Christian Life Centre (CLC) has been plunged into a leadership dispute following a letter allegedly served on its pastor requesting him to stop preaching, with four board members subsequently resigning after reportedly learning that the letter had been issued without their knowledge.
The developments have created uncertainty within the church following the death of the board Chairperson, Rejoice Nkambule, who was also employed by the ministry of health. Nkambule’s death left the church’s board with seven members, including Pastor Gideon Phiri, who also serves as the church pastor of the board.
Nkambule was described by those familiar with the board as the glue that held it together, with her leadership skills providing direction and helping to maintain cohesion among its members.
Information gathered by the Saturday Observer indicates that two board members allegedly engaged lawyers to write a letter to Phiri requesting him to stop working at the church. However, the other board members were reportedly not aware of the move until they learnt about the letter.
The development subsequently resulted in four board members resigning from their positions. Sources said the four did not want to be associated with or implicated in a decision they allegedly had no knowledge of, while the two members reportedly linked to the letter remained on the board.
The matter then escalated to the International Ministries Assemblies of God (IMAG), the body with which CLC is affiliated. IMAG subsequently intervened and dissolved the board.
The intervention has left the church preparing for the election of an interim committee, which is expected to take place tomorrow. The interim committee will assume the board’s responsibilities and oversee the running of the church while the leadership situation is addressed.
The dispute comes at a time when Phiri’s contract with the church has expired. However, the decision on whether to renew or extend his contract has not yet been made, as this is expected to be considered through the church’s annual general meeting (AGM).
The AGM has reportedly been delayed because the church’s financial statements are still being audited by an external financial company. Until the audit is completed and the AGM is held, the pastor remains in his position.
Despite the letter requesting him to stop preaching, Phiri has continued conducting church services.
The situation has reportedly created divisions among members, with a section of the congregation allegedly opposed to Phiri as pastor while others continue to support his leadership and attendance of his services.
The dispute has also raised questions about the authority of individual board members to initiate action concerning the pastor, particularly where such an action is allegedly not known to the wider board.
The election of the interim committee tomorrow is expected to provide CLC with a temporary leadership structure to oversee its affairs as members await the completion of the financial audit and the eventual AGM, where the future leadership of the church and pastor’s contract could be addressed.
IMAG President Pastor Mathokoza Simelane confirmed that the organisation was dealing with a leadership dispute at CLC, which he said had initially been understood to be a minor matter that would not take long to resolve.
Simelane said IMAG had been called upon to intervene and had provided advice to the parties involved, but later established that the matter had not been fully resolved, resulting in the current situation.
He said IMAG had since engaged some of the parties involved to establish the merits of the dispute, but the process was still ongoing as they had not yet spoken to everyone involved.
“We are still in the process of gathering all the information and hearing the different sides. Once we have completed that process, we will produce a full report and map a way forward,” Simelane said.
He said IMAG had received the letter written to the pastor and had also forwarded it to its legal team, adding that they hoped the legal process was now in its final stages.
Simelane said he would not comment on the merits of the dispute at this stage because IMAG was yet to complete its assessment of the matter.
