17 Nov 2014

Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi North, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi has emphasised the importance of churches and their role in community building.

Speaking at the official opening of the Evangelical Religious Protestant Unity Church at Kang in Kgalagadi District over the weekend, Mr Moipisi said the role of the church had over the years extended from only focusing on the spiritual welfare of its members.

He said churches had since the colonial era found the need to provide the citizenry with some of the basic human necessities like education and health care centers.

He said churches provide valuable contributions to communities in the areas of direct economic contributions, social services and community volunteering, education and civic skills training and reduced levels of deviance.

Additionally, he indicated that churches do much more community aiding work which includes helping the poor and making positive social inroads in the community.

Mr Moipisi highlighted that churches should be applauded for providing help to the poor and vulnerable individuals in the community as well as improving marriage relationships.  

He noted that churches have increased moral community obligations and promoted charitable contributions and spirit of volunteerism among many communities. Being a member of a religious community increases one’s duty to serve others in the community, he added. 

Churches help communities complete vitally important social projects, for which the government would need to fund if churches did not provide such support.

In addition to providing social programmes and community volunteers churches, it also decreases the occurrence of crime and deviance in communities and among local youth, he said. ENDS