CITAM Karen is facing fresh allegations after a congregant claimed that a differently abled woman who faithfully served the church was allegedly stopped from serving because she was divorced, while her former husband later became a pastor in another CITAM assembly.
According to the source, the woman, identified only as Rose, had been married to a man identified as Sam, who reportedly served as head of the Music Ministry for some time.
The couple was described as mature, with teenage children, and was allegedly viewed by many as a picture of a stable Christian family.
However, according to the complainant, the marriage later broke down after Sam allegedly started philandering and eventually left the matrimonial home.
Despite the pain of the separation, Rose reportedly continued attending church with her two daughters. The daughters were also involved in church music and played instruments during church activities.
The source claims Rose, who is differently abled, continued serving faithfully and even became involved in sign language translation during church services.
The complainant said:
“Rose kept steady and kept coming to church with her two daughters. The church embraced PWDs and Rose took up the initiative to lead the special group. She would volunteer and translate the service through sign language. She became the face of sign language translation.”
But according to the source, things allegedly changed when Rose was later told that she could no longer serve because she was a divorcee.
The complainant further claims that Rose’s former husband later became a pastor in another CITAM assembly, raising serious questions about whether church discipline is applied equally to men and women, or whether ordinary women are punished more harshly than men who are better connected.
The source said:
“Kidogo we hear the ex-hubby Sam is now a pastor in another CITAM assembly. Kidogo, Rose is told that she can’t serve because she is a divorcee. I have not seen Rose or her kids for a while.”
If true, this is a disturbing allegation.
A woman allegedly holds her family together, continues attending church, serves despite personal pain, supports sign language ministry, brings her children to church, then ends up being pushed away while the man linked to the collapse of the marriage rises elsewhere in the same church system.
CITAM must explain whether divorced members are barred from serving, whether the rule applies equally to men and women, and why a person who served the PWD community would allegedly be removed from ministry at a time when she needed spiritual support.
This is no longer just a church policy issue. It is a human issue.