Theron Kolokwe
29 May 2009
Windhoek — The Dutch Reformed Church in Namibia (DRCN) this week responded to the recent attack on Pentecostal churches by former President Dr. Sam Nujoma.
In a statement, Clem Marais, general secretary of the church, said: "No individual is at liberty to decide when any given denomination is true a church and when not."
"It is unfortunate to hear repeated negative rhetoric which to our way of thinking does not contribute to nation building and reconciliation in Namibia. With this declaration we wish to demonstrate our support to the call for reconciliation and tolerance by his Excellency President Pohamba," he added.
He further mentioned: "The DRCN appreciates the role that ex-president Sam Nujoma has played, and still plays, in the history of the country. When he is being referred to as the "Father of the Nation", we assume that it does not exclude certain faith communities, populations groups or individuals.
"The very least the DRCN can and should evaluate herself against is whether she follows in the footsteps of Jesus in preaching, teaching and healing the people of Namibia (Mat 4:23). All people should continuously be brought before the question that Jesus is for them (sic), to help them understand what it means to follow him and to bring healing in the holistic sense of the word.
"The church has this obligation toward each and everyone. She has no choice in who she wishes to minister to. The more the church fulfills these condition, the less it should be necessary to make negative remarks about the church and the less the church should take notice of individuals."
Marais said his church understood why the ex-president spoke about churches in that tone and that his church before independence sometimes failed to act in the benefit of all Namibians.
"To the contrary! We also understand the context in which he speaks his mind on churches in Namibia, namely an influx of various religious groups who claim to be recognised churches as well as the role the church has played in the pre-independence phase of Namibia. Indeed the DRCN at that point in time sometimes failed to act in the benefit of all the people of the country. This we have repeatedly confessed as a transgression against our calling as a church," he said.
Addressing a ruling Swapo party rally over the weekend, Dr. Nujoma attacked some Pentecostal churches, labeling them as "false churches" out to "disturb peace and stability" and "misguide the people", according to media reports.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Namibia Economist. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
