allafrica.com reports…
“About 50 people walked out of the Rhema Bible Church [Sunday], in apparent protest at its inviting African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma’s address to the church’s main congregation in Randburg was part of the ANC’s attempt at drawing the religious vote, seen as up for grabs.
Although Rhema is sometimes regarded as the “ANC at prayer”, it could not prevent the walkout by congregants unhappy that the church service had been “turned” into a rally. Others felt Zuma was getting a privilege not open to other political parties.
Rhema spokesman Vusi Mona said if there was a walkout, it was undetectable in the 7500-seat auditorium and therefore “statistically insignificant”.
Mona said Zuma was not the only politician to visit the church, which had previously hosted former president Nelson Mandela, and such luminaries as Mathews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale.
“If it was a walkout, whoever was involved should open their hearts; the church is open to everyone, sinner or saint,” Mona said. While other political parties were free to visit the church, taking the podium was not an automatic right, he said.
Not every member of the congregation agreed with the walkout. Businesswoman Noluthando Gosa said the church had an interest in hearing politicians speak so that it could hold them to their word later. “For us, it’s in our selfish interest that he (Zuma) takes to the podium,” she said.
Another church member, Vuyo Magwentshu, said if politicians were to be taken seriously, their attendance should not be just occasional. “I would prefer that he (Zuma) did it often, not only when he is campaigning,” she said.
Yesterday’s service was beamed by satellite to the church’s other congregations in Braamfontein, Alexandra and Soweto. Outside the church, officials from the Congress of the People (COPE) were busy handing out campaign leaflets.
With more than 30000 members countrywide, Rhema is popular among the black middle class, including government officials, business people and celebrities such as soccer star Lucas Radebe. It has also been linked with such controversial characters as disgraced cricketer the late Hansie Cronje, and former ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus.
Zuma called for a partnership to help the ANC realise its moral vision. He said that after next month’s elections the new administration would be banking on an alliance with faith-based organisations. “We need the support to release our people from the slavery of poverty and all its manifestations,” he said.
Although occasional differences between the state and the church were inevitable, such as on abortion and same-sex marriages, Zuma said the question was how disagreements were handled. “The solution is to have dialogue and discussion.” Constructive criticism and suggestions were welcome, he said.
The ANC’s first president, John Langalibalele Dube, was a priest. “The historical association of the ANC and the church cannot be doubted,” Zuma said.
Himself a lay pastor, Zuma said his favourite reading was the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament.
“The exodus from Egypt has always symbolised the liberatory character of the church.”
In the church’s huge auditorium, the ANC leader was greeted with enthusiasm in a service replete with symbolism.
Just before Zuma’s arrival, accompanied by mining executive Lazarus Zim, the church’s giant screens had displayed biblical messages, including: “Lord send the one that is in your likeness.”
The sermon delivered by the church’s pastor, Ray McCauley, on forgiveness, had a similar ring. “Our ethos in this church is no perfect people allowed, come as you are,” McCauley said.”
50 people are considered “statistically insignificant”. Says it all really.
Not a whole lot of difference to all the Australian politicians who visit Hillsong, CCC etc, etc. Even Kevin Rudd goes to church regularly.
“50 people are considered “statistically insignificant”. Says it all really.”
Yes, it is statistically insignificant, but the uproar amongst political parties in SA is massive. It is election time next month. This fella, Jacob Zuma is a nasty piece of work who is corrupt as Silvio Belusconi. He is a crook, and corrupt. Oh, and lets not forget, a polygamist too… He rise to power has been on the shoulders of radical left wingers who are bad news. Zuma is going to be another typical African politician who runs the country into ruin…
As for the uproar amongst the 50 insignificant, it would have been a lot more 10 years ago – Rhema was predominantly white back then. The church has become 95% african in the last 10 years. I don’t have a problem with that at all, but I do have a problem with Ray McCauley cosying up to the ANC – which he has been doing for a long time. He is huge chums with those in power, and he does not say anything controversial when it comes to politics… unlike the wonderful Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who has lashed politicians across the spectrum – yet I have never seen Ray McCauley invite the “Bish” to speak at his church!
Sorry about the rant, but this story stinks!!!!!
In the context of SA, this is also a bit of BS – the former National Party who ran our country as badly as the ANC, were very cosy with the Dutch Reformed Church (the NGK)…. Church and State need separation!!!
“Is God too dainty and delicate for politics?
By Ray McCauley
The reaction to ANC president Jacob Zuma’s visit to our church this past Sunday got me to reflect on a number of questions.
Are Christians afraid of politics? Is God a remote Being who sits enthroned in heaven, absorbed in contemplation of His power and glory and totally oblivious to the grubby world of politics?
Is Zuma the first politician to visit a church, or is Rhema the first church he – or any other politician, for that matter -has visited? Do the media understand the thinking of politically awakened Christians and care to report accurately?
Let me start with the latter. Various media reported differently about what happened last Sunday. 702 Radio said there were about 60 people who left the auditorium in the middle of Zuma’s address.
Business Day spoke about “50 or so people who walked out while Zuma was speaking”. Sowetan and Mail & Guardian Online did not mention any people leaving. The Star said there were “scores” of people who left. I was on stage throughout and never saw these “scores”.
In an auditorium that had approximately 7 200 congregants, when 60 or “50 or so people” leave that can hardly qualify as scores, let alone as statistically significant. But let me leave this to my friends in the media to debate who got the figure correct. If they still can’t work it out, we have the video footage to help them, as we record all services.
