MH Reporter
Pastor Ezekiel Ombok Odero of the New Life Prayer Centre was a staunch member of the conservative Seventh Day Adventist Church back in the day.
What happened?
Ezekiel was a staunch member of the SDA church in his home village in Ngodhe Island in Homa Bay County – and attended Ngodhe Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church.
The Church is a known Adventist Protestant Christian denomination usually distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian and the Hebrew calendar.
They lay emphasis on the Sabbath and the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ – and The Three Angels’ Message.
It was here that he honed his understanding of the bible having participated actively in pathfinder activities at the Church.
Sources say that Ezekiel was a youth leader and choir leader at his local SDA church.
And now, residents of Ngodhe want their son, who is being held in Mombasa following the deaths of 110 people at a church associated with Pastor Paul Mackenzie.
According to villagers, Ezekiel always spoke of a plan to set up a massive church that would be all inclusive, and not rooted on denominations.
Is that why he left SDA? To look for an environment with no religious boundaries, that would give him enough space to do the Lord’s work?No one can tell.
Ezekiel studied at Miwani secondary school in Kisumu before joining Mombasa Polytechnic.
He would later drop out of school over school fees, before relocating to Malindi where he formed a church.