The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has appointed a group of eminent leaders, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to stop members of a church congregation from threatening each other’s lives and destroying property.
”The group will be led by Tutu, and include Mrs Adelaide Tambo and former South African Council of Churches president Dr Khoza Mgojo,” the SACC said in a statement on Thursday.
The SACC can stand by no longer while ”the children of God” are at each other’s throats, SACC general secretary Molefi Tsele said.
A protracted squabble is threatening to tear apart the historic St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission Church, with national headquarters in Katlehong on the East Rand.
”We believe it is something that can be resolved,” Tsele said.
”The SACC believes Archbishop Tutu, Mrs Tambo and Dr Mgojo can help bring the warring parties together.”
The church was formed in 1914 by Mother Christina Nku. It experienced its first split in 1970, when Archbishop Petrus Masango became president of the church — a position regarded within the church hierarchy as superior to that of archbishop.
The church’s squabbling since then has recently culminated in tensions where property was destroyed and lives threatened, the statement read.
”We have every confidence in Archbishop Tutu and his team.
”Tutu led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process with distinction, and we believe that he and his team will help broker peace among the warring factions.”
A ”reconciliation indaba” is scheduled for Tuesday in Johannesburg, Tsele said. — Sapa