Times Of Swaziland: IS THE CHURCH LOSING ITS SALTINESS? IS THE CHURCH LOSING ITS SALTINESS? ================================================================================ Emmanuel Ndlangamandla on 07/04/2025 08:33:00 I would like to direct my message to the Church. In this context, the Church is the translation of the Greek word called ekklesia which is defined as ‘an assembly’ or ‘called out ones’. The Church I am directing this message to is the body of Christ, of which he is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the Church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way”. Salt One of the key attributes of the church is that it should be the salt of the world. In Matthew 5:13 Jesus said: “You are the salt of the of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavour, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled upon.” Believers are supposed to be like salt used to preserve food products, in this context, to be preservative in this sinful world. The challenges faced by humanity including emaSwati are enormous. These include: Poor governance and blatant abuse of power, lack of access to justice, human rights violations, economic crisis, high levels of poverty, unemployment, high levels of gender-based violence, high levels of suicides, conflicts and raging wars in many parts of the world, where millions are displaced and thousands have died and some are maimed, to mention a few. As people of God suffer from the social ills alluded to above, it is concerning that the Church is silent. Eswatini has church bodies including the Eswatini Conference of Churches, the Council of Eswatini Churches and the League of Churches, to mention the most prominent. These bodies have been silent while emaSwati face the daunting challenges including drug shortages, worsening corruption, among many socio-economic challenges. Act The church in Eswatini is strategically positioned to act in Christ’s interest. We have seen many men and women of God who are serving in high echelons of government: Some as parliamentarians, ministers, some as judges, some as advisers to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Mother, to mention a few. These are expected to influence Christian values such as love protection of the weak among other things, integrity, ethical leadership and servant leadership among others. This phenomenon of Christians’ failure to be the conscience of society is evident in the United States where the Evangelicals are credited for the election of President Donald Trump. They were unequivocal that the current president was God-sent, notwithstanding that the president is a fallible human being. The main issues that galvanised the Church to support the US president were in relation to issues of abortion and LGBTQIA. There is nothing wrong with the Church’s stance on certain issues as defined by their faith. There is also nothing wrong with the Church influencing the election of political leaders. The challenge is that when the US Government takes decisions that affect ordinary people, such as closing USAID, cutting jobs on essential services, deporting those who sought refuge in fear of persecution and imposing tariffs, how will the message of repentance be perceived by those affected by these decisions? Unfortunately, some have argued that the Church in Eswatini has gravitated towards the State. This is largely because those Christians serving in positions of power are also entangled in government’s failures that affect emaSwati. We are also witnessing serious divisions in the church in relation to doctrine, church administration and social justice to mention a few. Internal divisions have been referred to courts for arbitration. Jesus prayed for unity in the Church in John 17: 20-23. Christians are supposed to be identified by love towards one another. In 1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you brothers by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree and that there should be no divisions.” James 4:1 says: “What causes fights and quarrels amongst you. Don’t they come from amongst the evil desires at war within you?” Witness Apostle Peter in Chapter 1: 1 says: “To the elders amongst you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be a Shepard of Gods flock that is under your care, serving as overseers not because you must, because you are willing, God wants you to be not greedy for money but eager to serve”. It is clear that the Church has an important role to play in social cohesion, promoting ethical conduct and being the conscience of the nation. The Church must be reminded that it is not the master or servant of the state but rather the conscience of the state. It is time the church self-introspect if it still reflects Jesus Christ’s concern for lost souls.