Swangz Avenue singer Elijah Kitaka has opened up on how church and growing up as a preacher’s son traumatized him since childhood.
The Ekyange hitmaker made the confession during the Tusker Malt Conversessions edition, where he was featured as a special guest.
Elijah Kitaka narrated that his father was a pastor while he was growing up. While it is a common belief that religious homes are beneficial, the singer revealed that his own experiences traumatized him.
Having grown up in church, Kitaka was exposed to the inner things that happen within, and he witnessed challenges that may not easily be seen from the outside. He hinted at preachers who tend to worship God but in turn do not live under the true doctrines of the word.
While addressing the pressures of being a pastor’s child, Kitaka recalled eavesdropping on his father’s conversations, which were always full of controversies and criticisms.
“Church has many things you can’t understand if you are not part of it. It has broken so many hearts. I realized the church had many issues, to the point that it got you doubting what is right and what is wrong. What we see in these new generational churches started from way back; pastors do comedy on the pulpit, attack each other, and insult each other in church.
Being in church traumatized me a lot because I was raised as a believer who saw the light, but as I grew up, I patched two and two together. Every time I heard all this coming from my own house, it scared me a lot. When you see the churchgoers and those who preach the gospel, you get traumatized,” he revealed.
Contrary to the common belief that pastor’s children are always wayward, Kitaka revealed that the reason behind their actions was isolation.
ALSO READ: Victoria Sibiya engaged to her partner
They were afraid of being judged, so when faced with challenges, they preferred to keep to themselves rather than open up.
“That is why they say pastors’ children are always wayward, but that is not the case. We go through stages and see challenges that we will not discuss with fellow Christians in church because they would judge. You keep all this to yourself, and the only way to get over them is to find yourself, but remember they have raised you in particular beliefs that will affect you. When you grow up and start discovering yourself, you end up sinning because you are traumatized by so many things,” Kitaka revealed.
