20 Jan 2019

Mushrooming of churches is said to be one of the factors impacting on the distribution of land.

Molepolole South Member of Parliament, Dr Tlamelo Mmatli told attendants at the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) meeting in Molepolole on January 19, pleading with OAIC as the mother body of spiritual churches to come up with ways which would allow the church to focus on their mandate by ensuring member spiritual growth. 

However, Dr Mmatli emphasised the need for churches to understand that there were more important issues such as social ills that were high among young people, where churches were needed than to be concentrating on trivial issues that did not add value.

Another reminder by the Molepolole South legislator was that churches should be seen taking part in assisting government through programmes such as Home Based Care and providing hope to the hopeless such as the sick and their care givers. “Let us concentrate on meaningful things and focus more on issues of great importance that would impact on the lives of people in our community,” emphasised Dr Mmatli.

 He also called on churches to have more programmes aimed at empowering or addressing the plight of the less privileged. Meanwhile, OAIC president, Arch Bishop Tebogo Motlhagodi challenged church leaders to unite church societies and fight corruption practices reigning within, as they defeat the purpose churches were established to achieve. 

Arch Bishop Motlhagodi called on church leaders to take responsibility in guarding against issues that may divide their congregations.

“Let us not allow them to reign. We are duty-bound to guide against the misdeeds and address our differences amicably for the betterment of our members,” he said.

The problem, he said, contributed to the mushrooming of churches, making it difficult for the distribution of available land due to the increasing number of applications. He said as the custodian of church values, churches needed to always be seen doing the right thing for peace to prevail within communities.ENDs