The Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism Guild: Fifty-Seven (57) Years in Oblivion-A call for Reformation, Relevance and Growth

 

Introduction

History records the 31^st of October as a day of commemorating Church Reformation, a Protestant Christian religious holiday in some parts of the world (mainly Europe), in remembrance of the onset of the Reformation. This history is commonly attributed to Luther, it is recorded that 31 October 1517 was the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses/grievances on the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Electorate of Saxony, in the Holy Roman Empire, influencing what was to become an exodus of church leaders and congregants from the Roman Catholic fold, giving birth to the continuing growth of protestants across the globe, the Church of England being one of them.

 

Justification

It so happens that this day is celebrated a day after publicly sharing my meditations around my beloved church guild, the Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism. A mens organization within the protestant Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), established in 1967 in the North West province of South Africa. These meditations innocently focused on my personal contribution and commitment towards this organization, particularly questioning the long overdue recognition of this guild by the broader church body, ACSA. It remains a rather disheartening reality for many of its members, passed and alive, that this organization has lived well over fifty years but to this day it remains a guild with no recognition by the province. Considering that this disheartening reality is a product of a number of challenges that not only the guild is faced with but also the church in general, some of which are religious and theological, economical, societal and others. With Luther in mind, I was particularly wondering in my meditation as to whether ‘will my participation and commitment be enough to influence the necessary change in the overall life of the guild, given that the founding fathers of the guild were called home before this major change could take effect, the last of them being its lifetime President Reverend Canon Joe Maboe of the diocese of Johannesburg, who died in April 2021.

 

The problem

It is no doubt that Luther also posed such questions to himself before taking the bold step of penning down the Ninety-five grievances that led to the protestant landscape we are seeing today. Some in the contemporary may argue that Luther’s questions may have been restricted to theological problems of the Catholic Church, therefore making this comparison irrelevant. However, the reality is that some kind of reference out of history is needed in order to draw some lessons that will help pave a way towards the intended solutions to the contemporary problems, but again the reformatory agenda is found all over the canon of scripture, the books of Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, Ezra, Nehemiah to name a few. And so we have every reason to attend to the problems of this guild without any form of doubt or fear.

 

So what are the problems, one may wonder? It would appear that there are a number of problems which are naturally interwoven, though it must be admitted that they may also be independent from each other. However, here we may deal with only two major categories in an attempt to provide solutions to the two and others that are somewhat minor in nature. The first of the two being ‘the recognition of the guild by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA)’, and the second being ‘the guild’s inability to grow outside its existing four Dioceses, Matlosane, Johannesburg, Highveld and Kimberley and Kuruman’, with the diocese of Mpumalanga being in question we are unable to count it as a duly constituted diocese, even though there was a significant attempt made.

 

Recognition and its three in one indicators

On the weekend of the 28^th of November to the 1^st of December, the year of our Lord 2024, the guild will descend on to the city of Potchefstroom, located in its birth province, the North West, to convene its 15^th provincial conference, an elective gathering that will surely discuss among other things the question of recognition and growth. I am mentioning the fact that it is an elective conference because the seating provincial leadership, like all the other executives since inception, were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the guild is recognized by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) some five years ago in Barkley West in Kimberley during the 13^th Provincial Conference in 2019. Therefore, it would follow that members are indeed looking forward to receiving a progress report on the matter, even though recognition doesn’t seem to be in sight. To simplify the meaning of recognition in case one was wondering why this question is such cause for concern, one needs to refer to three simple indicators that tells you that the Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism (AMF & E) guild has existed in oblivion in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) for the past fifty-seven (57) years. These indicators, at the very least should be considered to be a three in one informal recognition or acknowledgement of the existence of the guild. The first is to look at the list of invited guests at ACSA Provincial Synods at least in the past twenty years, it is only the AMF & E among all the guilds of the church that is never represented at these highest decision making gatherings of the church, at the least as an observer or non-voting participant. It would also follow that the second indicator would be the guild’s absence of representation at the second highest decision making body of the church, the Provincial Standing Committee (PSC). Then the last, though simple but very significant, is the absence of the AMF & E logo among all other guilds and organisations on the ACSA website, especially since there is no provision in any church law or canon that prohibits the presence of a guild logo on this platform, needless to say the guild has recently launched its website, an important growth tool that would help greatly in promoting itself.