Are Christians afraid of politics? One of my peers says they aren’t, except for a few who are if the politics involves Zuma! Well, I did not endorse Zuma and his party last Sunday, but to those Christians who are terrified of Zuma and the prospect of his presidency, I can say to them without any fear of contradiction that the man is not a devil with two horns and a tail.
I dined with him on Sunday (the Pharisees would have been horrified) and I found him affable, humble and open to the concerns Christians have about abortion, same-sex marriage, the inclusion of evolution in the school curriculum and the elimination of prayer in schools. If Christians are afraid of politics and/or interacting with politicians, I don’t see how we can get our voice heard on these matters.
Christianity in this country, with the exception of a few strands within our faith, has usually treated politics as a threat and tried to protect believers from it, in the false belief that exposure to politics might undermine their faith.
Indeed, many of us within the broader Evangelical, Pentecostal and charismatic movement grew up with a sense that politics is the enemy of Christianity and that as believers we should be wary of it.
I was once there, until I had the opportunity some 18 or so years ago to be involved, with other religious leaders, in efforts that birthed our new democratic dispensation. The challenges we faced then – violence and a political stalemate during the negotiations for a new political order – demanded of us to restructure and apply our Christian faith in an effort to relate Biblical truths to the then-existential situation.
Since then, I personally have developed the capacity to live quite comfortably with politics and to use my interactions with politicians to bolster our case for validating what we as Christians stand for.
To those who have not had the opportunity and experiences to develop this capacity, interaction with politicians may cause revulsion.
Given the socioeconomic and political challenges South Africa faces, we in the Christian faith have to recast our theology in the prevailing language and problems of the day. It is no longer possible to insulate ourselves from the country’s broader challenges.
Our faith should not mean that we have to relinquish our hold on politics and the relationships we need to form this side of eternity. Zuma’s visit to our church should be seen in that context.
Is God a dainty Being to whom politics is a subject too low or sordid for His notice and interest? God is concerned with the tangible, the mundane and what goes on in the life of a nation. When it comes to human affairs (including politics), God is not a pale abstraction, as some Christian fundamentalists would have us believe.
He certainly wasn’t an abstraction in the national life of the Israelites, and is not about to be one in South Africa. The God of life and hope who was there in the politics of ancient Israel continues to be present among us.
Zuma’s visit to Rhema was neither the first nor the only of its kind in our country. It gave us an opportunity to minister to him and his delegation in a significant way.
# Ray McCauley is Senior Pastor and Founder of Rhema Ministries South Africa
* This article was originally published on page 19 of The Cape Argus on March 19, 2009
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090319125455519C990190
What IS statistically significant is the huge number of mindless people who stayed and listened, clapped, chered (and possibly ‘Amened’) to whatever is served up.
“What IS statistically significant is the huge number of mindless people who stayed and listened, clapped, chered (and possibly ‘Amened’) to whatever is served up.”
What a true statement LF. The simple fact is that Rhema Bible Church SA has become more than a church. It is a place to be seen by the social elite. It was more or less a church that had some celebrities and sports personalities attending and they were feted by Ray McCauley. However a new dimension was entered to, once the church became a massive african entity – sports club owners, politicians, the new black elite businessmen (supported by the ANC government), politicians and ANC bigwigs saw the church as a place to network. I am too cynical to believe that they were there to be good church attendants and I am told as much too….
The BS has been going on for long enough now.
More rhetoric from the ANC president (and soon to be national president of our country):
Zuma: If God is for us, who can be against us
The church’s support for the ANC was an “unequivocal biblical declaration that if God is for us who can be against us,” party president Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.
This is according to an ANC statement on meetings between Zuma and religious and traditional leaders in Mafikeng, North West.
Zuma, read the statement, commended the church leadership’s support of the ruling party saying it was in line with the commitment made by their predecessors when the party was formed.
“It (the expression of support) is an unequivocal biblical declaration that if God is for us, who can be against us,” the ANC quoted him as saying.
Church leaders told Zuma they would make sure every member of the church was “encouraged” to vote in the April 22 election. The statement said the church leaders would encourage their members to participate in the poll to ensure an ANC victory.
They committed to fight against “moral decay and all forms of abuse”, the statement read.
In response, Zuma said the ruling party was the only organisation “that can claim it was baptised when it was born” and the ANC was a “child of the church”.
“There are three main sectors that were instrumental in the formation of the organisation – they were intellectuals, traditional leaders and religious leaders.
“Of the 11 former leaders of the ANC, a significant number of them, including presidents Mahabane, Makgatho and Luthuli were priests. As the ANC, we’re the child of the church,” he said.
In the meeting with traditional leaders, Zuma said the “common struggle of the ANC and traditional leaders” was to reclaim the dignity which was taken by colonialism and apartheid.
“The ANC is an organisation of traditional leaders. The very foundation of the ANC was a continuation of the battle against colonialism waged by the traditional leaders. So when we come here asking you to be with us, we do so because you are our fathers,” he said, according to the party.
“For many years our traditional leaders were undermined and treated as nothing. Chiefs and Kings were put under the authority of magisterial districts.
“Traditional leaders have an important role of holding the government accountable by criticising us when we go wrong,” he said.
The ANC president said the hard-fought right to vote had to be used wisely.
“We’re not shy to say that everyone must vote for the organisation as there is no formation that has a history as rich as that of the ANC,” he said.
Zuma would end his visit with door-to-door campaigning, meeting with people living with HIV and Aids, people with disabilities and civil society, the ANC said. – Sapa
Published on the Web by IOL on 2009-03-18 17:50:24
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090318175024163C700912