Thursday, March 28, 2024

United Church of Zambia riots over Reverend

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UNITED Church of Zambia (UCZ) Matero congregation members yesterday burnt tyres and fought with police as they protested demanding the removal of presiding Reverend John Mukuka Mwelwa whom they accused of infidelity and abuse of church funds.

The fracas, which disrupted normal Sunday services, erupted when the members, mostly youths, ganged up at the church’s main gate to block Rev Mwelwa from entering the premises.

The protesters, who resolved not to allow Rev Mwelwa to conduct any service, threatened to physically ‘deal with him’ if he entered the premises.

Quick action by police officers from Matero police station prevented the protesters from causing damage.

The rioters accused Rev Mwelwa of infidelity with women seeking marriage counselling from him.

Among the protesters were young women, some of whom claimed to have spurned the reverend’s overtures.

“If you want to get married, you have to inform the reverend so that he announces publicly during church service but when you go to him, he starts making advances,” one of the protesters, who sought anonymity, said.

The protesters also accused Rev Mwelwa of impropriety.

Some of the protesters said when preaching, Rev Mwelwa allegedly brags about his material wealth.

“He boasts that we should not accuse him of stealing church money because he has his own money and that he cannot suffer even if he stops preaching today,” one of the protesters said.

Another woman alleged that Rev Mwelwa has been diverting building materials meant for pending church projects to construct his personal house.

“As a reverend, he is not supposed to handle any money meant for construction projects because there is a committee in charge of that. But he keeps all the money and when he buys building material, he takes some of it to his plot,” she said.

Several members talked to said although the youth started the protest, almost all member are behind it.
Some UCZ leaders later called for a meeting to ease flaring tempers but the members maintained their demand for Rev Mwelwa’s removal.

Addressing the meeting, Lusaka Presbytery Bishop Luckson Chibuye asked the protesters to seek God’s intervention before addressing the issue.

“I was supposed to go for my normal church service at Saint Paul’s but I was called to come here because of this problem. I have heard your demands but you should give me chance to sit with other leaders and sort out this problem.

“At the moment there is nowhere to take Rev Mwelwa. Before he came here, there was a due process that was followed and you must allow that same process to take place before he leaves this congregation,” Bishop Chibuye said amid murmurs of disapproval by the protesters.

He said he and other leaders that accompanied him to the meeting were not infringing on the members’ rights to call for Rev Mwelwa’s removal.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

31 COMMENTS

  1. No wonder we are having crashes like mufumbwe.If pipo of the “fold” who should lead by example are fighting each other then i can see no reason why crashes of mufumbwe nature could be avoided.I can imagine a church member beating the fellow with an upper cut who in the end reacts to the pain by shouting “jesus christ”.:-?

  2. This is athe perfect reason why organised religion is crap. Instead of obeying the bible and making the messiah your leader you make these human being pastors your leaders and you obey them as if they are the messiah.

  3. The UCZ I grew up in iz no longer the same. Now I hear there are such groupingz az charizmatic and so on. Where have morality and civility gone to have people protesting on the day of regular worship? The Right Reverand may be at fault and the congregants have right to complain while seeking to correct the situation. However the method uzed just bringz a lot of shame to the UCZ and scarez away worshiperz.

  4. Waphya munzi. I know this Reverend from Mpika secondary school as a boy. Wow kukonda kang’ono nikoipa.**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==**==

  5. Christian nation crap! We dont need no theocracy in Zambia! If you want a theocracy migrate to Iran and Saudi Arabia.

  6. I have offered advise on this issue several times, that these so called “men of gold”of these dayz most and repeat most of these chaps have taken pastoral work as a way of employment as most of them are mere grade 12 failures. So they are in this business 4 profit purposes. So they will eat yo hard earned income 4 free in the form of sacrificial offering which these chaps use to buy luxurious cars, build mansions, send their children to America, buy big farms etc when they in fact cheat u that when u give them, u give to God. U the givers are still poor when these grade 12 failures are busy driving
    cars which they cannot even give u a lift? Open yo eyez and critically analyse lives of these pastors!!

  7. The best giving which even Christ emphasized on is giving to the poor. This i recommend as i also give to the poor. I identify the genuine poor myself and give. By giving these poor who cannot repay u, even Christ said God will bless u. But these pastors dont even advocate to give to poor but only campaign for their own stomachs. No wonder most of them are very fat na vamahala and stinking rich. Imagine these pastors now drive “hammers” through pipoz offerings when most church members are very thin, walking and even no hope of a single meal a day. Shame!!! This is not the Gospel of Christ.

  8. vuvuzeni! bushe nibakapepa olo baakaapeepaa?! awe mwee……..ubomba mwibala alya mwibala! 😮

  9. I always wonder what happens to the minds of the so called born agains.
    Look at Bishop Imakando i once met him at Classique Cleaners Collecting
    Mountains of shirts accompanied by what appeared to be a worker who
    carried the shirts.I remember that time wondering how someone who leaves
    off offerings could develop such expensive tastes.As it turned out i had
    had not seen anything yet coz recently i saw the Bishop driving a
    Hammer.How foolish pipo can be.Anyway he needs to be servicing his Hammer
    so continue giving those offerings

  10. IF IT WAS A CATHOLIC PRIEST YOU COULD HAVE SEEN HOW MANY POSTINGS SC AND HIS COHORTS WERE GOING TO FEED US ON.

  11. The men of the collar, what has happened. The ladies and their comfessions, they were telling the rev that I am a virgin and I want to get married? ha the rev was jumping to that and demanding to open up their womb with his …… Foolish pastor, if the allegations are true. But clear him if they are not true.

