2 PASTORS IN FIST FIGHT IN CHURCH OVER POSITION

MANZINI – Worshippers were shocked when two pastors at a church in Sigcineni engaged in a heated physical altercation over a senior position within the church.

It is said the two pastors engaged in a fist fight, resulting in both of them being charged with assault common. The astonished church members and residents of the area have since questioned the principles and teachings of the clergymen. The names of the parties involved will not be revealed because they could not be reached for comment at the time of compiling this report. A church elder was called for comment on the matter, but he declined to comment, saying it was an internal matter which was discussed by the church elders. This publication gathered that the root cause of the confrontation was a dispute over the position of ‘pastor’ at the church.

According to sources, one of the pastors had left the local church to work at a different branch for a significant period of time, only to return and assume his previous position. This is said to have incensed the other clergyman, who had taken over the responsibility of leading the local congregation during the other pastor’s absence. The disagreement reportedly escalated to the point where the two clergymen engaged in a physical fight, leading to the police being summoned to calm them down.

Shocking

Meanwhile, a resident who witnessed the incident, expressed dismay and concern. “This incident is shocking because you would not expect this from spiritual leaders, as they are generally expected to set an example of peace and tranquillity for their congregation,” the resident said. He was of the view that the act of the pastors clearly exhibited behaviour that contradicted the expectations placed upon their role as men of the cloth. The community member said pastors should be examples of compassion, patience and grace in their communities, adding that the fact that two spiritual leaders would engage in physical violence over a position was deeply troubling. The resident said the incident called to question the leaders’ understanding of their own faith and their ability to serve as role models to their congregation. He said the church ought to address this incident with firm, but measured action, and should prioritise accountability and restoration over condemnation. Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that two men had a physical altercation on Sunday.

Warned

“Following the incident, both men filed assault common charges against each other with the police. They were both warned to appear before court on Thursday,” the police mouthpiece said. The Conference of Churches was asked to comment on the incident and further queried if it had any existing guidelines or policies in place to address situations where men of the cloth engaged in violent behaviour. It was further asked what disciplinary measures were taken against pastors involved in fights. In response, Conference of Churches’ Themba Ngozo, said although the particular church had no membership in the conference, the alleged act by the men of the cloth was against Christian ethics. “The brethren misrepresented the Christian faith, because we usually encourage them to engage a third party to intervene if they do not see eye-to-eye. If these are partners, this is really saddening and very wrong,” Ngozo said.
He further advised them to hasten and get help from parties in the Christian church, who would best intervene. Ngozo elaborated that in such cases, the conference of churches did not deal with individual men of the cloth within a denomination on the ground, but with the top executive of the denomination. He said in the strongest terms, they were not expected to engage in a physical altercation as such was wrong. Nonetheless, Ngozo mentioned that they did not shun the clergymen and assured them that their doors were open if they required any assistance.

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