Methodist Revival Church rift deepens

Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
THE Methodist Revival Church (MRC) has fractured, with a breakaway group of pastors reportedly aligning themselves with a faction led by Bishop Philemon Munyaradzi Chamburuka.
The dispute has spilled into the courts, where the Bishop Chamburuka-led faction has been ordered to surrender all assets, equipment, and documentation belonging to the applicant church.
In a ruling handed down by the High Court, the faction was further barred from using the MRC name, symbols, and insignia.
The court also nullified Bishop Chamburuka’s purported inauguration as bishop of the MRC.
The MRC itself was founded in 2011 by Bishop Phillip Mupindu after breaking away from the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.
Ironically, the church now faces the same fate, with internal divisions threatening its unity.
Court records show that the MRC filed summons against the Bishop Chamburuka faction under Case Number HC 3300/23 on May 18, 2023. Although Bishop Chamburuka initially entered an appearance to defend and filed his plea, he failed to submit pre-trial conference (PTC) papers.
This omission compelled the MRC to proceed with the matter as an unopposed application, leading to the decisive ruling.
“Whereupon, after reading documents filed of record and hearing counsel, it is ordered that: The defendant and his assignees be, and hereby barred from unlawful use of the name, signs, and other symbols of the plaintiff. The defendant and or his assignees be and are hereby directed to return and give access to all assets, equipment and documentation belonging to the plaintiff mentioned in the declaration, and marked as annexure ‘A’ within seven days of granting this order. The defendant’s purported inauguration as the bishop of the respondent be and is hereby declared null and void. Defendant shall pay costs of suit on an attorney and client scale,” ruled High Court Judge, Justice Rodgers Foroma Manyangadze.
The Manica Post understands that the MRC has since lodged a chamber application for contempt of court proceedings against Bishop Chamburuka and his assignees, under Case Number HC 25/2025, accusing them of disrespecting Justice Manyangadze’s order in terms of Rule 97(1) of the High Court Rules 2021.
The application is grounded on allegations that Bishop Chamburuka and his assignees in Harare, Mutare, Rusape, Murehwa, and other parts of the country, were wilfully and defiantly continuing to use the MRC name, signs, and symbols in violation of an extant court order.
“Take note that an application is hereby made for an order in terms of the order/draft order annexed to this application on the grounds that: (1) respondent and his assignees are unlawfully using the name, signs, and other symbols of the applicant in violation of the extant court order. They have also moved back on the premises they were evicted by the Sheriff of the High Court.
“(2) Respondent and his assignees did not return all the assets, equipment, documents, belonging to the applicant, and are hindering the applicant’s lawful congregants access to church premises, including disrupting its members’ church services. (3) The respondent is still holding himself out as a Bishop of the applicant in violation of a court order.
“Further take notice that the accompanying affidavits and documents are tendered in support of the application. If you intend to oppose this application, you will have to file a notice of opposition in Form No 24, together with one or more opposing affidavits with the Registrar of the High Court within 10 days after the date on which this notice was served upon you. You will also have to serve a copy of the Notice of Opposition and affidavit/s on the applicant at the address of service specified below. Your affidavits may have documents annexed verifying the facts set out in the affidavits. If you do not file an opposing affidavit within the period specified above, this application will be set down for hearing in the High Court, without any further notice to you and will be dealt with as an unopposed application,” reads the application.
MRC board of trustees coordinator, Mr Itai Zvenyika Munyoro, deposited an affidavit in support of the applicant, accusing Bishop Chamburuka of being the leader of a breakaway grouping.
“In November 2024, the respondent served a copy of an application for recession of judgement of the same order that he is disrespecting under Case Number HCH 5373/24. The application was opposed by the applicant. To date, the respondent has not yet filed its answering affidavit and heads of argument, and the case is dormant on the IECMS platform. The applicant on December 9, 2024 caused a writ of delivery under Case Number R-HCH3300/23 to be issued with this court. The writ of delivery was served and executed by the sheriff of the High Court on various church assembly points in Harare, which the respondent purports to have been leading. The Sheriff successfully carried out the execution of the judgement order under Case Number R-HCH 3300/23.
“Despite the full knowledge that the order in Case Number R-HCH 3300/23 was still in existence, and had not been stayed, rescinded or suspended, the respondent and his assignees continued to unlawfully use the name, signs and symbols of the applicant.
“This is evidenced by the various social media posts on Facebook, in which the respondent and his assignees are advertising and communicating various information in the name of the applicant. Furthermore, the respondent and his assignee returned to all the assembly points which they have been ordered by the court to give access to the applicant.
“They are prohibiting lawful church congregants from attending church services on Sundays,” said Mr Munyoro.
Some of the clergies cited in court include Reverends Gwinyai Ndembera, Fungai Tapera, Mrs Dumba, Ms Thoko Jokwiro, James Chieza, Rev Panganose, Pastor Happy Chipapami, and Mrs Rusike.
Bishop Chamburuka was accused of presiding over the Easter Conference at a contested MRC church in Vengere, Rusape, under the stewardship of his district overseer, Reverend Reginald Kuziwa Mujeni.
“Yes, I was in Rusape. You have to bear with me, I am attending a funeral, and the network connectivity is poor,” he said before the WhatsApp call went off.
Reverend Mujeni denied hosting Bishop Chamburuka.
“I did not host him. All I know is that the Bishop (Chamburuka) had a funeral at his home in Watsomba, where he lost a brother. I only met him in town. Anyone with evidence that he attended my church should produce it.
“He passed through Rusape, and I met him. How could he attend a conference if his brother had died? You can write what you know.
“I do not belong to any side. I belong to the Methodist Revival Church. That is where I belong. I do not belong to anyone. I am not owned by a person,” said Reverend Mujeni.