 

But why is it so important for the guild to promote itself, one may ask?. It is alleged that the criteria for a formal recognition has two basic requirements, funds in excess of about a million rand in the guild’s bank account and a minimum number of eight dioceses. The first alleged requirement to me is neither here nor there, particularly because for any guild in the church to have in excess of a million rand in its bank account is a mountain to climb, so I’m almost certain that guilds that do not meet this requirement can be accommodated. My real issue is with the second requirement, particularly because it speaks directly to the issue of the guild’s inability to grow. Almost sixty (60) years later the guild has not grown beyond its four existing dioceses, out of a total number of twenty-six (26) ACSA dioceses. This simply translates to one reality “that the guild has failed to promote itself beyond the four dioceses it currently enjoys some presence in”, is it in anyway ACSA’s fault one may ask?, and my unreserved answer is a big “NO”, the blame lies squarely on the door-step of the guild and its leadership, past and present, among other reasons why we find ourselves in this embarrassing situation is because of the lack of visionary leadership, creativity, consistency, decisiveness and follow through. It is precisely for this reason that the diocese of Johannesburg will submit a much more concise motion to this effect, at the up-coming provincial conference, to call for a more decisive and visionary plan towards recognition.

 

The problem of growth

One would wonder why is it so important for the guild to be recognized, at least at an informal level. The existence of two mens guilds in the Anglican Church remains to this day an interesting conundrum, AMF & E and the Bernard Mizeki Mens Guild (BMMG). However, this reality gives rise to the question of promotion, visibility and growth, in that the AMF & E is limited in its growth as a result of the existence of BMMG. Geographically, Bernard Mizeki has covered the vast majority of the province, primarily (but not entirely) because they are a recognized guild, meaning they enjoy all the benefits of the three in one indicators mentioned above. But that doesn’t mean that they are not faced with the same challenge of growth. A basic desktop research will tell you that “the presence of men in the church is generally a challenge, the number of men in the church continues to decline” and the world is becoming more secular by day, as a result BMMG is also struggling to grow. It must be noted that growth in this instance refers to ‘an increase in male membership’, because the two guilds are experiencing a common challenge of ‘extreme growth in female membership’, a subject which I shall discuss as the second biggest problem faced by the AMF & E guild. However, the difference between AMF and BMMG, especially if one was to consider the fact that they took a bold decision to put a moratorium on the acceptance of female members, is precisely the reasons mentioned above “AMF’s lack of vision, creativity, consistency, decisiveness, boldness and follow through in its leadership”, it is therefore my considered conviction that my beloved AMF & E is responsible for its continued demise of existing in oblivion.    

 

The problem of female membership

It was on the 1^st of November, the year of our Lord 2023 when I penned a letter to the male membership of the AMF & E guild in the diocese of Johannesburg (scan below QR Code to read the letter), in this piece I share with them a moment of embarrassment which I faced at the Diocesan Synod of the same year where I had to share with the house a rather strikingly contradictory picture of the guild’s membership demographics, at that time the numbers were 277 to 79 in favour of FEMALE members, needless to say, the numbers that will be reported to the 15^th conference for the year 2024 stands at 298 to 74, again in favour of female members. Depending on the side of the fence you are on, some may argue that the guild has grown slightly by a percentage or two, but others (myself included) would argue that it is not growing, primarily because one of the most burning issues but yet ignored reality in the guild, is the question of ‘the influx of female members in the guild’, not that membership of women is taken for granted but in reality, by comparison in a mens guild it becomes a rather insignificant growth. The diocese of Johannesburg alone has recently admitted a total of thirty-five (35) females against only five (5) males for the 2024 admission season. The question that arose at the Johannesburg Synod was “why should men in the church bother in joining a mens guild that is predominantly female”, leaving me gobsmacked, without an answer, mind you this question is posed by men in particular. It is to be noted that this is not a challenge that is unique to the diocese of Johannesburg, as things stands ‘AMF & E demographics across the province are sitting at 470 to 1186 in favour of female members’ (See graph below), a trajectory that has been consistently upward for a while.

