BISHOPS EXCHANGE BLOWS IN CHURCH OVER TITHES
Last Church Bishop and Pastor exchange punches
A Bishop and a Pastor of African Last Church of God in Nakonde again exchanged punches yesterday Friday during the end of the 5 days crusade service over who collects tithes from the branch in Chiyanga Village.
The fight which lasted over one hour saw the two men wearing white gowns tear each other’s shirt in the presence of worshippers and onlookers over K4,200 tithes and offerings that was donated by church members.
It’s alleged the pastor only named as Mwambene became angry when learned he was going to be replaced by another Siame from Malawi.
That was, however, not going to be the case as the preacher hired boys locally known as Manguluweni (junkies), who reportedly had knives, to attack the new pastor, although they did not.
The general overseer called Bishop Sichone from Tanzania was nowhere to be seen when the men of the cloth abandoned teachings of the Bible before service could start.
“The the general bishop ran away after things became tense. When he came back, he suspended the programme,” a witness told police.
It took former Chiyanga village headman Chris Sikaona and section six Chairman Geoffrey Sinyinza to stop the fight.
“Each pastor had his own supporters. The pastor from Malawi was strangled with the necktie he was wearing when the fight started,” Mr Sinyinza said as he laughed.
Mr Sinyinza who witnessed the fight the police were immediately contacted but were told to hold on after the situation calmed minutes later. It’s not common for pastors to square themselves in church in Zambia over tithes. Last month, a prophet in Mongu was badly beaten after he took all the tithe donated by church members without sharing with other pastors and the overseer.