About two weeks ago our Kitale Representative called me asking help for a pastor from Pokot (Todopusland) who was in trouble with the school authority. A good number of young sisters had been expelled from school after refusing to cut their hair. There is a lawyer in Gathara, our neighbor here from his church, who sometimes deals with such things. I knew that would take long, and the little girls were crying.

I remembered VGR letters always work miracles. So I wrote a long one and sent it by an overnight bus. Today I called the pastor, and he excitedly told me that all the girls were admitted back to school immediately after the letter was received.

The headmaster said he would file the letter so that, should he be transferred, his successors would never dare touch the believers! We thank God for His grace. When head teachers are forced by the law to leave the believers alone, they become bitter and always look for excuses to get them into trouble.

The letter is enclosed.

Brother Barnabas

THE LETTER

Mr. Patrick Karimwonyang
The Headmaster
KAPENGURIA

Dear sir:

THE QUESTION OF A WOMAN’S HAIR

I take this opportunity to plead with you on the case of your humble students (the letter lists the names of 10 young ladies).

Voice of God Recordings is a non-denomination organization that operates in 178 nations of the world. Its office in Nairobi oversees work in East and North-East Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, etc). We have thousands of churches in this region, and have established libraries in every major town in the region (the closest one to you is Kitale). We teach and practice the true form of Christianity, with the Bible as our ultimate, the last word. We let the Bible interpret itself.

On the question of woman’s hair, the Bible states clearly that a man should not have long hair (should therefore cut or trim it), but a woman must have long hair (never to cut it), for it is her glory. It is given to her for her covering (in Kiswahili it renders it more accurately: her hair has been given her “badala ya kifuniko”) It clearly reads at length:

3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman of the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power over her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.[I Corinthians: 11]

Paul strictly warns both men and angels against teaching any other doctrine other than that which was revealed to him:

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so we say now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [Galatians 1:8]

For a woman to cut her hair (which the Bible terms as being “uncovered,” that is to say she has removed what she was given as her covering):

i) It is a shameful thing to do so;
ii) She has removed her glory and therefore is a dishonorable woman;
iii) She should not go before God in pray;
iv) She dishonors her head (husband, if she is married; Christ, if single);

A woman, like it was with Samson of old, is born under a Nazarite Vow and is duty bound not to cut her hair.

Our aim and objective is to produce good, honest, faithful and morally-sound citizens, perfectly fit for this world and the world to come, by teaching them to live by the precepts of the Word of God. Our schools would be better if populated with such.

We supply our literature free of charge and would be happy to give you a full personal library of indispensable books if you would be interested. We could even supply your school with some, including tapes, MP3 CDs, and DVDs, for their spiritual nourishment in this dying world.

I hope that you can now see that your pupils are not trying to disobey the school rules: they are just living the way God put them here on earth to live. The end results will make you a happy administrator, having produced all-round, worthy citizens of our nation: men and women that you can be proud of.

In the past we have had a few such cases around the country, but they have been amicably sorted out. It is only in very, very few cases that we have had to engage our lawyers. I sincerely hope that this lays this matter to rest, and that you will allow the students to resume their studies in your esteemed school.

Yours faithfully,

Barnabas Kariuki, Regional Representative,
Voice of God Recordings Missionary Outreach