 

Given these numbers, of cause one cannot help but be curious, could this be the reason behind the reluctance of men in joining this ministry?. It certainly does appear that indeed a considerable amount of the few men that are found in church use this very reason to justify their reluctance. Perhaps it is for the same reason that the Bernard Mizeki Mens Guild took the decision to put on hold the admission of female members, a decision to which, to put it bluntly “AMF & E continues to kick the can down the road”. I have not been a member of the guild for as long as many have been, but I can tell with certainty that there are two categories of views on the matter, first there are those who choose to stay away as a result of this reality, second are those who advance an argument that says “God sees no gender, therefore this reality should not be an issue”. The latter are my bone of contention in this case, in that their argument seems to be saying, let the guild continue to exist in contradiction, confusion and therefore continued oblivion.

 

Contradiction

It was at the June 2024 Provincial Council Meeting in Katlehong when the latter cohort (those arguing that the gender imbalance does not matter) posed a question “but what contradiction”?. It is for this reason why I am at pains to sponsor a response to this unanswered question. Contradiction arises from two issues, the Constitution of the guild as it stands and the decision of the 1992 conference to admit female members, but more importantly “to incorporate the word ‘Evangelism’ into AMF, as a symbol representing the female gender”. First, the constitution is rather quiet on the roles of female members including the occupation of the guild’s presidency, however, unwritten rules dictate that ‘no female member can ever occupy the office of the president’, contradicted by the fact that there are pockets of female chairpersons at branch level, but more than that and more importantly “the numbers are not numbering on the male side, and the constitution is clearly open for interpretation, making it highly possible for a legally constituted conference to vote in a woman president, should the female members decide otherwise”. Second, with all due respect to the founders and the elders of the guild, but the 1992 conference decision to add the word ‘Evangelism’ as a symbol of femininity is somewhat bizarre to say the least, the word Evangelism has its own dictionary meaning, at the least “to spread the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness” (Oxford dictionary of English 1998), in this case a general responsibility of all guild members, so this symbol comes nowhere near femininity or advancing a feminist theology or agenda. Therefore, it is these two contradictions that makes the overall contradiction of ‘a male guild that is predominantly female’, that justifies the call for a more Lutheran shift of the guild. Whether a shift in constitutional reformation or bold approach in turning the membership demographics around, it does not matter much, the fact is that the guild can no longer afford to exist in oblivion, and the only way towards its recognition by ACSA and being taken seriously by the church in general, is if it reforms itself by addressing its imbalances and contradictions, to position itself properly in the Anglican Communion, at least on the Southern tip of Africa for now.      

 

The overall problem

It may be easy to link the above problems to the general make up of the contemporary church, that the church demographics are predominantly female, that the church has generally declined in recent times, granted. However, the question of ‘ACSA’s recognition as a direct result of the increase of dioceses cannot be escaped’, in other words ‘if the basic criterion for recognition is based solely on a particular number of dioceses (above four), then AMF & E needs to grow beyond the four dioceses that it currently exists in. It is for this very reason that the diocese of Johannesburg will sponsor a motion that speaks to this very question of growth, that “at its first provincial council meeting of the year of our Lord 2025, the newly elected leaders shall present a detailed five-year growth plan which among other things, shall issue out a 2025 rooster where AMF & E shall visit parishes within all 26 ACSA diocese, in an effort to establish itself in those dioceses”.

