By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Leading members of the clergy have accused churches of turning a blind eye to the plight of suffering Namibians. Both Secretary General of the Council of Churches in Namibia, Reverend Phillip Strydom, and President of the Association of Charismatic Pentecostal Churches in Namibia, Reverend Jan Gaweseb, said at a meeting of pastors and church leaders that the churches were silent despite the people’s suffering. Pastors and church leaders of different charismatic and Pentecostal churches from Mariental, Okahandja, Outjo, Tsumeb, MaltahÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚¶he and Windhoek met in Windhoek on Saturday to evaluate the church’s contribution towards the social economic development of Namibia and specifically on their contribution towards changing the living standards of people. “Are there churches that we as Pentecostals have built? What can we as Pentecostals do to contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030?” he asked. The theme of the meeting was: “The contribution and participation of Namibian Christian churches towards the realisation of Vision 2030”. “The churches are silent. They are busy with their own things, yet the country is bleeding. “The demons are ruling and the church is sleeping,” said Gaweseb. Strydom said the church had adopted a culture of silence in the face of poverty, HIV/AIDS and immortality and therefore is complacent to what was happening in the country. “We as charismatic and Pentecostal churches have failed and we want to collaborate,” said Gaweseb. Strydom likened Vision 2030 to the Biblical vision which talks about the New Jerusalem being “a place of joy and happiness, where there will be no crying and suffering”. He said with 23 years to go before the year 2030, the church was being tested in three crucial areas for the realization of the vision, namely HIV/AIDS, poverty and the environment. He said about HIV/AIDS: “If this trend continues, we can forget about Vision 2030.” Other challenges facing the church include gender issues, alcohol abuse, multiple partners, unemployment, justice issues and cultural and church practices that prohibited open discussions on sexuality, he said. The Secretary General urged church leaders to start mobilising their churches on Vision 2030 and also to put in place HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda said the church, as the number one vehicle for the social upliftment of the nation, “should be the light and salt of the earth”. “While Christianity is growing and expanding globally, it is expected to bring about changes and transformation, not only on the lives of individuals but also in all spheres of societies,” Mungunda said. She said Christians would be held accountable for how the earth is being managed because they were given the mandate over the works of God’s hands. The minister urged churches to be realistic and practical in the way they exercise their Christian faith. “The church has the tool to change society. It is high time we realised that we have the power to change our society at large, by changing the lives of individuals,” she said.