POLICE have raised a red flag over violent conflicts in churches which have resulted in congregants being locked in acrimonious factional fights over properties and positions.
Biblically, the church is the body of Christ which should always work towards uniting people. Instead of playing a unifying role, the church is more divided with intra-fighting now being the order of the day. Lately, churches have been rocked by conflicts revolving around leadership, succession and money related issues, which have seen churches turned into battle fields.
Church services have turned violent and in some instances, services are disrupted instead of the church being a sanctury of peace.
In recent years, the country has witnessed a phenomenal growth of new churches most of which broke away from traditional ones.
Violence and disputes in churches has resulted in rival groups dragging each other to courts.
Over the weekend violence, broke out during a church service at the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe as congregants tried to block the introduction of a new pastor and the video of the skirmishes went viral on social media.
Several church related conflicts have been posted on social media platforms in the recent past.
In 2015, several Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa congregants in Lobengula Extension were left nursing injuries following a wave of violence that rocked the church at the height of factional fights.
The church was founded by the late Reverend Morgan Sengwayo in 1955.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said law enforcement agents are concerned about the violence in churches.
He said in some cases police have been called to restore law. “As police we have sometimes been called to resstore order during fights between rival groups of the same church. We have received reports concerning access to church premises where you find that different church members end up fighting over access to the premises,” he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi implored churches to resolve their differences amicably and adhere to the laws of the country. He said churches should promote peace and denounce violence instead of being breeding grounds for conflicts.
Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) executive director Reverend Useni Sibanda said the violence that is obtaining in churches confirms that religious leaders are also human and are bound to make mistakes. He said his organisation has not directly dealt with any church that is embroiled in conflicts.
“However, some of these conflicts relate to usage of resources. Someone might feel that they should have access to resources within a church and if that does not happen it becomes a source of conflict,” said Rev Sibanda.
“This is part of human nature, but regrettably, it is happening within the church.”
Rev Sibanda said as part of conflict resolution measures, ZCC is teaching mediation and conflict resolution courses to pastors as theology alone cannot address challenges bedevilling churches.
He said churches should also utilise several religious bodies to resolve conflicts.
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Commissioner Nomaqhawe Gwere said churches should be brought to the table in the event of violence and infighting.
“As a commission, we are saying the church has to be brought to the table as well because we cannot talk about the church without the church itself. If there are such incidences that are being reported then the church should be the one that comments and be brought to the table to discuss these matters,” she said.
She said it is important for church leaders to be engaged in conflict resolutions.
According to religious experts, the causes of divisions in the church are many but the major one is abuse of church resources for personal gain.
According to renowned American author and evangelist, Ron Susek, churches that split can experience healing and restoration.
In his book, Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts, Susek likens churches to hospitals, which are full of wounded and sick people. But, he however, says, in the church the sickness is sin and the wounds are those we inflict upon ourselves and one another because of sin.
“One sin that causes multiple problems is a lack of forgiveness. No Christian is perfect, and no pastor or elder or deacon is perfect. When all these imperfect people get together, disagreements, hurt feelings and misunderstandings are inevitable,” he stated – The Chronicle
