Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
WHEN last did you set foot in a church building? Last week, month or it’s been years since you were there?
Whatever the case may be, these kinds of questions sound personal and strike with a different cord, don’t they?
People go to church for different reasons and besides the obvious, people enjoy music, a sense of belonging, romantic companionship, morally-uplifting discussions and keeping their vile behaviour in check.
It’s a haven for all types of people who aspire to go to heaven. This is where the deepest and grave confessions are made, grief is dealt with, closure and forgiveness are found, friendship and congregation, but what happens when all those things wither away?
Just like any establishment, churches have rules that govern behaviour of their congregants and these differ from church to church.
Yes, the church is supposed to be all-encompassing, but there has been an age-old philosophy around the issue of Christianity where the fairest of angels change allegiance and become the darkest of demons.
Saturday Leisure roamed the streets of Bulawayo to try and understand the reasons behind playing truant at church and eventually, non-attendance at all.
Njube resident, Nelisiwe Ndlovu thinks the reason why she does not go to church anymore is that she thinks she has reached the ceiling of her potential “intellectual quotient”.
“At some point in life, you feel as if you’ve received enough knowledge on a certain subject so much that you don’t need more indoctrination. I’ve been attending church since 7th grade and I think I no longer need to physically go to church time and again, we’re being dogmatised of the same things and this becomes monotonous.
“I don’t know about you, but at our church, the moral of the day is, ‘Keep the church’s accounts flowing with money and God will bless you’ and I think that’s not true. We should feel the need to do so, not be emotionally blackmailed to do it.
“I think constantly preaching on the said subject is an insult to my intelligence. The Bible that I read tells me to give with a willing heart, not with one overly burdened with guilt. So, I made a decision not to listen to such heresy anymore,” said Ndlovu.
Kevin Muzanenhamo was seething when quizzed on how frequently he attends church services and said his major problems are financially-motivated with the top brass being at fault.
“To be honest with you, it’s been almost a year since my last visit to church and I don’t regret an ounce of my decision. I don’t go to church anymore because abafundisi badl’imali! We’re being exploited and sold baseless dreams where treasurers and those at the helm misuse funds in the church coffers.
“I cannot continue to be part of such a congregation because the last time I asked for clarity, almost the whole church revolted against me and accused me of questioning and undermining authority. That’s when I made the bold decision to pray at home and read my Bible in solitude,” said Muzanenhamo.
One interesting conversation we had was with Pretty Ncube who took offence at the church’s “fashion and morality police” who are out, baying for blood of any newcomer.
“To be honest, I tried sticking around, but the morality and fashion police at my former church would not let me be.
Instead of church being a place of strengthening one’s relationship with God as well as reviving one’s soul, it has been turned into a courthouse where a list of rules, terms and conditions reign supreme.
“I couldn’t keep up with fashion trends where I was congregating since people would wear two or more outfits on a Sunday. Some of us who couldn’t afford nice clothes were looked at with shifty eyes and that unsettled me a lot. Being godly has nothing to do with a list of rules, but a relationship with God. I think we have obsessed over rules designed by mere mortals and I think this is a travesty and a deterrent to people who want to join in.
“Secondly, there are people who have high moral standards they cannot also keep and impose stiff penalties on those who break their moral code and I think that’s not fair. We’re expected to follow a rigid set of rules and this is sometimes overdone,” said Ncube.
Another hot topic was that of not holding the same beliefs as one did initially, a thing that Kluivert Muzarabani knows all too well.
“I think I made a mistake when I joined the church back in the day because as time progressed, I started to realise that I didn’t hold the same beliefs with the church anymore. I grew out of favour with how things were done. A lot of beliefs that I was not told about started to crop up and I would not keep up.
“For example, the issue to do with what is acceptable and unacceptable when it comes to food. So, I wouldn’t be part of that,” he said.
Ex-church goer, Angela Nyeve said churches sometimes don’t live up to their expectations and the idea of congregating is “overrated”.
“This idea of meeting up every Sunday is overrated. I can always pray to God within the confines of my bedroom walls. He can hear me from there and I can always listen to virtual sermons and read my Bible in quiet solitude.
That’s the blessing of the internet where everything can be accessed anywhere if one has good internet connectivity.
“I don’t need a preacher to stand in front of me anymore. If the weather is chilly, I can always watch the sermon in the comfort of my warm blankets,” said Nyeve.
Ndumiso Nyathi said the reason why he does not go to church anymore is that his girlfriend was “snatched” from him by a church elder.
“I no longer attend church services anymore because I’ve been deliberately hurt by fellow church members. After my name was smeared, my girlfriend was snatched by someone I trusted and looked up to and I’ve never been the same again. I mean, aren’t we supposed to look up to our leaders for spiritual guidance and support? But then, how supportive are you when you snatch someone’s girlfriend?
“After the sad incident, I’ve never been the same again and the zeal to attend church services died a natural death.
I’m now insecure and trust no one anymore. Even pastors and deacons. Those people are not what you see on television hey! They don’t practice what they preach. They are hypocrites, so what’s the use of attending their churches?” quizzed Nyathi.
The saddest thing about people who take a break from attending church is that some do not go back again. Whatever the reason may be for people not to attend church, these institutions remain one of the most attended on the globe along with stadiums and bars.
So, is it doom and gloom for those who have left the church? Church leaders swept in to revive the spirit of congregating and embracing praying together. One pastor who spoke to Saturday Leisure on condition of anonymity said abandoning church is not the solution.
“In my seven years of pastoral and ministerial service, I have realised that many people fall off the bandwagon due to different reasons and getting them back into the fold is a tough ask. Jesus says, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavily laden, and I will give your rest.’ This was a call to those with troubled experiences. So, my message to whoever is contemplating leaving the church is to persevere and God will revive their spirit,” said the Pastor.
Reverend Ndlovu from a local Pentecostal church said people should not major on minors when it comes to spiritual issues but should understand that Jesus also faced persecution.
“The Covid-19 pandemic changed how people worship and some have not survived it. These are some of the things that Jesus faced and spoke of so, irrespective of the ill-treatment that you are facing, never leave the ship because you might drown forever in the stormy sea.
“These are the very persecutions that prepare us to be stoic and we should not let these minor detours determine our final destination,” said Reverend Ndlovu. – @eMKlass_49
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