31 Oct 2023

The church has been challenged to heighten its role in providing spiritual guidance to complement government efforts in fighting the use of illegal substances and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Minister of Finance, Ms Peggy Serame made the call during the harvest service of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) in Digawana recently. 

She expressed concern about the increasing rate of GBV, drug and substance abuse, crime and unbecoming behaviour amongst youth.

Ms Serame noted that the country was under siege due to the escalating social ills faced by children and attributed to factors such as unemployment, new developments and technology.

She emphasised that helping the youth to grow spiritually in their formative years would equip them to make an impact both now and in the future.

The Specially Elected Member of Parliament further said the church had a critical role in training and mentoring children so that when they are old, they will not depart from the teachings just as said in the Bible.

“If you use your positive energy the right way, you will be able to defeat this pandemic as a collective. Only if you can learn to harness the positive energy inside you as a church, you would definitely succeed in your different societal roles,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Serame sensitised the congregation that places of worship have since become prime targets for financial crime due to weak internal controls and a general lack of accountability by some of the leaders. She said to combat money laundering and counter financing of terrorism, government enacted the Financial Intelligence Act and its Regulations in 2019, which requires churches to report any suspicious transactions. 

The Act was amended in 2022 to further strengthen the anti-money laundering framework.

As such, she said the church should ensure that those holding office were held accountable at all times.  “This would, in no doubt, reduce the risk of fraud being committed in the church,” she said

Therefore, she pleaded, that Digawana UCCSA should adhere to the requirements of the law in all respects and also strengthen their internal controls.

For her part, the host Evangelist Valentia Samboma explained that the harvest service was observed annually as a church festival in October to give thanks to God for the good things that he provides.

 “Within the harvest service, we give special thanks and praise to God for the way he reveals himself to us in the wonders of his creation. 

We take time to reflect on all we have and pray for those who are less fortunate than ourselves and lacking in many of the resources that we can so easily take for granted,” she said.

Evangelist Samboma also noted that the services helped Christians to remember that not everyone had as much as they do and challenged them to be generous to others.

She said the theme: Direla Jehofa molemo go nne o go thateng ya gago, reminds the church that serving the Lord through good deeds was within the power of each one of them and they should do it without complaining, for God would reward them abundantly.” She said.

Furthermore, she said the theme also resonated with the objective of raising funds for the church building, 

“So let us all be encouraged to dig even deeper into our pockets so that we can have a functional church building,” she said.

She appreciated Ms Serame’s donation of roofing materials for the church and said the donation came at the right time when they had been struggling with harsh weather conditions as they were worshipping under the incomplete structure.

A completed church building would provide the church with a more conducive environment for worship, prayer, and spiritual growth, she said. ENDS