01 Apr 2013

Churches, as part of the community leadership have been urged to have their voices and their leadership seen in practice.

Giving a Good Friday and Easter message to the congregation of Bethlehem Church of Christ in Tonota on Saturday, MP for Tonota South Mr Pono Moatlhodi said churches should be exemplary in society, particularly during these times when communities were faced with different challenges.

Mr Moatlhodi noted that churches should not only be seen at the time of grieving and then disappear only to reappear when another tragedy has fallen.

“Let your presence be felt in the communities taking that centre stage no matter the situation,” he said.

In this era, he said, Africa was constantly faced with riots, disease, internal and external conflicts which severely affect the continent. Botswana being part of the continent, he highlighted, was not spared from these conflicts.

Therefore, he observed that it was important for Botswana churches to be active and raise their voices for the purpose of peace and harmony.

Mr Moatlhodi said this would assist in creating a peaceful environment and help ensure that the church continued to be respected.

  In addition, he mentioned that such good work would help change people’s mind-set and attitude, particularly those who have left churches due to lost trust owing to malpractices within them.

MP Moatlhodi highlighted that present day churches were affected by infighting while some church leaders were misleading their congregations towards believing in them not in God.

 This, he said, was intolerable and belittled the objectives of the church.

He therefore advised church leaders to know that they hold leadership positions because their congregations have nominated them to lead them into righteousness not to take them into the dark.

Mr Moatlhodi also said that church leaders should not have favourites and should instead treat their people equally saying this would go a long way in preventing conflicts and divisions within churches. ENDS