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| BOOK SIGNING... Signing one of the books I purchased at the churche's bookshop |
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| FAMILY PICS UNDER A CHRISTMAS TREE... My son and cousins used to take pics next to their tree |
From a junior pastor who is still at Bible College, still trying to awaken some of the South African Christian watchdog bodies.... After die warm klap ek het van die kerk, ek soek dae mense, hulle moet kom en help my deurmekaar kop.
I miss the old South African Council of Churches. So much that I'm gonna be remixing Chico Twala's song soon and "We miss you (SACC) where are you? Until I get satisfactory answeres about this place of worship.
I mean, its been years since I was trying to fit the missing puzzle. Years of trying to get answers and understanding on how we ended up commercialising everything about Jesus in South Africa.
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| Tinny Tots... Kuhle first class in children's ministry. |
How we as South Africans have allowed racism, bullying, financial abuse, power abuse, gender based violence(GBV) and the abuse of the poor, women and children using the name of the Lord Jesus and even God himself without any shame at all.
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| At the Rivers Church main church which I helped build |
What He can do that the intimidation by the bullies at this place of worship has paralysed us with fear so much that it is hard to reprimand them. Even when they publicly flaunt their racists acts in a country that has fought for years to end apartheid?
Rivers Church leadership, staff members and even congregants. If they trully worship the Lord my God.
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| MY CAR Toyota Etios 2012 model that was damaged in the churches parking lot. |
If they are true Christians representing the Jesus Christ, the one who is birthdaying soon. Then they should be the ones serving and guarding the Christian ambassadorship close to heart. Worse if they truly know the history of South Africa and its religous practises.
As a child who has grown up in Christian surroundings, being a Christian is something that you are in church and outside.
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| AFTER SUNDAY SERVICE THINGS... Kuhle and my little brother Xolani, he accepted Jesus Christ at Rivers Sandton, he died November last year |
The Christ like character is not a publicity stunt, or front that is carried for few minutes only in a multi million building of Sandton on Sunday.
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| THE LAST SNAP CHRISTMAS 2022 ... A snap next to a Christmas tree at Rivers Church |
So, I did attend this church on my return to Johannesburg. In 2017, I was made partnership. I volunteered, joined their connect group, worshipped with my money and even invited amongst others, my family to the church yet I was treated like a Pariah after I lost my job.
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| DISMISSAL LETTER.. In one of the services in 2018, Pst Andre Olivier preached about people resigning from job and claiming dismissal. He made an example that was so similar to my case which I shared with my connect group at the time. |
To make matters worse. The claim from my former employee that I had resigned because I was refusing to pay for a parking ticket somehow find itself in the Sandton pulpit where more than 3000 rich congregants of the affluent church heard of someone (me) who resigned for a parking ticket and claimed to be fired.... How undermining and humiliating was that?
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| IN 2023 the CCMA gave me an enforcement order to serve the company. The labour court and CCMA found the company in the wrong. |
Anyway, the senior pastor of the church did not mention who that person was that Sunday. But gossip does spread like wild fire even in the place of worship too.
I know some pastors and congregants will come in for his defence that I am not that special to be mentioned by a rich pastor of a richly blessed soil like Morning Side, Sandton.
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| 2019 SISTERS CONFERENCE... So I supported all their event including the annual Sisters Conference of Africa |
But the remarks were made during the same time as my court case. Stupid me had shared details, I mean blow by blow account of how things had unfolded in the company with the connect group I belonged to then.
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| At the Rivers Foundation volunteer station |
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ who would help me pray over this storm. This attack from the devil himself. Not knowing I am actually reporting to the devil himself and he is smilling at my defeat and waiting to finish me off.
For your information readers, a connect group is also known as Bible study group in Christian circles.
(Please see the link)
Soon after the service word spread and some of the church members began throwing unwanted remarks and gestures mocking my stupidity. "People think we are rich you know" were the common remarks made to my son and I. No other means of moral support was to be given to this vulture.
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| HANDS THEY NEED... Me volunteering at their Rivers Foundation in Kelvin. I was fired over the use of a mop in 2023 and helping another new cleaner |
The staff even went as far as searching my bag when I was volunteering at the foundation. The security broke my cellphone screen, I was still using a Samsung JP 5 purchased after I got rid of the car. At one time, they organised me a man to walk with me after the 5pm service. This was someone, I did not know and the arrangement was made in such a way that to me I felt as if someone thought I was a prostitute of some saught.
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| ALEX TEENS... With Alex teens who came for a workshop at the foundation. The announcement was made for us all to come and volunteer, only I and one of the mothers of the girls came to assist with snack for the girls. None of the staff, majority foreign nationals came. |
This is after I had gotten rid of the car. I didn't know who was following me and why was I being stalked and receiving death threats. For my son and I safety, I felt it was safe to get rid of the car before someone kill us in it.
