President Urges Church to Shepherd Congregants Towards Development
Brian Rungano Temba
KADOMA- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called upon indigenous churches and their leaders to encourage their congregants to work towards developing their country in pursuit of Vision 2030 which is now being propelled by the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
He also urged the church to lead in ensuring the achievement of national and continental goals for the good of indigenous people.
In his keynote address during the launch of the African Christian Council International Zimbabwean Chapter (ACCI) in Donain, Kadoma, the Head of State commended the ACCI for its role in uniting churches in Africa.
“I challenge you to marshal your membership with regards to supporting the implementation of development programs and projects that leave no one and no place behind, such as the NDS1.
“Congregants in our churches must be encouraged to occupy the space through productive endeavours in the various sectors of the economy.
“Jehova Vakati tichadya cheziya, neizvozvo anokomborera mabasa emawoko edu. So we must work, we must be productive,” he said.
He said the biased theology that discourages hard work prosperity and sustainable empowerment must be debunked.
“Under the Second Republic, our people deserve a higher quality of life and they should prosper and be in good health even as their souls prosper.
“Never allow yourselves to be swayed into using religion and the religious space as a tool to advance nefarious agendas of detractors”
He also urged the church to support programs that eradicate social vices in societies.
“Equally, we must, through your organisation, see a paradigm shift towards supporting programs that nip in the bud vices such as hate for one’s country, corruption, crime, and child marriages—gender-based violence, the abuse of drugs as well as other retrogressive belief systems, among others.
“The scope and reach of your organisation particularly amongst African churches across the continent place the weighty responsibility on you to coordinate and lead African churches towards the realisation of our collective aspirations and the will of the African people. The African Union Agenda 2063 and in particular Pan Africanism as well as women and youth empowerment must be your source of inspiration,” said President Mnangagwa.
ACCI grand president and founding leader, Archibishop Bishop Johannes Ndanga said his organisation’s thrust was to deal with the inferiority complex that exists in indigenous churches.
The event comes a day after the Ordination ceremony for Pastors 4ED and Zimbabwe Union Council of Churches (ZOUC) that was held at the City Sports Centre in Harare.
At yesterday’s event, he also reiterated the need to shepherd congregants towards development, and honest work and to identify God-given opportunities availed through the Second Republic.
The two events come a few days before the Easter Holiday celebrations.
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