Masisi looks to church amid rising social ills

President Mokgweetsi Masisi and First Lady Neo Masisi on Saturday joined members of the Anglican Diocese of Botswana for the church’s golden jubilee celebration.

In light of the continued rot in society, the President in his speech called on the church to look beyond jubilation of the moment and play a role.

“Let us engage in the enterprise of caring more for others, helping the needy and the overburdened in our midst. For a nation that is confronted and beset on every side with so many social ills, we need to look beyond the jubilation of the moment, to also consider resetting and reconfiguring all efforts aimed much broader than the noble objective of growing the church,” he said.

The First Citizen added it is the time to demonstrate that following pure religion is more than just enlarging the borders of one’s garments but doing the work and fulfilling “the perfect law of liberty”.

Masisi quoted the words of the Second Bishop, Archbishop Khotso Makhulu who said in 2002: “Celebration without reflection can be an empty exercise... Anniversaries are also moments for rededication to begin afresh with renewed vigour in following and serving God.”

“It was thus an honour to receive this invitation to officiate at this, your Golden Jubilee so that we can reason together and carefully evaluate the 50 years of service of the Anglican Church to Batswana.

But one thing that I know, is that the work of the Anglican Church in this country goes well beyond 1972 when you were founded as an independent Diocese. The church and the state have always had that symbiotic relationship. In Botswana, “we shall forever cherish this companionship in nation-building”. “In this regard, the Anglican Church has been part of our national development in more than one way.

The church has not only contributed to the spiritual well of our citizens but it has also played a major role in improving the welfare of our communities.

This role of contributing to the development of the communities in which the Church is based is actually embedded in our National Vision 2036,” Masisi said.

Since the days of the inauguration of Anglican Diocese of Botswana in 1972 as the 15th Diocese of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, comprising Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Anglicans in Botswana are now estimated at 12,000.

“I would encourage the Anglican Diocese of Botswana to work hard to implement its strategic plan in line with the chosen vision of, ‘To be a spiritually growing and self-sustaining, Nation-wide church that is welcoming and serving’.

The plan which outlines the Anglican Church’s objectives and strategy of engagement which includes learning and growth, and looking at capacitating existing church structures as well as proving staff satisfaction and performance is a noble initiative.

Of course, the financial perspective in increasing income and thereby improving sustainability is never left far behind,” he said.