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Church demands salary as offering

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MANZINI – Congregants at the Free Evangelical Church (FEA) have been told to part with a full month’s salary as part of a ‘sacrificial offering’ introduced by the church.

The congregants were told that if they could not offer their nett pay, they should instead offer something they own that is of great value to them. This resulted in some offering cattle and others their vehicles.

Those who did not have anything to offer at the time were made to pledge and state when they would make the ‘sacrificial offering’.

The church is situated at kaHelemisi, next to the Mavuso Trade Centre in Manzini.

The ‘sacrificial offering’ is different from the normal offering of tithes (10 per cent of one’s salary) and it is the first time to be introduced in the church. On the Sunday the offering was taken, the church is said to have collected over E100 000 though the figure could not be verified with the church elderly.

The preacher on the day is said to have quoted the story of Abraham in the Bible where God challenged him to offer his son as a sacrifice, Genesis 22. FEA’s Pastor Dr D.F. Khumalo confirmed that church members had been asked to sacrifice things they valued and termed this as a sacrificial offering.

When asked to elaborate, Khumalo illustrated that in the Bible Abraham made his son a sacrificial lamb.

Khumalo pointed out that people were not forced to offer their salaries but anything they valued.

"And that is why some offered cattle and vehicles," he said.

Khumalo stressed that there was no element of surprise in the matter because the congregants were aware of it.

"We made the announcement last year that we would be engaged in sacrificial offering this year. This was meant to help them save enough to take them through the month. We are doing this for the first time," he said.

He said part of the money to be collected from the pledges would be used to purchase musical instruments and the rest would be used in spreading the gospel. Some of the church members confirmed having made pledges and that they were made to understand that ‘for one to receive, one must sacrifice’.

Swaziland Conference of Churches President Bishop Stephen Masilela was conservative when approached on the sacrificial offering saying "people should not be held ransom by pastors".

Even though reluctant to comment, Bishop Masilela said people should make offering willingly, and with an open heart. "A person has a choice to make – he or she must decide if they want to make an offering or not," he said. Bishop Masilela would not comment further.

FEA is the same church which is expected to be paid E7 million by government as compensation for it to relocate, to give way to one of the Millennium Projects initiatives.


Comments

I am in agreement with this and my heart is clear. I also hope for the congregants that they will be willing to give with a heart because that is the first thing that God looks for. A willing heart matters to God in prayer, meditating through his word (bible), serving and giving. So your HEART must always be prepared for God.
July 6, 2010, 9:52 am, Heart (.)

How i wish these monies can be used in alleviating poverty in the rural community and how i wish the so called churches like this can spread the gospel even kantuthu cause it seems they are targeting the working class in towns. We are not sure cause we are not learned maybe the scripture puts more emphasis in preaching in towns. My friend once said when God comes he will definitely land in town not in rural areas. Lastly how I wish the other religions could use this opportunity to spread in the rural areas whilst Christianity remains solely for Urban people . 
July 6, 2010, 10:56 am, collen (collin.thor@gmail.com)

If there is any of the laws of the old testament that churches love, it has to be the verses on money. Churches are using every trick in the book to convince people to give their hard earned money to their pastors. I am yet to hear a pastor encouraging congregants to give money to their destitute parents, neighbours and men on the street. People should calculate how much they spend on church in a year these days. The Swazi economy would be boosted a lot if for example all the church money was collected for saving and investment for the benefit of the Swazi Christian. Its definitely funny how the gospel changes depending on the location. Funny enough, people with high educational qualifications are being led by pastors to believe that the gospel is about their money. Why should you give money if you want money? God is not an investment asset. His returns are not based on the money "invested". He is a good God. Swazis dont save but they give their first portion of pay to churches.
July 7, 2010, 1:09 pm, Phehello (phehello.mkhabela@yahoo.com)

This is wrong at every level. If there are any sinners in this world, then the church is the biggest of them all. To me, this is theft and abuse of your own people and religion. This is simply organised crime, disguised as religion.
July 6, 2010, 4:42 pm, na (na)

The Church in swaziland is under siege. Now that reputable church like Free Evangelical Assemblies has joined the bandwagon of the ministries where the buzzword is always money, money, we feel disappointed. Surely we need Martin Luthers of this era who will say no to the individuals who are constantly raping the Scriptures.
July 6, 2010, 4:43pm, m.maseko (mmaseko@yahoo)

What wonderful work saints of God. Now then we will see the congregants at helemisi fea prospering .It is indeed Gods word to offer. It is good now that people are complaining but let us give them about a year to see the fruits of this sacrificial offering. Very soon we will be envying the congregants who gave this sacrificial offering. How I wish I were one of them. I can encourage those who pledged to fullfil their pledges in order to partake in this blessing.
July 6, 2010, 4:44 pm, khanya (khanyas1@yahoo.com)

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