This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
Meet Pastor Samuel Thairu, a Mortician and a Man of God ¶
Published on July 19, 2020
Samuel Thairu is a man of two worlds. By day, he works as a mortician at the JM Memorial Ol Kalou Hospital mortuary in Nyandarua County, ensuring that the dead are preserved with dignity. By Sunday, he dons a different hat as a pastor at the Kenya Assemblies of God Church in Ol Kalou town, where he ministers to his congregation.
Thairu's dual roles may seem like a contradiction, but for him, they are two sides of the same coin. 'This is what I usually do when I am not working or while waiting for some work to do. The word of God gives me motivation to work and handle my work with ease,' he said.
Thairu's journey into mortuary work was not a deliberate choice. He was working as a casual at the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital when a vacancy arose at the mortuary department. He applied for the job, but initially, he was afraid of dead bodies. 'When I was new in this job, I had fears and challenges handling the dead, but I asked God to give me strength to tackle what awaited me in my new job,' he said.
Today, Thairu is a 38-year-old father of three who has found a sense of purpose in his work. He says that he fills a gap at the morgue by consoling bereaved families and ensuring that the dead are preserved with dignity. 'Most families usually don’t have anyone to console them during bereavement, especially while taking their loved ones for interment from the morgue. As a man of God, I knew I would comfortably fit in the shoe,' he said.
Thairu's parents and family supported his decision to take up the job, and he has never abused drugs or alcohol. He prays for his work every morning, asking God to protect His people and grant them strength and serenity in case they lose a loved one.
As a pastor, Thairu has challenged his fellow pastors to not only depend on offerings and tithes from their congregation but also to work hard and earn their own sweat. 'Even the word of God clearly states that one should eat from his own sweat. This will kill the narrative that pastors only depend on offerings and tithes from their congregation,' he added.
