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Friday, April 26, 2002 - Web posted at 7:07:04 pm GMT

Racial, ethnic divisions haunt the Apostolic Faith Mission

CLAIMS persist that apartheid and segregation continue to prevail within the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Namibia despite a meeting called three years ago by the church to try and bury divisions along racial, ethnic and economic lines.

In an interview with The Namibian, AFM General Secretary Andrew Vergotine claimed that "apartheid structures" and attitudes were still intact in almost all the AFM's white assemblies and nothing was happening to change the "sad state of affairs".

However, AFM President Dr Martin van Niekerk denied the allegations.

Three years ago AFM's Workers Council met at Oshipumbu in the North and declared war on racism within the church.

It admitted that the church remained divided along racial, ethnic and economic lines and called on those who indulged in such behaviour to repent of these evils wholeheartedly.

Vergotine claimed black pastors were still exploited, marginalised and neglected while their white counterparts lived in prosperity.

He said some white AFM churches even "imported" pastors from South Africa or elsewhere instead of taking their brothers from other assemblies.

According to him the declaration of unity was "a ploy to ensure that white assemblies received acknowledgment from State departments so that their work permits and marriage licences cannot be jeopardised".

For his part, Van Niekerk said the church was doing its best to promote unity but white members joined churches where they felt comfortable.

"He (Vergotine) is generalising the situation," Van Niekerk said.
Vergotine said the white AFM churches had never apologised publicly for their contribution towards promoting apartheid like their Dutch Reformed Church of Namibia (DRCN) counterparts.

Both AFM and DRCN used the Bible to justify South Africa's apartheid policy but reconciled with the Council of Churches in Namibia in March 1999.

Vergotine argued that true reconciliation was only possible where true confession and restitution were made.

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