 

It is therefore my considered view that the guild can no longer afford to exist in such oblivion. First, the 15^th provincial conference that will be held in the diocese of Matlosane from the 28^th of November to the 1^st of December, the year of our Lord 2024, must be intentional about discussing the issue of female membership, with the view of taking a bold decision “to put a moratorium on further admissions of female members, at least for 5 years”. I am convinced that female members of the guild are in full agreement with this view, it is only that male members fear being seen as anti-feminists, sexists, misogynists and patriarchal, but a very common phrase that is always bantered about by female members should be an indication that they are not in anyway seen in such light, female members often make a point that “mokgatlo ke wa bo ntate or umkhandlo owa bo baba”, loosely translated “this guild is a mens guild”, indicating their acceptance of the reality and that they have no ambition whatsoever to take over the guild. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should have a problem with such a developmental and progressive decision, that is in clearly in the best interest of the guild.

 

Secondly, the 15^th conference has to recognize the importance of ensuring that the motion sponsored by the diocese of Johannesburg is carried successfully, if anything ‘with clear targets and deadlines’ for the incoming provincial executive, and that they are alive to the reality of the mammoth task ahead.

 

Reforms are a necessity for the growth of the kingdom of God, the Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism guild is an important ministry in the life of the Anglican Communion, its evangelical responsibility, especially within the African spirituality cohort of the church is of paramount importance, its fifty-seven (57) years of existence cannot be allowed to be erased through such a painfully slow death. Like the great apostle Paul of Tarsus equated the flock of God with the church in Acts 20:28 when he said, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28 NIV), we too are responsible for our beloved guild, the Anglican Mens Fellowship & Evangelism, its preservation, growth and effective participation in the Mission of God.

 

Kgosiemang Phejane

Writing in his personal capacity as a member of the AMF & E Guild

Diocese of Johannesburg      

The Azanian Creed: Affirmation of our Christian faith, applicable to the burning issues of our day: Environmental protection and climate change, Xenophobia and Gender Based Violence.

 

We believe in one God, the God of our ancestors

God the creator of those who have been and those who will be

God the almighty that created Azanian people in her own image

God of Love, compassion and providence

Creator of heaven and earth

 

We believe in one God who created the splendid valleys and Hills of Azania

Who provides her with trees to protect her environment

Provide oxygen and improves her air quality

God that ensures Azania’s climate amelioration and conserves her water, Preserves her soil, and supports her wildlife and the majestic big five

Father of Jesus Christ our Lord

 

We believe in one God of the ancient Alkebulan (Africa)

The African God that did not discriminate  

The God who created one African ancestor

The Lord God who speaks Setswana, Swahili, Yoruba and all languages African

God the Holy Spirit

 

We believe in the mighty God that sees no race, ethnicity or gender

Mighty God that lifts no hand against a defenseless woman

He protects his woman and children with all his might

Lord of the defenseless and disabled

Lord of the homeless and needy

God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Amen

The Panga Wielding Pastor: The importance of formation and religious leadership

 

A rather bizarre story came out of Johannesburg, South Africa in recent times. Multiple videos of a well-known pastor started trending on Monday the 5^th of August, the year of our Lord 2024. In these videos the man is seen wielding two machetes, flanked by another man who is reportedly his protector, wielding an assault rifle, engaged in what seems to be a violent confrontation. What makes this encounter bizarre is not only the fact that this is a pastor we are talking about, but also because ‘this is a violent confrontation taking place on the grounds of Matshidiso Primary School in Katlehong township, during school hours’. It is reported that “the pastor and his son were at this school to forcibly retrieve two of his grand-children, in a custody battle between the pastor’s son and the maternal family” (Times Live - 6 August 2024: https://shorturl.at/ItCu9).

 

Given this background story and the fact that this individual is said to be a pastor, I found myself with very little confidence that the man comprehended at the time, the magnitude of the multiplicity of crimes that he was committing. To start with, a school has on average about 600 human beings on its grounds at any given time in the middle of the term, majority of whom are children, one can only imagine how all these lives were put in the face of danger. We have not even started discussing the crime of abduction as it appears that the children were taken forcibly, clearly against the wishes of their guardian.

