By Jacob Ngarivhume| I was baptised in the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe church in 2002, at the Kingdom Assembly, Waterfalls in Harare. I was coming out of college at the time, from the vibrant Christian Union at the University of Zimbabwe. I held the church in high esteem and I still do to this day.
Over the years we watched the church grow to be one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in the country as we are referred to.
Just like the nation of Zimbabwe, the issue of institutional change has not spared our church. Surely there was a need for reform and change, to ensure the church remained relevant and consistent with the moving world.
The church embarked on constitutional reform under the leadership of Rev A. Madziyire whose term of office was meant to expire in May of 2018.
Unfortunately, some interpreted it as a way of refusing to leave office while some took it as a noble intention. Rev Madziyire has been in office from 2003 and 2018 was his last year in office for the constitution barred him from contesting again for a sixth term since he has now exceeded the required age limit for office.
Coincidentally one of the constitutional amendments increased that age limit by five years and also lowered it by another five years. This did not help dismiss the conspiracy to remain in office by the church president.
A dispute ensued and deadlock was declared. AFM International intervened but there were no listening ears. The situation turned political and toxic.
Two other proposed reforms were to take back leadership of the church from the local pastor to a local elder and second to discontinue the Pastor’s Appreciation fundraising initiative and thirdly to pull all church earnings together to give an even salary to ALL pastors across the country. This obviously did not go down well with some pastors. The stage was set for a cruel fight, leading to the split of the church.
In creating or amending an organisation’s constitution, all stakeholders MUST be taken fully on board. Who are the stakeholders in this case? To me, there are three, first the AFM pastor, AFM elders and third the congregants.
This process did not take care or focus on the needs of the third stakeholder. The congregant was left in the dark, except a few who were enrolled to be foot soldiers like my brothers from Kingdom Assembly.
The two main stockholders became the pastor and the elder, and each recruited foot soldiers from the congregants to run their cause. It became a battle of our generation.
In the process, the reform agenda though noble, failed to get sufficient buy-in from all stakeholders and the church divided along the president and the deputy and the pastor and the elder.The AFM in Zimbabwe Deputy President went along with pastors and consequently many of the assemblies and the majority of the congregants while the President went on with the majority of elders and clearly fewer members on the ground.
Meanwhile, who is the biggest loser from these power games and selfish power struggles from the church leadership? It is the congregants, people like me, the believers of Jesus Christ in the church , it is the *Kingdom of Heaven* to a large extent !
The split is vicious and divisive. It is chaotic, brutal and merciless. Families are divided, you find your children on the other side, your in-laws on the other. Those who feel strong about the sides are already campaigning to prove who is original AFM, shame shame shame.
I am praying for reconciliation even at this late stage.
In conclusion I have advice to Reverends Madziyire, Chiyangwa, Madawo and Chinyemba, vana baba the church was purchased by the blood of Jesus, dzorai moyo musabvarure church. Hold back and allow Jesus to lead His church.
My situation becomes unenviable that I am a Zimbabwean citizen, a member of the opposition MDC Alliance, I fellowship at AFM in Zimbabwe, living in Glenview, supporting Dynamos, and I do part time vending in the CBD of Harare…..Everything is staked against me…. but one thing is certain, God will not forsake us!
Jacob Ngarivhume
Transform Zimbabwe