WINDHOEK – The Alliance of Churches and Ministries in Namibia (ACM) says the law should take its course on preachers who use the Gospel but whose practices are devious and contrary to the law.
The president of the ACM, Pastor Zelda van der Colff said on Wednesday that if it can be proven that a pastor is contradicting biblical principles and that their practice is contradicting the law, legal action should be taken to bring them to book.
She also believes church leaders should be exemplary and should hold themselves accountable in order to reduce abuses against congregants.
Pastor van der Colff was commenting on news reports this week of the Namibian Police Force raiding the Fountain of Living Water Ministry church in Freedom Square on Sunday.
Amongst other unbiblical practices leveled against the pastor, Congolese born Jacques Sumpi, are that some followers have been living at the church for years.
Some of the congregants also reportedly appeared brainwashed.
“We do not agree with certain practices that are happening nowadays. If it’s (church practice) not biblical and it can be proven that it’s not biblical and what is being practiced is against the law, then we as the church say the law needs to be implemented to any citizen in this country who is working against the law. But if what is being practiced is biblical and it can be proven then we are standing fully behind the church that applies biblical principles,” said van der Colff.
Pastor van der Colff also said not everybody is called to lead a church and some people can be Christians and play meaningful roles in society in reference to self-anointed pastors but who are not even ordained.
She also stressed on the need for accountability, adding the churches that are found abusing members are mainly those who are not affiliated to any religious body such as the ACM or Council of Churches.
Kevin Rukoro of the Anointed Levites Gospel Truth Ministries said, “We are fighting against churches that have no umbrella body that represents them.” Church leaders that do not account to anybody are most likely to abuse members of their congregations, Rukoro explained.
“The churches must choose where they want to affiliate, added pastor Pumzile Magazi of the Generation Celebration Bible Church.
On the issue of accountability, van der Colff strongly feels the church should be credible at all times.
“Government wants to regulate the church but we believe as the church we have to supervise ourselves and make ourselves accountable to each other. An organisation at the end of the day should also be credible. That is very important because if credibility is not there you have a lack of trust and integrity,” said van der Colff.
The ACM was established two years ago to serve as an umbrella body representing the Christian community.
One of the ACM’s mission is to achieve a framework of collaboration between member churches and government in order to speak from a Biblical perspective on religious and socio-economic matters in Namibia, according to the organisation’s profile.