 

Against the backdrop of this event, it is only logical to be curious on two pertinent questions that directly speaks to the conduct of a pastor. The first being ‘the role that a pastor must play in resolving a domestic dispute’ and the second being ‘the ethical standard that a pastor is expected to uphold’. In a statement issued by The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), the statutory body said “it was regrettable that a religious leader of Motsoeneng's stature could not look for better alternatives that would have embodied the values that represent a religious leader” (CRL Rights Commission – 7 August 2024: https://shorturl.at/s3yqJ). From the available evidence we certainly can conclude that the pastor failed in his fiduciary duty to diligently execute any of these two mandates. In the first instance, sound teaching (theological and otherwise) dictates that a pastor would have applied basic principles of pastoral care, including impartiality, regardless of the natural conflict that comes with him being a parent to one of the parties involved. In the second instance, an obvious ethical questions arise as a result of a number of obvious expectations, chiefly ‘the Violent behaviour by a person who is naturally a custodian of peace in society (a pastor), a basic teaching of theology.

 

Bongani Bingwa of radio 702 submits a rather interesting question when dealing with the issue, and so he asks “are South African clergymen and women equipped theologically, to be able to lead churches and society” (B. Bingwa 7 August 2024; 702 radio), a question which needs to be answered in the interest of both religion, theology and the secular world, ultimately in defence of Christianity as a religion at the centre of this bizarre debacle, theology as a discipline and the secular world as the custodian of the constitution and the protection of citizens. What we can certainly conclude is that the behaviour of the pastor clearly demonstrates how under-equipped he is, setting the bar of sound thinking leaders and formal teaching very low. The fact that society refers to the individual as "a popular pastor" clearly sets him apart, theology as a study of religious faith, practice, and experience, reminds its subjects about “God and his relation to the world”, in other words ‘how those whom he had called to his ministry, represents him in how they relate with his people, violence and conflict being unacceptable and non-negotiable. Such acts become unthinkable if they are to be committed by people of such stature. So just how then did society allow such a character to assume a position of leadership, moreover one that is established on the ethical principles and expectations of "pastoral care"?. The answer may be lying somewhere between the law makers of the country and the statutory body that is “CRL Rights Commission”, starting with the reformation of the legislation that governs religious practices. The “Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities Act 19 of 2002”, is among other mandates ‘empowered to make recommendations to the national legislative body that is Parliament’, my imagination is that these includes “constitutional amendments”. Therefore, in the best interest of our cultural, religious and linguistic communities, perhaps a recommendation should be made ‘to amend sections of the constitution that gives rise to the establishment of churches, cultural and linguistic bodies, by any individual with or without adequate academic qualification (in the case of religious leaders, theological training).  

 

What is clear is that South Africa is fertile ground for extreme abuse of vulnerable members of communities, in the hands of individuals that have come to realise that 'accountability is not a national imperative', but a by-the-way principle, reason why impunity is the order of the day, be it through religious or secular crimes, in fact it has now come to a point where religion is a vehicle for committing secular crimes, this crime is a case in point. An individual that has had a number of confrontations with both the statutory religious bodies such as the CRL Commission and the law over the years, has had to finally go to extremes of thinking it is OK to simply go to an institution of learning, wielding dangerous weapons and threaten the lives of others, only in the mind of an individual whose formation is of questionable standards. Some may argue that religious leaders are born, indeed there is no argument about that. However, formation becomes key in ensuring that the gifts are natured and the teaching on modern thinking and reasoning are instilled, in this case ‘a religious leader should have acted according to the basic religious principles taught by both the canon of scripture, theology and some form of pragmatism’.

 #MeditationOfTheHeart

  

 

Mogoeng-Mogoeng, Prophesy and South Africa: Understanding the prophetic language in contemporary politrics

 

Scholars of ancient history tells us that 'false and true prophesy was always resolved by the passing of time, to either come to pass or prove to be false", though the biggest problem of prophesy was that 'every prophet 'nabi', was regarded as God's spokesperson'. 

