PENTECOSTAL Fellowships Tanzania (PPFT) clerics have urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to take legal action against Bishop Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church following his seditious statements he made recently.
Chairman of PPFT Bishop Pius Ikongo,
made the remarks here on Saturday at his office in Mwanga district,
Kilimanjaro Region, where he said that Bishop Gwajima has been telling
lies to the public. He said: “I call upon the Ministry of Home Affairs
to take immediate action against him for his seditious statements which
may lead to a breach of peace.
“We as clerics of the Pentecostal
churches in Tanzania have taken seriously the statements made by Gwajima
because such statement may have negative impacts in the future,” Bishop
Ikongo said. He noted that Gwajima was not the spokesperson of all
Christians.
“Even our Muslim brothers, political
parties as well as the general public have their spokespersons. Who then
has given Bishop Gwajima authority to speak for other Christians?” he
queried.
He noted that during the general meeting
held in Dodoma between June 1 and 3 this year, the Council withdrew the
membership of Bishop Gwajima because he has been using religion as a
political platform.
“We have been ignored words like these
from Gwajima and events that point to bring chaos in the country where
in the past we have witnessed a phrase such as transferring thoughts to
people to make them commit suicide for religious reasons. We have also
observed shelling with stones worship houses and utterances that mislead
believers,” said Bishop Ikongo.
He urged all Tanzanians especially
Gwajima believers to do what they could to prevent a bishop or a pastor
to use the altar or the pulpit for making political utterances in the
church doing so is not acceptable.
Church registration rules forbid such
comments and stance which use a church as a political forum. Gwajima,
they said, has therefore violated that law and the ministry a legal
action against him immediately, they said.
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