Congregants urged to to rise against GBV and other social ills

Klerksdorp - Men in the church must rise against all social ills, delegates at the Maranatha Reformed Father's Union heard.

Addressing the 5th elective conference of the Maranatha Reformed Church of Christ men's chapter in Jouberton near Klerksdorp in North West, deputy national chairperson of the church, Reverend Paul Dingaan, said the church was faced with many problems.

"As fathers in the church, we got to rise up against all social ills, restore and reclaim our position as men, as it being tarnished for numerous reasons," Rev Dingaan said.

He pointed out that following the Covid-19 pandemic, the church was faced with declined membership in other circuits and the financial subsidy from the Nerderduitse Hervormde Kerk van Afrika was drying up.

"We are in the times where we will need to work with what we have and make use of resources at our disposal to resuscitate our church.

"As we are going to elect the new leadership, our focus is on recovery, bringing the gaps we identified and restoring what we have lost."

Earlier, the executive mayor of Matlosana, James Tsolela, told the conference that men in the church should rise up against gender-based violence and other social ills.

He said the conference sitting in Jouberton should bring hope and peace to the community of Matlosana.

Human right activist, Professor Mbulelo Dyasi, told the conference that men should take up their position in the society as fathers and stop gender-based violence.

"It is us, men who rape child and women, it is us who kill women. It is the time men in the church should stand up and speak against these ills."

Maranatha Reformed Church of Christ would celebrates 100 years of existence at Madedeni, Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal on November 18.

Congregations and circuits continue to celebrate the birth of the church as a build up to the national celebration.

Maranatha Reformed Church of Christ was founded on May 12 in 1923.

IOL