A group of 32 churches are calling for a regulatory body recognised by the State to give a cohesive and united voice to the Namibian people and address the issue of the mushrooming of churches.
This comes hot on the heels of growing calls from citizens to have churches regulated in a bid to root out fake and unscrupulous establishments aimed at defrauding usually unsuspecting people.
The group, under the Network of Independent Christian Churches (NICC), say they came together to consult following a motion tabled in the National Assembly on the mushrooming of churches in the country.
“Leaders of [these] churches came together over a period of more than three months to prepare and present its stance on the proliferation of churches,” the church group said in a statement.
The church group recommended a single body association of independent Christian churches be established and recognized by the State to give a cohesive and united voice to the Namibian population.
The envisaged body would regulate its internal and combined national affairs “according to the full Scripture, as well as prepare and submit directives to govern the various Christian churches in Namibia and those wanting to operate in Namibia”.
The body would also advise the government and its stakeholders on the Biblical perspectives and on government’s concerns affecting the Namibian population. “We wish to state that these recommendations are still to be fine-tuned and are in no way comprehensive,” read the statement.
Meanwhile the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) has called for a national day of prayer for rain.
A statement issued this week by ELCRN General Secretary Reverend Petrus Khariseb on the resolutions of its church council meeting held on August 19 said major losses of livestock and even human lives have been recorded in many communities, and the situation needs speedy intervention.The provisional date for the prayer day is October 2.
The church council also called on the private sector and “wealthier citizens” to do more to assist the government in easing the plight of the poor and marginalised in both rural areas and urban informal settlements during the drought.
“The CC further calls for intensification and strengthening of early warning systems and the development of long-term coping mechanisms to deal with the devastating effects of the drought,” the statement said.
The document further stated that the CC’s pilot project on fighting drought through cash grants in various communities in northern and southern Namibia has proven to be very effective and it has therefore shared a report on the programme with the government. – Additional reporting by Nampa.