The growing CITAM Karen saga is no longer just about money, recruitment or procurement.
Fresh complaints from a congregant now paint a picture of a church where some members allegedly feel wounded by selective discipline, harsh doctrine, hypocrisy and leadership conduct that does not match what is preached from the pulpit.
The complainant, who says they worship at CITAM Karen and have served in the Music Ministry, claims several members have been hurt by how the church handles divorce, remarriage, ministry service and internal leadership behavior.
In one account, a differently abled woman allegedly continued serving the church after her marriage collapsed, only to be told she could not serve because she was divorced. Her former husband was allegedly later made a pastor in another CITAM assembly.
In another case, a woman serving in Media and Music ministries allegedly sought guidance before marrying a widower, but the church reportedly refused to support the marriage and later asked her to step down from serving.
In a third incident, church elders were accused of skipping a congregant’s row during Holy Communion after a neighbourhood parking dispute.
Taken separately, CITAM can dismiss each complaint as an isolated misunderstanding.
Taken together, they point to a deeper problem.
Members are asking whether CITAM applies rules equally, whether women are treated more harshly than men, whether church leaders are held to the same moral standards as ordinary congregants, and whether the church is using doctrine to heal people or to punish them.
The complainant said:
“Lately, church has become one of the most troubled places to go to. The church has been hurting people in ways more than one. Slowly, members are seeking alternative places of worship where they feel welcome.”
That statement should worry CITAM leadership.
A church does not collapse in one day. It first loses trust. Then people stop speaking. Then they stop serving. Then they quietly disappear.
If these allegations are false, CITAM should respond and correct the record.
But if even part of these stories is true, then the church has a serious internal crisis.
Because a church that preaches grace but allegedly punishes the wounded, a church that preaches family but allegedly mishandles broken families, and a church that preaches integrity while members complain of hypocrisy, cannot keep hiding behind polished Sunday services.
CITAM Karen members are speaking.
The church should listen.