Back in 2013, upon his appointment as South Africa's Chief Justice, Former CJ #MogoengMogoeng indicated that his appointment was a 2004 prophesy by one Dr.  Richard Gray (TBN Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xawsUyQkzg0). Fast forward to 2024, former CJ shares yet another prophesy with us, this time around it seems to be his own prophesy that "he is destined to be the president of Mzansi, without contesting elections" (Newzroom Africa: https://youtu.be/t7AEcXbZdGU).

The prophesy phenomenon is an age old concept that continues to resonate with humanity across its diverse belief systems, religious, cultural and sundry. Most common among prophets and prophecies are the likes of Moses, Muhammad and Hong Xiuquan of old, in the contemporary you hear of the likes of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Nostradamus, the Seer of Salon, who could allegedly foresee tragic events very far into the future and Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, who was apparently able to awaken from a dreamlike state to diagnose a patient's illness and prescribe a cure without the patient even being present. What made all these prophets of old and new stand out and be regarded as prophets is the fact that 'they all influenced the direction of world thinking and belief', Kgari describes them as "those that respond to a relentless and deep desire to make a contribution and to confer benefit on a situation, they influence people's minds: they are quoted and referred to. Ultimately, they become the very energy in the people's consciousness (Kgari Moshopyadi Heil , 2005: https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10169717_1169). 

What we know is that the understanding of the concept of prophecy in the contemporary world carries the same understanding as that of the Old, even though its meaning and application differ as a result of context, including the socio, economic, technological and political advancements. Anderson describes the Old Testament prophets and prophecy as ‘spokespersons of Yahweh who interpreted the promises and demands of the covenant’ (W.B. Anderson 1978:230), an understanding which Mogoeng seems to carry in his Christian message to the contemporary hearer. But the common contemporary understanding and application of prophecy is slightly leaning over the secular world, discounting a religious understanding. Matthew Sweet makes a point that ‘every age has its own prophets, thinkers or agitators whose ideas shape civilisation for a generation or more” (M. Sweet 22 December 1996), Sweet describes contemporary prophets as ‘seers made up of professional speculators, cutting-edge thinkers, visionaries and, in the odd case, charlatans’. Nowhere in Sweet’s description does he describe them as ‘God’s spokespersons’, a clear demonstration of how different the contemporary application of the concept is, it seems that the new speaks for themselves more often than they do for God. Reason why Kgari argues that "prophets are in actual fact a response in and of themselves" (Kgari Moshopyadi Heil , 2005: https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10169717_1169).

But both Sweet and Kgari are in agreement with what the contemporary prophet should be like, their trades, character, and signs which indicates that their ideas and ideals will be remembered for centuries in history. Kgari makes a point that 'signs of a prophet are that of "possessing a vision to "see" a possibility in others and in the world", here Mogoeng shares his prophetic vision with South Africa and the world. She further says 'Prophets have the courage and conviction to take a stand and speak for or against a cause, ability to create a new context, a deeply held desire or passion to make a contribution. They have a sane urge for action, an inclination to inspire", a clear description of what former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has displayed in his prophecy. Most interesting is that he merges the old understanding with the new, by putting emphasis on his deity that is God, as having to have revealed this message to him. 

Farid Esack makes a point that “as dictated by liberation theology, a prophet is someone that is desperate to challenge power and injustice” (F. Esack 8 June 2023), if we were to merge Farid's statement with that of Kgari that says "prophets of our time, like all prophets, leave 'a legacy behind them which helps future generations to determine their course of history", it would be an injustice not to recognise our very own South African prophets of old, the likes of Ntsikana of the 1700, Nongqawuse, Siener Van Rensburg and Beyers Naudee in the 1900, those whom influenced and ushered in the likes of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Steve Biko and others, all in a quest to influence the course of history. 

Therefore, it would appear that Mogoeng is only playing his part in influencing the course of the democratic dispensation history, a history that has thus far displayed very clear disastrous, near distraction signs in its thirty (30) years infancy. A situation which the contemporary South Africa is faced with, a stubborn economy, corruption, crime, inequality and high levels of moral decay.

