adminCletus Mushanawani Mutare Bureau
DISCORD has hit the Evangelical Anglican Church International barely two years after its launch, with the national conference suspending the founding bishop, Bishop Elson Madoda Jakazi.
Bishop Jakazi, who was at one time Anglican Church Manicaland Diocese’s bishop, was shown the exit door by the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa after he had written to the then Archbishop of the Anglican Church Province of Central Africa, Archbishop Bernard Malango notifying him of his intention to pull out of the province due to the contentious issue of homosexuality in the church.
A protracted court battle ensued between Bishop Jakazi and the CPCA resulting in his ouster by the courts. Having lost the court battle Bishop Jakazi and more than 3 000 members of the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland pulled out of the church to launch the Evangelical Anglican Church International in November 2013.
The church has its headquarters in Mutare with one assembly in Harare. While the church’s national conference has since written to Bishop Jakazi notifying him of his suspension in a letter dated October 31, 2015, which this paper has in possession, an adamant Bishop Jakazi insisted that he was still at the helm of the church he founded.
“How can I be suspended by my subordinates when I am the bishop? To me it is a joke because what they did during their purported national conference held last weekend was unconstitutional. I do not know where they are deriving their power from?
“There is freedom of worship in Zimbabwe and we should not be seen to be causing chaos every time. As we speak, I am trying to engage those who organised and participated in the so-called national conference to find a solution to the problem,” said Bishop Jakazi.
The church dispute spilled into the courts last week as an urgent court application, which Mr Justice Chikakunye dismissed as not urgent resulting in the conference.
Bishop Jakazi, who had consented to the High Court application attended the conference where he read the scriptures from Matthew Chapter 5, but allegedly diverted from his devotion and queried the motive behind the conference.
Bishop Jakazi was quoted saying: “This is not the ministry I launched at Meikles Park. Those who want to follow my ministry should follow me.”
Sources who attended the meeting said Bishop Jakazi packed his bags and left with four pastors in tow. A total of 101 delegates were left and continued with the two-day conference. His actions resulted in the suspension pending an investigation by an independent board.
In Bishop Jakazi’s suspension letter, the national conference wrote: “Having regard to the provisions of Section 30.1.4 of the church constitution, the Evangelical Anglican Church International, National Conference on the 31st of October 2015 resolved that you be suspended from executing your duties and functions as a bishop.
“You are therefore hereby notified through this letter of your suspension from executing duties and functions as a Bishop of the Evangelical Anglican Church International. The suspension will be without any allowances and benefits with effect from the 31st of October 2015.” However, Bishop Jakazi dismissed the suspension as wishful thinking because the alleged constitution that was used to suspend him was still to be adopted by the full national council as a legal document.
“The church was still to hold its full national council meeting to adopt the constitution.
“I am also questioning the constitutionality of the conference as the same constitution they are using against me says a notice for the national conference is supposed to be given three months in advance, while the agenda is supposed to be circulated among members one month before the meeting, but nothing happened in this case.
“I am still to sign a contract as the bishop of the church and the same applies to all the pastors in the church,” said Bishop Jakazi. The national conference insisted that Bishop Jakazi committed various acts of misconduct. “The grounds of your suspension are based on allegations that you have committed various acts of misconduct and thereby contravening Section 30 (1) (v), Section 30 (1) (vii), Section 30 (1) (vii) and Section 9:13 of the Evangelical Anglican Church International Constitution.
These allegations are as follows: 5.1 (unbecoming of a bishop); 5.2 (wilfully contravening the constitution); 5.3 (general neglect of duties after admonition by a legally constituted body) and 5.4 (exercising veto powers on resolutions of the National Council.”
Bishop Jakazi is also alleged to have contravened Section 30 (1) (v) by attesting to an affidavit in case number HC 10134/15 in which he was cited as the first respondent.
“Through your affidavit signed on the 27th of October, 2015 and attached to the Notice of Opposition filed with the High Court on the 28th of October 2015 on the same matter, you misrepresented that the third respondent (the church) was not opposed to the granting of an order being sought by the applicants, yet you had not sought the decision of the national council.
“Allegations of contravening Section 30 (1) (vii) of the constitution are based on the fact that you refused to have the national conference held on the 30-31sr of October 2015 despite it being stated in the Constitution that, the national conference should be held at least not less than once in two years.
“On the 30th of October 2015 at 1600hours you briefly attended the national conference held at the church headquarters at No. 29, 2nd Street, Mutare and left after indicating that you were not agreeable to the holding of the conference despite the National Council having agreed through two-thirds majority to hold the national conference,” read the suspension letter.
Online Reporter