UMC in dispute over pastor

Answer Sithole
UNITED Methodist Church (UMC) King David has split into factions following a dispute over the re-election of Pastor Tendai Makono as the group pastor with effect from January 1.

The proposal by the UMC district council to make Inner City church to be conference offices made the church to acquire a stand at number nine Riverside Road, Mutare, near Mutare Bottling Company. This move was not hailed by most of the members who then went up in arms against Pastor Makono who took a move which was regarded as trying to prove a point rather than an act of good faith. Members of the church did not want to be under the leadership of Pastor Makono but they accepted hoping that he would step down during the January transfer as per church book of discipline which is the guiding line of all the decisions in church. However, Pastor Makono was re-appointed at King David church as the pastor with effect from January 1 by the district superintendent, Reverend Daniel Chitsiku.

This move did not go down well with the church members who responded by writing graffiti on the church’s prefabricated wall.

It is inscribed: “Tendai Makono must go now.”

Mr Benny Rekayi Chimhini, one of the church members, said that for true worship to be done at the church Pastor Makono should leave because the same reasons they did not want him last year are the same reasons they still do not want him now.

“Pastor Makono must go for the church to worship freely. This was once done in March 2014. The same reason why we did not want him to be our pastor is the same reason we do not want him now. Some of them might be very offending, but that’s the truth,” said Mr Chimhini.

Speaking on the reasons why Pastor Makono in unpopular among his congregation, one woman, who requested anonymity, said: “Pastor Makono segregates some of the members within the church. As if that is not enough, he makes authoritarian decisions and he is a source of conflict as he goes about discussing members’ issues with other members of the church. He also rubbishes the work of his predecessors.”

Pastor Makono is accused of selling a Nissan Sunny which belonged to the church and also attempting to sell the current Nissan X Trail, an action which was reportedly stopped by the board of trustees at the church.

Mr Godfrey Kamandira, one of the leaders of one faction, almost fought physically with the finance chairperson, Mr Albert Mutidzawanda, after service last Sunday.

For Pastor Makono what was written on the prefabricated wall was a surprise to him and appears not to even know what is going on at his church. “To be honest I do not know what is at my church, the graffiti written came as a shock to me as well. The reason why they say I should go is unknown to me. All I am just praying for is that whoever did it will confess his or her deeds and the reasons to engage in such an act. On the rumours that there is a dispute in church I can refer you to whoever told you that.”