  12. Well, that’s why we need to read our bibles and compare scripture with scripture, so we will not be deceived. Most people fear these “men of God” more than God Himself.

    The Lord Jesus solved this kind of problem one day when He went into one temple and cleared it of all the money changers, etc. He specifically said God’s house is for prayer for all people and not a den of thieves.

    Each and every Christian leader needs to stop and examine themselves. Is prosperity the only reason why they are in the pulpit. Have they in fact turned God’s house into a den of thieves?

  13. Slum dog #4 and others there’s nothing strange here. Read your bible and you will see it is littered with fights (Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, David and Goliath Jews/Israelites vs gentiles etc) and in all these fights God is portrayed as taking sides! Yaba! The chickens have come home to roost.

  14. Religiosity does this. Oh! That they may know Him! The only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent! This is eternal life!

  15. Wapya munzi. A wake up call to Danny Kalale and VJ. Please do not temper with the 2011 elections for Zambia has changed. We know Danny has ammased enough wealth to go and settle in the US but will he go with his entire clan? nay!!!!
    let the people decide and may the best candidate win. For VJ, please retire in peace and look after your health. Rigging will just dent your already diminished image.
    I cry for mother Zambia

  16. There people in UCZ, who are just there to bring confusion- have been a victim when i tried to help the church, some, people who were making the church pay them when ever they did work for church were not happy when i provided transport to the church free. using my own trucks, cars and gas. so ,let us wait and hear what else the Rev did. But if that is what he was doing, then we can not support him.
    But UCZ, is not the same church as it was long ago- Too much ULUPATO, ULUNKUBWA, NO MULOMO-ULWAMBO and some of the member it is business- AKALILO

  17. god died the very momment he was created by HUMAN BEINGS. There`s more proof than ever now that the universe evolved. More and more experiments are being carried out and are prooving this. Thy shall not remain behind. Believe in SCIENCE. Abash The mother f***g archaich fables filled book called the bible. It`s crap and belongs to the trush can

  18. #22
    i pity you my bro,for the bible says that my people will die because of lack of knowledge. try to open your eyes a little bit wider and see the real world you live and you definitely realize that GOD exists and that devil is using people to fight the GOD’s existence. science cannot explain (how something came out of nothing! i pray for you bro!!!

  19. Number 22: You post is very offending but that’s the effect you wanted right? May God forgive you and deliver from the hands of the devil who is using to blasphemy against God. You are not doing this by yourself. Its never too late to ask for God’s forgiveness. Seek the truth and it will set you free.
    Hey Kangachepe kalila M’tembo: Can you elaborate some more about this guy from Mpika?

  20. Number 22: Your post is very offending but that’s the effect you wanted right? May God forgive you and deliver you from the hands of the devil who is using you to blasphemy against God. You are not doing this by yourself. Its never too late to ask for God’s forgiveness. Seek the truth and it will set you free.
    Hey Kangachepe kalila M’tembo: Can you elaborate some more about this guy from Mpika?

  21. Fellow bloggers , i grew up and knew everything about the bible and God at matero u.c.z.I ave witnessed about 5 reverands working at my beloved matero u.c.z.JOHN MWELWA came at about six months before i left zambia.Being one of the people who opposed his style of leadership and sermons,i remember walking out of his wednesday bible study in protest because he said god has chosen some pipo for hell and others for heaven regardless of what they do.Being a leader in one the youth group,i told my friend that will never sit in the audience when that man stands in front.

  22. As if that was not enough,some pipo saw him at a guest house with a young widow.Ivisited mwelwa at his house one day(which the church built for any reverand who comes ) and i discovered he was dealing in cars…and had a problem with his wife…..after that there was a reduction in attendance at church.How i wish i was there to revolt against the man who even used to handle offering to the poor.we argued with him in a meeting with other youths cause he said the toilet cisterns were bought at 20 million.LET HIM GO SAVE MY BELOVED CHURCH…!!!

  23. # 23 and 24/25.Today there are new species of organisms discovered that never existed before and new stars being formed by supernovas. The question is if creation ended on the sixth day and your guy rested on the seventh day. Can you explain the causation of thsese phenomena? Your belief is in vain. and it`s about time you dug yourself out of it.once again, it`s a” HUMAN CREATION.”

  24. People of zambia listen very cearfuly.Zambia is one of the country most respected in africa.Do not put yourself in dirt by putting rubish comments on computers so that everyone around the aerth can read.Avoid some coments.Iam refearing this comment to everyone talking against GOD,and to those who call themselves pasters,bishops and so on, but deep in their hearts are full of evil.ZAMBIAN CHILDREN OF GOD, PUT HUNDS TOGATHER AND PRAY AGAINST THESE DOGS WHO ARE BUSY CHEETINIG AND MAKE MONEY THROUG THE BIBLE.I will also be with you in prayer.God bless you.

  25. we have eyes but we cnt see,hear but we cant hear brother lets seck the kindom of GOD and every thing shall be added to us especially wisdom.you dnt have wisdom thats why you spit whatsoever comes out of your mouths!LORD HAVE MERCY

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