Besides the National Unity Platform-NUP raging war against themselves, and “EFRIS talk” that has greatly irked traders, there is another burning issue that needs our attention and honest opinions.
I’m happy it is somehow gaining a proper direction of the discussion, although not in equal measure and seriousness as the duo above.
Anyways earthly things dominate Heavenly ones, even when the latter is our destiny not the former.
As I have noted, the issue of the government regulating Churches and Mosques deserves our attention and honest opinions. Thus, here is my humble and honest opinion on the matter.
I know the two adjectives, humble and honest are relative words. Meaning, some readers, over whatever sentiments, may not treat it as humble and honest.
Forgive me for this early disclaimer. But as a journalist, this insulates me from a lot. The other disclaimer is that my opinion is from the perspective of a journalist. Not as a theologian nor one under ministerial formation.
I will use this entry. In the story of the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the Hebrews shouted “Blessing on the King who comes in the name of the Lord…” (Luke 19:38).
But some of the Pharisees among this crow that was singing loud praises to King Jesus asked Jesus to rebuke His followers for saying such things (verse 39). See what Jesus told them. “If they kept silent the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”
I know this narrative could be out of context, but I want to use it to honestly say that Church leaders, to be honest, mostly Pentecostal ones, have kept silent.
They have not regulated each other or themselves. Now, the stones, (government) is going to speak. How I wish it was the government from the Kingdom of God regulating them.
But it might be hard since some of them might not have been called by that very government. Why? Because its constitution (Holy Bible) warns us of false prophets and probably false disciples (Mathew 7: 15-23).
So let the earthly government, which we are again told comes from God (Mark 10:42-45), deal with us because we failed to regulate ourselves.
How could we or ought to do this? We had to be our brothers’ keepers (Genesis 4:9). Keeping them (our brother-pastors, Bishops, Apostles, Prophets, whatever titles we use) from straying away from the orthodoxy.
I promised to give an honest opinion. So let me state this. Some have come up to be our brothers’ keepers, some of the brothers don’t want to be kept from straying.
They have always responded as this: “Who are you to direct me?” Just like the Hebrews said to Moses when he tried to see harmony among the two Hebrew brothers in Egypt (Exodus 2:14)
To us Christians subscribing to whatever Christian denomination, we had to self-examine ourselves and see if we are still in faith (2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11).
We had as believers to examine if we are still in faith. Faith that was once delivered to all (Jude 3-5) and as faith leaders examine and see if like Peter encourages us, we to be more diligent to confirm our calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall”.
As believers, we had to be like Berean believers who cross-checked in the Bile what the apostles taught them to see if it was true (Acts 17:11). We are not doing this and yet we must when you look at the sermons preached with are dearth of any exposition efforts.
If we had done this, we would have seen a lot that went and still going astray from this faith. The former which I believe has seen the government come out to regulate.
Arguably, the government might have other interests, and in no time, this will also be exposed. We bank on investigative journalists to know this.
The stones are now speaking because we kept silent and deaf towards such. We did not cry out and kept silent.
We could have cried out through prayers, at least. We kept silent. Somehow, it was not intentional but we lacked systems that enforce it.
Some Churches are under an independent movement. No one monitors the other. And I think this partly justifies the reactions that come from those brothers who come out to bring to order fellow ministers.
Many Pentecostal church leaders are talked about when they do wrong and they say, those who say so have no authority over me.
Anyways, sometimes, or in most cases, those who speak also come up with wrong motives that are glaringly seen as per the tones, and platforms they choose to use, and one concludes that they are saying so to pull away believers.
Competition for believers even happened in the Bible. When John the Baptist’s disciples saw Jesus baptizing believers they felt concerned and told John.
But John said, He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all (John 3:30-31)
If we self-examined ourselves, at personal and group levels, we would have realized that we have increased and Christ is decreasing in our churches, in our sermons, and in our lifestyle (yet character contributes 70 percent of a preacher’s sermon, as taught by my Homiletics lecturer, but also as seen from Jesus).
We should have seen these things and repent to give Him leeway to rule. Doesn’t the Holy Spirit convict us of such? Are not convinced that the “type of Christ in our sermons” is the One who was crucified?
This is another “Christ” He doesn’t tell us to follow him with our crosses yet the true Christ told us so (Mathew 16:24-26). He never told us those who follow Him will not suffer.
This is the “Christ” who is increasing. This Christ is calling us to follow Him without a cross but with huge hopes of the good life, visa, disease-free life, etal, even when we don’t lay any strategies to have them yet God promised to bless the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:12).
The only strategy is to pray, fast, and sow a seed. We failed to regulate ourselves, let us admit.
Now, the stones (government) are speaking. They want to do what we failed to do. Even when it (the government) has also failed to remove the plank from their eyes Mathew 7:3-5 tells us to first do this.
The planks of corruption, and greed, name them, according to how deep they hurt the country, are still in the eyes of the government.
But they want to regulate the Church and Mosque. This also leaves many questions hanging. The government of Rwanda did it but to be honest, they had moral authority.
It has been imported from there. It is okay as the catechism teaches us to copy good practices. But there is a lot we can copy from them before the regulation of Churches.
But that aside, to an extent, this is the fate, not the cause. The cause was that faithful organizations are no longer faithful to the Scriptures, to believers and hence calling for such effects.
The issue of government regulating faith organisations is an effect of the cause we leaders caused. Let us let them go in and do it even when they also lack moral authority we must accept they have authority.
The Writer is a journalist-cum-church minister.
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