Kunonga: The excommunicated prelate – 18 Apr 08

What right and authority does Nolbert Kunonga have to claim ownership of the Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints and all the parishes and all the assets in the Anglican Diocese of Harare? The straightforward answer is – he has no right whatsoever.

WCC invites churches worldwide to pray for Zimbabwe – 17 Jun 08

Council of Churches – News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

 

For immediate release – 17/06/2008 11:44:16

 

PRAY FOR ZIMBABWE, WCC INVITES CHURCHES WORLDWIDE

 

Churches worldwide are being invited to celebrate a day of prayer for Zimbabwe on Sunday, 22 June, as the beginning of a season of prayer for the people and government of the African country, which is facing a critical time.

 

The day of prayer for Zimbabwe, which is an initiative of Christians in the country, will take place shortly before the runoff election for the presidency scheduled for Friday, 27 June.

 

“It is impossible to overstate the importance of this election, its fairness, its outcome and its aftermath”, affirms the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a letter to the WCC member churches.

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Bakare – 18 Jun 08

Pastoral Letter June 2008

 

Mt 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 

There are two words which catch my attention in this passage connected to the environment we live in: Persecution and falsehood.

Vicious attack by Zanu PF on United Methodist Church reverend in Nyazura – SW Radio Africa – 9 Jun 08

By Tichaona Sibanda

A United Methodist Church Reverend lost an eye when soldiers and militias near Nyazura in Manicaland province attacked him on Saturday. The 42 year-old Reverand, Takura Bango, is in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Mutare. He is due to go for an operation in the next 48 hours on his right eye.

Anglican archbishop calls Zimbabwe a police state – The Mercury (SA) – 9 Jun 08

Johannesburg – Zimbabwe was a police state and the levels of intimidation showed the importance of deploying large numbers of election monitors, said Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba on return from the country yesterday. “There is no doubt that Zimbabwe is a police state,” he said after making a pastoral visit to Zimbabwe’s Anglican bishops.

Bishop finds flock tormented in Zimbabwe – Boston Globe – 6 Jun 08

By Michael Paulson

Anglican worshipers in Zimbabwe are routinely being arrested and beaten, churches are being padlocked by police, diocesan bank accounts have been frozen, and clergy vehicles are being seized, Massachusetts Episcopal Bishop M. Thomas Shaw said yesterday after returning from a secret mission to the violence-torn southern African nation. Shaw, a frequent traveller to some of the world’s trouble spots, spent the last week in Zimbabwe at the request of the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, who asked him to visit to express support for Zimbabwean Anglicans and to gather impressions for the Episcopal Church. He said he interviewed 49 priests and also met with laypeople as well as human rights lawyers and US Embassy staff who described a worsening situation in Zimbabwe.

Police visit Northside Community Church, Harare – and leave with more than they bargained for – 4 Jun 08

10 members of the police/CIO arrived after church with a search warrant for “arms of war”. Sarah had been talking about the armour of God and being prepared for battle and I mentioned we were at war here and that God had given us 2 weapons with which to fight. We think it may have been mis-interpreted.
They spent an hour searching every room, box, cupboard and other things. I told them I only had one weapon in my office. They got very excited and asked if I had a licence. I said my licence was that I was a “mufundisi” – a reverend.

Pastoral Statement on Zimbabwe from the Anglican Bishops of the Central African Province – 4 Jun 08

“I Have Heard The Cry of My People”

We the Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, comprising Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, “called to share in Jesus’ work of sanctifying and shepherding his people and of speaking in God’s name”. As shepherds of our people we are deeply concerned and dismayed at the escalation of violence in Zimbabwe since the post election of 29th March 2008.

We are alarmed that a government can perpetrate irresponsible acts against its citizens by destroying people’s homes, torturing and killing for the simple reason that they did not vote “correctly”. We fear that the Presidential Run-Off elections on 27th June 2008 could witness a repeat of retribution of those who would have not voted “correctly”.

Anglican church turns to UN over Zimbabwe – BBC News – 29 May 08

By Robert Pigott, BBC religious affairs correspondent
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has issued a powerful challenge to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to intervene in Zimbabwe. He is asking for effective action to protect Christians from what he says is the brutality being used against them. Dr Williams warned last month Zimbabwe was poised on the brink of disaster. Now he has called on Mr Ban to explain what is being done to prevent murderous, state-organised violence, directed especially against Anglicans. The archbishop has watched with dismay and frustration as the Zimbabwean police have attacked political activists and singled out Anglicans for harsh treatment, while the country’s neighbours in southern Africa have appeared unwilling to act. Now he seems ready to shame the UN into taking effective action.

Avondale Parish update – 30 May 08

On Friday 23 May 2008 some men allegedly from Kunonga arrived and demanded the keys for the Avondale Parish Office. The Parish Administrator refused to hand them over so they put a chain and padlock on the door. On Saturday they also demanded the keys for the staff houses on the church property, but fortunately Chris Mukwenha told them that the houses were for the staff. Two weeks previously the same people had gone to the church office to ask who lived on the premises and the Administrator told them the staff. The previous Friday they had also demanded the Dean’s car but were denied access to it.