1. They worship the same God worshipped by Israelites and Christians, owning all the traditions and acts written in the Bible as their own and as have been performed by their God.
2. They believe
Jesus Christ has come back again on earth as Simeo Ondeto, using the names of
Jesus and Ondeto interchangeably in their worship and church services.
3. They believe
Simeo Ondeto is the son of God, the second Christ, the Glory of God, who has
come down with his saints and angels to establish the era of entry into the
presence of God.
4. They believe
they are the New Christianity, the Latter Israel, a people God has made his own
by sending his son to them and giving them a new covenant, the covenant of
Glory made real at John Baru’s home.
6. They adore a
black woman called Mama Maria who is believed to be Virgin Mary incarnate.
7. They have
their own saints such as St. Timothy Atila, St. Silvester Okweto, St. Philip
Odero, St. Silas of Imbo, St. Peter Otieno, and St. Carilus Mumbo.
8. They read
the Bible and use it in their church services, worship and preaching.
9. Their
headquarter is Got Kwer, also called Got Okwon’g or Got Calvary, in Suna,
Migori County, Nyanza, Kenya.
10. The head of
the church is the pope. There have been three popes: Pope Atila Timothy
(1963-1998), Chiaji Lawrende (1998-2004), and Rafael Adika (2004-to date).
11. They
celebrate the Holy Mass according to the Traditional Latin Rite, though
currently some members of the clergy have incorporated Simeo’s life and
teachings into their Mass, resulting in the Glory Mass.
12. They wear
long robes (cassocks) whenever they go to church and use robes as the primary
vestments for worship.
13. They use
rosaries in their worship. The rosaries are made of beads of different colors
depending on the particular use of a rosary.
14. They use
candles in their worship and light candles even when bulbs are on or in open
daylight. Certain prayers require candles of specific colors i.e. red candles
for exorcism.
15. They do not
wear shoes in the church because they believe in God being present in their
midst, especially when Simeo Melkio was with them in the flesh.
16. They use
water during prayers, squirting it on the faithful as a sign of cleansing them
of their sins, sending away evil or reminder of their baptism.
17. They use
incense in their services, using it during purification/cleansing rites.
18. They have
male priests called Fathers and female nuns called Mothers. The male priests
serve in the altar of the Lord while the female nuns serve in the altar of
Mary.
19. Major orders
in the church are deacon, priest and bishop. The pope is a title for a bishop
heading the church and to whom all other bishops are subject and cardinals are
bishops who elect the pope.
20. They use
Christian songs, books and prayers, especially those of the Roman Catholic
Church. They have also copied many things from the Roman Catholic, including
feast calendars and vestments for the clergy.
21. They do
Christian feasts alongside their own feasts.
22. They fast
just like Christians.
23. They go for
processions regularly, walking along the road as they pray for peace, rainfall,
good harvest, health and wellness, prosperity, etc.
24. They have a
diverse membership from different tribes, races and countries, though majority
of members are still from East African Countries.
25. They believe
strongly in the Holy Spirit and have Simeo Ondeto, Mary and the saints speak to
them by directly possessing members of their congregations.
26. They have
altars in their homes and churches.
27. Their altars
must have the images of Simeo Ondeto and Mama Maria, though the images of Jesus
and the saints may also be placed in their altars.
28. They erect
crosses in their homes and churches, especially near or at the gates.
29. They fly
flags of Simeo Ondeto, Mama Maria and different saints in their homes and
churches.
30. They build
shrines of different saints in their churches i.e. the healing shrine of St.
Catherine of Siena, the exorcism shrine of St. Michael, the checking shrine of
Joseph etc.
31. They
occasionally perform animal sacrifices in which they slaughter sheep and eat.
The meat from the sacrifices are not offered to any deity but eaten by those
who attend the sacrificial feasts.
32. They pay
tithes, offer money for sustaining their priests, and pay offerings for running
and developing their churches.
33. They
predominantly kneel down when worshipping God, though they may occasionally
stand or sit down during services.
34. They only
have one chair in the church which may be used only by the priest celebrant,
bishop or senior clergy. The faithful can only kneel, sit or stand on mats,
carpets or cushions during church services as they are not allowed to use
chairs inside the church.
35. They support
charity and have regular contributions and offerings for the upkeep of orphans,
widows and the vulnerable.
36. They go to
hospital when sick and use pharmaceutical drugs to relieve their illnesses.
37. They abstain
from magic and teach against consulting magicians, palm readers, diviners,
seers etc.
38. They take
their children to school and have no anti-education doctrines.
39. They vote and
can stand to be elected.
40. They are vocal
about human rights, justice, equity, constitutionalism and multiparty
democracy, even praying for the attainment of such things in their countries.
41. They embrace
fashion, particularly fashionable robes and vestments. However, they majorly
favor single colored fabrics or minimally-colored fabrics.
42. They bury
their dead and believe in life after death.
43. They offer
prayers to God to help the dead attain eternal life.
44. They are friendly
to all churches and religions, abstaining from teaching or preaching against
any religious movement.
45. They abstain
from certain foods and substances, particularly being strict against smoking,
alcoholism and drug abuse.
46. They only
accept moderate body makeup and prefer members to remain as natural as
possible.
47. They do not
dance during praise and worship and prefer songs and activities that touch the
heart rather than shake the body.
48. They practice
monogamy, but accept people who are polygamous before joining the faith. Those
who marry more than one wife after joining the faith are forbidden from holding
leadership positions.
49. They save
their money in the banks, take loans and engage in financial transactions just
like other people.
50. Their core
philosophy is “work and prayer” meaning people must not only serve God but must
also engage in labor and hardwork to be are successful in this life.