A CHURCH IN CRISIS: TROUBLED BUT NOT DESTROYED

On Sunday 28 March many churches celebrated Palm Sunday. According to Christian tradition, on this day Christians march to the church waving palm leaves commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem just before His crucifixion. As many other churches celebrated this event a significant number of Anglican churches in Harare were going through yet another painful experience of being denied freedom of worship. At one church they appeared in their church uniforms carrying palm leaves ready to re-enact the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Yet about a hundred metres from the church they were stopped by more than a dozen uniformed police officers fiercely wielding baton sticks. What a contrast! Christians in uniform being prevented from celebrating the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem as he drew closer to consummating the salvation of mankind even in the face of opposing forces.

The conflict within the Anglican Church has been going on for some time now. While the matter has dragged on in the courts without a clear resolution in sight the greatest concern has been the behaviour of some overzealous members of the police force who appear to be taking sides. There are numerous reports of beatings and arrests of those belonging to the Church of the Province of Central Africa. Police details have disrupted church services that have in some cases included the celebration of the holy sacrament of the Eucharist. People have been forced to worship out in the open, sometimes in the rain when the church building itself was empty. In a number of cases the police have even applied the draconian Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and prevented them from having open air worship services. Yet open air services by other numerous groups including African Independent Churches are a common sight and services of the other groups have not been disrupted. This is now a human rights issue - some innocent God loving ordinary Anglicans are being denied the right to exercise their choice on what matters most – their spirituality through public worship because of a few selfish individuals with political agendas.

While acknowledging the role being played by the courts and other well meaning institutions towards the resolution of the conflict within the Anglican Church, the hierarchy of the police force is called upon to ensure that their subordinates exercise fairness and even-handedness in the spirit of the police charter, to enforce law and order and protect the rights of citizens. Worshippers on both sides should desist from engaging in provocative acts but be allowed to exercise their right to freedom of worship and of assembly. Friends in Zimbabwe and from all over the world should join hands in campaigning against biases by police details.

We believe that God is still very much with the Anglican Church and consistent with our Lord Jesus Christ’s words: ‘If you continue to be my disciples you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free’ (John 8:32). You may be troubled, buffeted and ‘homeless’ but will never be destroyed (1 Corinthians 4:11-13 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-11). This is not just an Anglican struggle but God’s.