n, African Methodist Episcopal, Apostolic Faith Mission, Baptist, Brethren in Christ, Catholic, Church of Central African Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Good News Church (Pentecostal), Methodist, Revival Centre, Word of Life, Selborne Park Fellowship, Victory Fellowship, and Evangelical Lutheran have called on their congregations to pray together in response to the current national crisis. The group expressed concern about the worsening collapse of the economy, rising unemployment, the worsening AIDS scourge, deepening food shortages, rising destitution and the widespread reign of terror and fear that is being orchestrated by the government on the opposition, civic society and the media.
Anglican Bishop Wilson Sitshebo appealed to the nation: “Please, children of the soil of Zimbabwe, sons and daughters of God, desist from these tendencies and seek to work for the well-being of all Zimbabweans irrespective of colour, creed, race or political affiliation.”
Another church leader, the Revd Raymond Motsi of the Baptists, said: “Because God hates violence, we are calling upon all Christians to pray for God’s intervention.”
He quoted Luke 4.8-9: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
At least three opposition supporters have been killed by suspecyted state security agents while more than 600 activists have been abducted and viciously tortured. Thirty other opposition activists are currently languishing in remand prison on trumped charges of petrol bombing police camps.
This is the first time that the church has spoken with one voice on the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. The coalition is reportedly the brainchild of outspoken Bulawayo-based Catholic prelate Archbishop Pius Ncube.
The objective of the group dovetails with those of the Christian Alliance, which last week defied a ban on gatherings and held a prayer rally in Bulawayo.
There have been contradictory statements from different churches on the Zimbabwe crisis, pointedly between the Catholic and the Anglican churches, differences centering on the root causes of the Zimbabwe crisis. A highly critical pastoral letter by the Catholic bishops last month angered President Mugabe, prompting him to issue threats against the men of the cloth.
On the other hand, a statement by the Harare Anglican bishop, Nolbert Kunonga, viewed as broadly supportive of the Mugabe regime, stirred a hornet’s nest in the church, with many charging it did not reflect the true position of the church that Mugabe was responsible for the mess that Zimbabwe is currently in.
The Bulawayo church leaders stated in their statement “for anarchy to prevail, good men would have done nothing.” The church leaders also lamented the mounting famine and deepening hardships and insisted the nation should seek God to heal the land.
They said the government should co-opt recommendations of the “Zimbabwe We Want” document, containing a raft of measures proposed by church leaders to resolve the country’s problems.
Post published in: News