So, as a person who grew up in South Africa pre democracy and know how active churches were in our community.
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| GRADUATION DAY..... Commission day with the founder of JBC Rev Nat giving me the certificate of completion |
The actions of this church has left me with many questions. I tried seeking answers from the church itself for years. But by December last year, I had given up. This was a month after giving them a letter from the Johannesburg Bible College inviting the church to an open day and also maybe enrol the members to their classes if lack of knowledge is perhaps the reason of this kind of treatment.
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| HANDLING THE WORD OF GOD CORRECTLY ....Courses offered by the College for all ministry practitioners |
I had hand delivered to the church via an intercessor during one of their Sunday services last year. Yet I did not see any of the members or staff in the Kelvin and Alexandra class.
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So, with all that I have tried with the church on my own. I still have many un answered questions. I only heard from the pulpit last year, through a preaching by one of the junior pastors that they wont even say sorry or admit wrong. Even when they know they were wrong.
I'm guessing their richness, the church building which I also contributed in building as well the other campuses built in Durban, Kylami during my years there are making them too high to reach low class citizens like me.
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| The Foundation gave me and my son these beads just after Covid19. My son needed school admission then after two years of none schooling. Eventually the Gauteng department of Education took him. The church didn't assist in taking him back to school instead we were laid off from volunteering claiming the place was now dangerous for him. |
So based on my experiences, I have some questions where in the Bible did God asked Christians to threaten their brothers and sisters in Christ? Where and when did Paul or Jesus gave us status as Christians? How does the Bible call us to treat women and children? I wont even ask about finances, I hope this will be covered in details during my Bible studies next year as well as community involvement and church administration. But all these are questions that I have.
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| ASKING QUESTIONS AT THE ALTER..... I asked the questions again during their Miracle Offering Service of 2023 , this time on a piece of paper that I sent to the alter and kept a copy. |
I still regard myself as a Christian even today. As a black law student too. Hence how the church have been treating not only me but its surrounding community of Alexandra Township had also been complaining.
My Baptism at Rivers Church in 2017.... I was laid off from the Foundation of the Church in 2022, the staff claimed to be needing time to prove beyond reasonable doubt that I was attending their church.
According to some of the residence, they were chased out of the Rivers Foundation too by a group of foreign nationals employed by the church. This after they had also been helping the church voluntarily.
One of the things that drew me to giving money to their foundation and later offering voluntarily services was the work they claimed to have been doing with the Gogos poor children of Alexandra township.
Listen, I have been all over the that township with the hope of spotting the work done by the church or the people that it helps, till this day. I have not found people.
Though I came close in 2022 when one of the Zimbabwean national woman with two children and claiming to be from Emfundisweni Primary School. A school in 13th avenue , I think. According to the sisters who was able to get clothes, groceries and other business skills offered by the church. Her son went to the school and the foundation delivered sanitary pads for the school children.
Happy to finally able to get a beneficiary of the church, I ran to the school after volunteering. With the hopes that my suspicions of the place of worship will finally be laid to rest.
To my surprise, the high ranking school official didn't remember the foundation at all. They even gave me a list of all the donors of the school. Some came through government but nothing nadda from the Church or its foundation.
Yet the school was listed on the board as amongst the beneficiaries of the sanitary pads donated monthly.
I don't know about you but there are things that I can't just be sweeped under the carpet.
Especially with the emotional, financial scars and brokenness that they live you with.
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| The recent judgement by Labour Court and CCMA |
It is even worse that these are intentionally caused by the very same place we often run to for answers. Only to be moered and sjamboked like child under coperal punishment.
Or even worse, as a black person.
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| BIBLE COLLEGE GRADUATE.... |
So much that, no pastor can help me to answer those questions hence my last resort was the college.
Maybe next year, I will be allowed to complete the course and come back with clear answers of what the role of the church is to me as a member.
When someone from my family dies, what is the role of the church? Not just any church but the one that I have been supporting whilst working and not working. Should a church lie to solicit money from the public and if found doing that who must call them to order?
I went to the CRL commision with my concerns during Covid19 and in 2022. I have done all the ground work asked by them and I have even tried linking the church to a college.
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| Alex peace community meeting |
In 2023, the church aided illegal immigrants of a building in Johannesburg CBD. With no radio, cellphone and any means of communication. I helped at the centre to sort out clothes for the victims of fire.
On my return, I learn from the community of Alexandra that the occupants of the building had been asked to move several times by the government because the building was a health hazard. But they have been refusing for many years.
Meaning the church is working with lawbreakers.
Today the South African government is busy trying to clean the city, Johannesburg where one of our talent, Dj Warras was gun down.
Did Jesus approve of this? Is it part of the South African Constitution when was it added?
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