The Sunday Mail
Linda Mzapi
THE Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe will not be amending its constitution as claimed by some sections of the ministry who are pushing for reforms to suit their agenda, the church’s president has said.
For months, word has been going around that the church intends to amend its constitution, claiming the changes would allow the president and his executive to extend their terms of office.
However, AFM in Zimbabwe president, Dr Aspher Madziyire, told The Sunday Mail Religion that rogue elements actually wanted to change the constitution for their own benefit.
“Changing the constitution is not a one-day event, it is a process that may take more than one year and it requires input from different stakeholders. I have no intentions of altering the constitution for any reasons. No one has power over the constitution,” said Dr Madziyire.
Discord in the church has reached crisis levels, and disputes have spilt into the courts.
In April, a meeting was reportedly convened in Gweru to find ways to oust Dr Madziyire and his executive from office at the AFM International Conference which was held that month.
A major grievance was that the church has failed to carry out an external audit for 13 years.
AFM in Zimbabwe national administrator Elder Maxwell Shumba told this publication that the disputes emmanated from the fact that congregants and some pastors did not know their own constitution. This, he said, had left many with egg on their faces as they rushed to courts only to be told to abide by their constitution.
“The constitution is very clear that the highest court of appeal will be the Apostolic Council and any dispute in the church should be settled there. Because they don’t know their constitution they end up approaching the courts over matters that are not provided for in our constitution,” Elder Shumba said.
Chapter 13.15.1 under the Highest Court of Appeal states that, “The Apostolic Council shall function as the highest court of appeal as prescribed by the regulations.”
Elder Shumba added: “For instance, the church constitution (Chapter 8) states that for an assembly to be formed there should be at least 50 souls and the assembly should be capable of meeting its expenses, pay its pastor (and) there should be sufficient, capable men to form a local board of elders.
“So when this is violated and an assembly is created without meeting this criterion, there arise a scenario where the very same pastor who is not being paid takes the congregants and the church to court forgetting that he was in violation of the church constitution.”
On the audit he said, “We do internal audits each and every year. There has never been an external audit. We did an internal audit this year on June 6 where all the pastors, deacons and elders were represented. During the council no-one raised any queries on the financial statements that were provided by the national administration committee.”
However, some congregants are unhappy with the composition of the Apostolic Council.
Elder Shumba said members should first approach the Apostolic Council and if not pleased with the outcome, they could then approach secular courts.
Another matter of concern has been the role of women in the decision-making board of elders.
While the highest position which can be occupied by women in AFM in Zimbabwe as per the constitution is that of a deaconess, some say they should be allowed to higher positions.
“Again, the constitution is clear; men are the ones who make up the local board and if there are not enough the pastor should appoint the most senior woman, who is his wife, to sit in the board.
“This has nothing to do with being intellectual … It was a request from the ladies union department (who felt) electing women to the local board, (which is) a separate ladies board, would cause confusion and misunderstandings among the women,” Elder Shumba said.
