution' but according to Erick, he does not see it that way. He sees it as just a way of surviving in a hardcore city like Nairobi.
#preachersofke