06 Jun 2016

Government appreciates role of the church in governance, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi has said.

Speaking during the Heavenly Garrison Church 10th anniversary in Palapyr over the weekend, Mr Kgathi said the church had a responsibility to contribute towards community development.

“If the church, which forms the spiritual arm of governance cannot shoulder the cross of partnership with government then the dream of human survival will remain a dream,” he said.

Minister Kgathi said the state and the church were not separate institutions with separate responsibilities, but two parties with similar responsibilities of pursuing community building.

He said the voice of the church must be audible and it should have a say in the way the nation was being administered.

Therefore, Mr Kgathi said government had taken a deliberate move in recognising the role the church played in moulding the nation.

He told the church to ensure that it built families, in order to beget a united nation living in the union of God marked by social, economic and political excellence, as stated in the Bible.

Minister Kgathi said the church was expected to remain united against all odds, in order to play a major role in unifying the nation.

He called upon the church to be at the forefront against corruption, adding that with God fearing citizens, the nation would be free from worry about selfishness that resulted in corruption.

He said this would encourage investors to invest in this country and create employment opportunities.

The minister appealed to  the church to pray for the leadership of this country, peace and prosperity, honesty, patriotism and respect for family as well as rain.

Mr Kgathi said the church must begin to assume its rightful position in human development and guide its people on many issues that are of concern to the nation.

He said there were people living in abject poverty hence the church faced a mammoth task of bringing people to the warmth of God’s love.

He said the church had the right tools in prayer and unwavering faith to rid mankind of social ills such as teenage pregnancy, truancy, drug and substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Kgathi said it is the duty of the church to provide and to adhere to the calling of feeding the hungry, dressing the naked, housing the homeless and healing the sick and also to take the lead along with the government to complement poverty eradication strategy in this country.

He said Heavenly Garrison was worth celebrating 10 years of their existence, urging them not to break what they had already built together for those years.

He called upon followers to respect their leaders and leaders to be accountable to their followers, by always seeking God’s intervention.

For his part leader of Heavenly Garrison Church Prophet Meshack Mangadi said through God’s blessings, he managed to be where he is today, adding “I give glory to the Lord who led and guided me through the support of the church members.”

Prophet Mangadi said the church had branches in Francistown, Selebi Phikwe, Bobonong, Serowe and Palapye.

The church also donated toiletry to House of Hope in Palapye. ENDS