From Zimbabwe-
It pains me to see the Anglican Church Diocese of Harare in such turmoil just because of a fight of bishops who want to control the assets of the church.
The fight is not about the welfare of parishioners who actually paid for the building of the churches and are the people who maintain them from their contributions which are monies left after paying utility bills to various local government authorities, school fees etc.
It is about power.
All the parishioners want is to follow the footsteps of our Lord and prepare themselves for the time they will be reunited with Him after death.
The parishioners pay the salaries of the bishops and priests, the very people that are preventing them from going on their knees in prayer in the very church buildings they built from their contributions.
What should the parishioners do?
The only available avenue left for them is for representatives of the parishioners, who are neither bishops nor priests, to approach the Supreme Court on a constitutional right of worship.
They should take over their churches and employ new bishops and priests of their choice and leave out those that are bickering to their own fate.
The Zimbabwe Constitution guarantees the freedom of worship.
Priests who want to personalise church assets are denying parishioners this freedom.
Surely our eminent jurists can see the denial of justice the parishioners are suffering.
Is it asking too much to choose your own leaders of the church to minister to you according to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Maybe it would have been better if we had followed his footsteps of not owning any building but got his message from the hills and shores of rivers and lakes.
More here-
http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=19214&cat=10
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