As South Africans look forward to the 2024 General elections, the reality is that many prophets shall come knocking on their doors, kissing their babies, attending their church services and doing all sorts of things to convince them to vote them into power. However, it is only fair to adopt the position of the old scholar that "the challenge of true and false prophesy can only be resolved by time", time will reveal it all. 

      

The Bible and Fundraising for the upkeep of the Church of God: Demystifying Biblical interpretation inaccuracies

More often than not, the story of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and his visit to the temple, as narrated by the gospels, is used to defend various contextual arguments, including the question of ‘selling in the church’. All four gospels tell us that “When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46, and John 2:13–17). There seem to be no other biblical account or incident that speaks to the question of selling, except that in the same vein Jesus quotes prophet Isaiah to support his actions when he says “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7), a clear indication that Jesus was putting emphasis on the ‘purpose of a temple as a place of worship and not a place of economic trade’. It is for this reason that we take a closer look into this scripture and its implications on the contemporary church and its funding model.

 

There are many theologies and beliefs on various biblical questions and interpretations, many of which the contemporary church is hard pressed to find common ground on, for the sake of its progress and the continued ministry of Jesus Christ. The scripture in question being among those, in it we find a number of key questions that arise as a result of the difficulties faced by the modern day church, among others the financial difficulties to respond to the contemporary needs of the world. In its effort to tackle the question of financial difficulties, the modern day church’s financial model is commonly based on three key areas, ‘dedicated giving or tithing, offering during service and fundraising through various initiatives, among others raffles, hosting events, selling of church books and other items’. The latter becomes our focus area as the scripture specifically says ‘he found people selling in the temple’, even though it does not specifically tell us as to ‘the purpose of their selling, in reference to the financial needs of the temple’. But unlike the modern church, we know that the church in Jesus’ time was entirely funded by the state as a result of the then relationship between Church and the Roman empire, a system which I believe Christ himself was not in favour of, for the autonomy of the church, we know this because Jesus Christ was nothing short of a revolutionary that stood his ground on religious ideologies but died a death of a political criminal on the cross. Therefore, it is highly likely that in this instance, the selling that went on in the church was not necessarily to raise funds for the upkeep of the temple, but rather as a result of ‘personal gain between merchants and customers’. In her effort to explain the layout and architectural wonders of the temple, author Katrina D. Hamel tells us that “The- large courtyard where the incident in question took place was called the Court of Gentiles, where anyone could visit. She says this was the exact place where the money changers, the dove sellers and other business transactions took place. It was likely noisy and bustling - not very conducive to a worshiping atmosphere” (K. Hamel 28 September 2018: https://shorturl.at/gstBI), solidifying my assertion that indeed the trade was an activity outside the church. We also know that this incident of the cleansing of the temple as it is widely described, happens during the time of a biblically ordained pilgrimage festival, ‘the Passover’. Therefore, it is evident that the courtyard was unusually filled with people from all over the world, ‘to celebrate Passover and give thanks to God’ through among other things ‘sacrifice, using animals such as cattle, sheep and pigeons’ (John 2:14), meaning the only relationship that we can establish between the temple, merchants and pilgrims, Jesus included, is the celebration of Passover. All of this paints a picture of a disorderly temple environment, so we can conclude that ‘Jesus simply regarded both merchants and customers guilty of desecrating the temple, obstructing worship, and specifically taking up space that had been set aside for Gentiles to worship, hence his anger’.
 

