Zimpapers Logo

Mashudu Netsianda, [email protected]

WE live in a world increasingly defined by challenges — climate change, economic inequality, pandemics, cybersecurity threats, and geopolitical instability, to name a few.

Amid these global crises, the church has a pivotal role to play in fostering social transformation, promoting peace, and uniting people. However, internal divisions within many churches today are eroding their potential to serve as beacons of hope, unity, and love.

In Zimbabwe, these divisions are particularly concerning. Churches, which should be pillars of unity and compassion, are instead fractured by disputes, weakening their ministries and leaving congregants disillusioned. This calls for a renewed commitment to reconciliation, rooted in both scripture and the church’s mission to embody peace, love, and transformation.

The Bible offers a clear vision of what the church was intended to be. Jesus Christ established a single, united church and prayed for its unity. In John 17 verse 21, He asked, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

This prayer highlights the importance of unity, not just for the church itself but as a testimony to the world. When Christians are divided, their credibility is compromised, and their message of salvation and hope is weakened.

The scriptures give us a reasonable understanding of what the church was like in the first century. Jesus Christ established one church and pleaded for its unity. But, in the second century, following the death of the apostles, this unity began to suffer as some began to introduce some teachings and practices that would result in a church far different to that one found in the writings of the New Testament.

Unfortunately, many of Zimbabwe’s churches are divided, and the consequences are severe. One prominent example is the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), one of the country’s oldest Pentecostal denominations. It has been plagued by infighting, leading to splits, court battles, and disillusionment among its members. This internal strife has left many spiritually “homeless,” with some members seeking other congregations after feeling alienated from a community that once nurtured them.

Similarly, Apostolic Faith Church of Southern and Central Africa, founded by Reverend Morgan Sengwayo in 1955, has since his passing in 1982, been embroiled in leadership disputes, leading to multiple factions. These divisions have persisted for decades, disrupting church activities and causing confusion among congregants.

The church, once a symbol of faith and unity, has struggled to maintain its cohesion and has seen its influence diminish. Disputes over succession, leadership, and differing interpretations of doctrine have fragmented what was once a unified congregation.

Under Rev Sengwayo’s leadership, the church expanded across Zimbabwe and into neighbouring countries. The funeral of Missiondom Sengwayo, the founder’s youngest son, in April 2021, further exposed these divisions. Mourners were reportedly locked out of the church, underscoring the deep-seated conflicts within the organisation. Divisions continue to plague many religious bodies across the country.

These stories are not isolated incidents. Guta Ra Mwari, another well-known church in Zimbabwe founded by Mai Chaza in 1954, has also experienced fragmentation, with splinter groups dragging each other to court over property disputes. Such divisions betray the church’s mission and undermine its foundation.

As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Division weakens the church’s witness and nullifies its efforts to build the Kingdom of God.

They undermine the very foundation of what it means to be the church. The root of these divisions is often pride, personal ambition, and a failure to practice the humility and selflessness that Christ exemplified. Ephesians 4 verse 2-3 calls us to “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Churches that fracture over leadership struggles or doctrinal disagreements lose sight of Christ’s teachings and fail to model His love. Moreover, the impact of these divisions extends beyond the church walls. Zimbabwe faces a host of social and economic challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and inequality.

A united church could be a powerful force for social transformation, playing a key role in achieving national goals like Vision 2030, which seeks to turn Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy. Yet, when churches are preoccupied with their own internal disputes, they are less able to address the real needs of their communities.

Healing these divisions requires humility, forgiveness, and a commitment to dialogue. Church leaders must be willing to come together, set aside their differences, and seek reconciliation. Solutions may involve mediation, compromise, and, most importantly, a focus on the shared mission of serving God and His people.

The first step to healing any division is recognising its existence and seeking God’s guidance to resolve it. By prioritising unity and focusing on their shared faith, the churches can overcome divisions and continue their mission of spreading the Gospel and serving communities across Zimbabwe and beyond.

In his book, “Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts,” American evangelist Ron Susek likens churches to hospitals — places full of wounded and sick people. But in the church, the sickness is sin, and the wounds are those we inflict upon ourselves and others. Susek points out that a lack of forgiveness is one of the greatest sins that divide churches. None of us are perfect, and disagreements are inevitable. Yet, the church must rise above these conflicts and demonstrate the love and forgiveness that Christ taught.

Unity is not a luxury; it is a necessity. As Zimbabwe’s churches look to the future, they must remember the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Let us set aside pride, personal ambition, and grievances for the sake of a higher calling. Let the church in Zimbabwe be a model of unity and love, a light shining in the darkness of our challenging times.

Only through unity can the church fulfil its mission — bringing hope, healing, and transformation to a world that desperately needs it.