A pastor in Kenya took his own life after murdering his wife over their leadership positions in the church.

Elijah Misiko, a pastor at Ground for God's Gospel Ministry in Mombasa, Kenya approached his wife's pew during Sunday's service, stabbing her twice. The pastor then stabbed himself and slit his throat with the same knife, dying immediately. His wife, Ann Mughoi, died shortly after in hospital.

Misiko left a 17-page suicide note explaining that he killed his wife over church relations.

Kisauni Sub County Police Commander Julius Kiragu explains in a video that in the note Mikiko said he was frustrated with his wife and place in the church.

"The fact of the matter is the wife was a senior pastor in that church," says Kiragu. "That's why she was pushing away the husband."

CNN says the pair had been separated at the time over leadership and church ownership disagreements. His wife, Mughoi, was a senior pastor in the church where Misiko was an assistant pastor. The two started Ground for God's Gospel Ministry together but had been arguing over church ownership since 2017.