Good News International Ministries
| Good News International Ministries | |
|---|---|
 Logo used on Mackenzie's website | |
| Classification | Christian new religious movement Eschatological, anti-Western church movement |
| Orientation | Evangelicalism |
| Leader | Paul Nthenge Mackenzie (2003–present) |
| Region | Shakahola forest, Kilifi County, Malindi, Kenya |
| Founder | Paul Nthenge Mackenzie |
| Origin | 2003 |
| Defunct | 2019 (Mackenzie's claim) 2023 (police claim) |
| Official website | goodnewsintlministries |
The Good News International Ministries (GNIM), commonly known toponymically as the Malindi cult (and previously as Servant PN Mackenzie Ministries), is a Christian evangelical group based in and around Malindi, Kenya, joint-founded by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie (also spelt Makenzi)[1] and his wife in 2003. The group attracted international attention in April 2023, when it was revealed that Mackenzie had instructed members to starve themselves en masse to "meet Jesus." According to the group's website, and news media reports, they purport to be followers of the End Time Message of William Branham.[2][3][4]
After founding the GNIM in 2003, Mackenzie accumulated a large following, largely due to successfully convincing his followers that he could speak directly to God. The group is adamantly anti-Western, with amenities such as healthcare, education, and sports being dismissed as "evils of western life," and with Mackenzie condemning the United States, the United Nations, and the Catholic Church as "tools of Satan." The group also devotes much of its teachings to the end times.
Beginning in the late 2010s, Mackenzie's church began to receive a renewed wave of scrutiny regarding the internal practices of the organization. In 2017, Mackenzie and his wife faced several charges relating to the church. He was chastised for inciting students to abandon their education after denouncing it as "ungodly," as well as radicalizing and denying medical care to said children afterwards; several children died as a result and, in 2017, 93 children were rescued by government authorities from the church. After another arrest in 2019, he departed Malindi and headed to the Shakahola forest. In 2023, after another arrest the month prior in relation to the deaths of several children, he was again arrested for allegedly inciting his followers to starve themselves to "meet Jesus," resulting in the deaths of at least 89 people.
History
The Good News International Ministries was founded in Kenya in 2003,[5] by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his wife, Joyce Mwikamba, as a small evangelical center. Before the founding, Mackenzie worked as a taxi driver in Nairobi from 1997 to 2003, during which he was charged four times for his sermons, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence.[6] When the church began to prosper, the duo moved to Migingo Village in Malindi. Mackenzie was able to amass a large cult following, largely via convincing his congregation that he could personally communicate to God.[7]
In 2016, according to unconfirmed reports, a member of the group sold their property on the island of Lamu to Mackenzie for 20 million KSh. The preacher allegedly used this money to purchase property in the cities of Mombasa and Malindi, two vehicles, and to fund a television station to broadcast his message. The move by his follower convinced several other members to follow suit, selling their properties and giving money to the church.[7]
In 2017, Mackenzie and Mwikamba were charged with promoting radicalization, as well as denying children access to health and education and running a school and the television station unauthorized; the latter precipitated the closure of the television station the following year by the Kenyan Film Classification Board.[8][9] In 2018, he was criticised by community leaders including the then Malindi MP, Aisha Jumwa [10] and other activists[11][12] for inciting children to drop out of school often without parental consent.[13] They were released after investigating officers found them innocent.[14] Mackenzie is accused of radicalizing children by encouraging them to drop out of school and refuse medical treatment. Several children died as a result, and in 2017, government authorities rescued 93 children from Mackenzie's church.[2]
In 2019, Mackenzie was arrested for inciting the public against registration for Huduma Namba by likening it to the Number of the Beast.[15] He was released. He was also accused of brainwashing and abducting children to join his cult.[16] It was after this incident that he closed his church in Migingo and moved to a remote commune in Shakahola.[9]
Teachings
According to the group's website, and news media reports, they purport to be followers of the End Time Message of William Branham an informal global network of churches that emerged from Oneness Pentecostalism.[17][2][3][4] Investigators uncovered booklets of Branham's teachings at the commune which were pictured in a news broadcast.[18][19] Mackenzie's YouTube channel contains videos promoting Serpent Seed teachings, versions of which are used by white supremacists to oppress non-white races and to prevent racial mixing.[17][20] Although serpent seed is descended from Wesley Swift's Christian Identity Theology, not all adherents are aware of its racial origins and still implement the teaching in such a way that it prevents racial mixing and enforces racial segregation.[21]
Paul Mackenzie's teachings have been described to have placed a huge emphasis on end time doomsday teachings and to be anti-western. Mackenzie rails against the "evils of western life," which includes medical services, education, food, sports, music, and "the uselessness of life." In a song titled "The Antichrist," he denounced the Catholic Church, the United States, and the United Nations as tools of Satan.[7]
Mackenzie believed that the Kenyan biometric ID system called Huduma Namba was the Mark of the Beast, in alignment with the fundamentalist teachings of William Branham. He echoed conspiracy theories to his followers insisting the end of days was imminent.[17]