Now that we have separated the events in the courtyard from the question of the funding model of the church during Jesus’ time, we can now deal with the elephant in the room, the question that the modern church must attend to is whether “is it wrong for the modern day Church to raise funds, does God expect his kingdom to flourish in a church that only survives on tithing and offering during service? Given that the modern world and church has no doubt that the separation of church and state has had far-reaching benefits over time, we can equally appreciate the reality that ‘as a result, the most glaring repercussion is that of a financially distressed church'. Therefore, the modern church is faced with the difficult task of funding itself in a changing environment, raising the level of its ethical responsibility to do so. The changing environment is informed by a number of factors, the ever growing pool of independent churches, the ever increasing secularisation of the world, socio-economic and political factors, to name but a few. With these factors in mind, the church is undoubtedly forced to be creative in how it funds itself, while maintaining its credibility and ethical responsibility to God and the world. The question that ultimately has to be answered is ‘in line with the scriptures, how does a modern church creatively fund itself, while preserving both its ethical and biblical obligations to God and the world’?

 
As a Christian in the Anglican church of Southern Africa, I can only speak to the environment that I know of. It was at its 65^th synod in 2017 where the Anglican diocese of Johannesburg discussed the question of funding, specifically on how the church will meet its financial obligation towards the post-retirement medical aid for its retired clergy, a figure which stood at a million rand at the 66^th synod meeting held in October 2023. I use this scenario deliberately as it paints a picture of the basic financial needs of the modern day church, to maintain itself and continue God’s work unhindered. Now if the funding model is based entirely on member dedicated giving and offering, then it may not be possible for the church to meet its pastoral and ethical obligation towards its retired clergy, particularly because the dedicated giving and offering is derived from the individual parishes that are affected by the list of factors that we outlines above, the changing environment, the ever growing pool of independent churches, the ever increasing secularisation of the world, socio-economic and political factors, this over and above its own basic needs as a community on the ground. If this challenge spans as far back as the year 2017, then the situation cannot possibly be any better given the devastating effects of the Covid19 pandemic, unless the church is funded through creative, ethical means.

 
The reality is that there is no Biblical evidence that suggests that Jesus ever addressed the issue of Church funding, mainly because his ministry never established any brick and mortar assets that needed to be maintained like the temple and the modern day church, nor is there any biblical evidence that Christ ever registered any issue with a church that relied on fundraising as a model. But instead, we can find evidence of fundraising throughout the ministries of many Biblical figures, Moses, David (read 1 Chronicles 29:1-20), Hezekiah, Nehemiah (read 1 and 2), Paul (read 1 Corinthians 16:1-4), even Jesus himself has asked people to financially support God's work (read Luke 8:1-3), a clear indication that the church can explore outside funding from willing, ethical donors. Key to this arguement is that, using this scripture to suggest that it is wrong for churches to fundraise through selling is rather contradictory, reason being “selling books, having a raffle, doing fundraising, etc, is different from what was going on in the temple. Jesus was not necessarily angry that they were selling in the temple, but rather that selling was becoming the focus instead of God. Jesus was also angry that the moneychangers were taking advantage of people, many of whom were poor, who needed their services. Pigeons and other animals were required for the offering, and tithes in acceptable currency were also a requirement. On the contrary, such is not the case in today's church, at least as far as my denomination is concerned. Purchases in a church bookstore or at a church craft sale, for example, are entirely voluntary. No purchase is necessary to attend worship, every individual is welcomed in church whether they are able to participate financially or not. If a church does decide to sell something inside the church or to host a fundraiser, it should make sure that the selling does not receive undue attention and does not draw away from worship and the teaching of God’s Word. Selling should also never be made "high-pressure", most importantly ‘the church must be pragmatic in its approach, maintaining its ethical, biblical and Christian obligation of ensuring that every cent received is accounted for, is legal and does what it is meant to do, maintaining God’s property and promoting God’s kingdom’. Fundraising coach Marc Pitman says ‘funding your ministry does not mean losing your soul” (fundraisingcoach.com), therefore the basic principle should be that "for the Kingdom of God and the good of his people".

 
As a believer in Christian pragmatism, it is my unreserved conviction that the God we pray, will not have a problem with his people honestly raising funds for the good of his church and its people, in an honest and ethical manner.    

 
Kgosiemang Phejane
 
Writing in my personal capacity as a Christian, in the church of God. The views expressed here are person and represent no other individual, group of people or affiliate organisation.