Divorce and remarriage: an ethical challenge to the contemporay methodist church in Kenya

In the African context, marriage is regarded as an important rite of passage which every normal person must perform during his life time to keep the continuity of the kinship in the social structure (Mbiti J, 1973: 210). This means that it holds a very central place in the African life. Marriage concerns the society where its negativity or positivity affects the whole order of law and society; hence it should be kept intact. Despite all these expectations, the tragic fact is that divorce is commonplace in our contemporary MCK church and society. Divorce today has touched the lives of many individuals than ever before. Sadly enough, the dramatic rise in divorce rates in the recent years has affected the MCK Christian community including the clergy, hence becoming a challenging issue to the Contemporary MCK church and society. Church members are filing for divorce (even after having very expensive weddings) within one year of marriage where the clergy who are believed to be able to offer guidance to the problem are also victims. The inclusion of the clergy as victims has made the situation more difficult because it has eroded the moral authority which the clergy should command on the challenge.