Mass starvation incident
| Date | Early April - March 14, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Shakahola village, near Malindi, Kenya |
| Cause | Followers were instructed to go without food to meet Jesus |
| Perpetrator | Paul Makenzi |
| Organized by | Good News International Ministries |
| Deaths | 89 |
| Missing | 200+ |
| Burial | Shakahola forest |
| Displaced | 15 |
In early April 2023, a husband contacted police after his wife and daughter left Nairobi to join Mackenzie's remote commune in Kilifi County, and did not return. When police entered the community to investigate, they discovered emaciated people and shallow graves. 15 members of the group were rescued by police; they stated that they had been ordered to starve themselves to death to "meet Jesus". The 15 followers were in poor condition; four died before they reached a hospital.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
Over the following three weeks, police searched the 800-acre commune, finding more shallow graves and additional survivors who were starving to death. The first bodies recovered from the graves were mostly children. One of the graves is believed by police to contain the bodies of five members of the same family – three children and their parents. Authorities also discovered a number of other emaciated individuals, including one who had been buried alive for three days, and was later taken to a hospital for treatment. Local authorities began requesting assistance from other jurisdiction to help with efforts at the commune. Authorities believed that an unknown number of missing people were still hiding in the forest on the commune and evading authorities while continuing to fast. Authorities reported that members of the commune were actively trying to hinder their efforts to find survivors.[22][9]
89 deaths have been reported as of April 25, 2023,[23] including eight who were rescued but later died.[24] The Kenyan Red Cross reported on April 25 that over 200 individuals are missing.[23] As of April 24, 34 emaciated survivors have been rescued.[23]
Mackenzie and fourteen other members of the cult were arrested by authorities and are being held in police custody.[23]
Reactions
President of Kenya William Ruto said "Mackenzie's teachings were contrary to any authentic religion."[24]
Kenyan Interior Ministry said, "This horrendous blight on our conscience must lead not only to the most severe punishment of the perpetrator(s) of the atrocity on so many innocent souls, but tighter regulation (including self-regulation) of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward."Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
References
- ^ "Kenyan authorities find 39 bodies during investigation of religious cult leader". PBS NewsHour. April 23, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c Wampui, Peninah (April 24, 2023). "11 Things you didn't know about Shakahola Pastor Mackenzie". Mpasho News. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ a b Dickson, Wekesa (April 23, 2023). "Kilifi Cult: Police so far discover 58 shallow graves". Mandy News. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ a b "About Us". Good News Ministries. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "How did we get here? Questions arise over Malindi cult that has been operating since 2003". Citizen Digital. April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Okwembah, Benard sanga and Nehemiah. "Stalled case of pastor in cult-like deaths exposes cracks in justice system". The Standard. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c Lisimba, Hillary (April 24, 2023). "Rise of Pst MacKenzie who 'speaks directly to God' to infamous death cult leader". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Lwanga, Charles (October 2, 2017). "Cleric in extreme teachings case detained". Nation. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c Achieng, Serfine (April 20, 2023). "Malindi Cult: Shock As 12 More Graves Discovered, Number Rises To 27".
- ^ Lwanga, Charles (December 31, 2018). "Aisha Jumwa threatens to storm Good News Church". Nation. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Lwanga, Charles (October 9, 2018). "Malindi residents want church opposed to education closed". Nation. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Mhubiri matatani kwa mahubiri yake #SemaNaCitizen, retrieved April 22, 2023
- ^ Polisi huko wamtia mbaroni kasisi Paul Makenzi,Anafunza waumini kuwa elimu rasmi ni dhambi, retrieved April 22, 2023
- ^ Controversial Malindi televangelist & his wife released by court, retrieved April 22, 2023
- ^ Lwanga, Charles (April 19, 2019). "Pastor Paul Makenzi in trouble again". Nation. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ "Couple accuses pastor of holding their four sons". The Standard. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c Ontrovine, Massimo (April 25, 2023). ""Deadly Fasting" in Kenya: What We Know So Far". Bitter Winter. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ ""Number of graves discovered rise to 24 in Shakahola Village". DW News. April 24, 2023.
- ^ Bias, Sarkar (April 24, 2023). "39 bodies found on Paul Makenzi, Kenya pastor's land, followers allegedly 'fasted to death'". SpielNews. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ "Apple Promo 2". YouTube. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Collins, John (April 25, 2023). "Malindi Cult Covertly Spreading White Supremacy in Kenya". William Branham Historical Research. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ Fiorillo, Chiara (April 14, 2023). "Four cult members starve to death in Kenyan forest after 'fasting to meet Jesus'". The Mirror.
- ^ a b c d Obulutsa, George; Shirbon, Estelle (April 25, 2023). "Kenya hunger cult deaths reach 89, minister prays survivors will 'tell the story'". Reuters. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Holland, Hereward (April 24, 2023). "Death toll in Kenyan starvation cult rises to 73 - police". Reuters. Retrieved April 24, 2023.