One would say church plays a noteworthy role in teaching discipline and morals to individuals however for quite some time church people have been accused of neglecting their own members where the rich continues to be rich while the poor remain impoverished. One example would be the meme that was trending on social media which emphasised that drunkards are much better than Christians on how they take care of one other after clubbing but church people would leave people at church and go home in empty cars.
The apostolic faith mission of South Africa solicits to diverge from the narrative above as it has a welfare initiative that looks at the needs of brethren who need support with food, clothing, nursing and sometimes financial the Mzamba casino assembly has played a Signiant role through Vus’Ithemba home based care which looks at needs of needing people not only in church but in surrounding communities as well.
‘Welfare was established by the Apostolic faith mission eight years ago, as the Mzamba casino branch we adopted it and it functions through Vus’Ithemba home based care which branches out even to the communities, we assist families who have no way of burying their loved ones by providing the church tent and church members buy groceries every month contributing to the food storage room to assist families in need’’. Shared AFM Mzamba Casino Assembly Presiding Pastor Nkewu. pastor Nkewu added that welfare strives to strike balance between spiritual and physical being because being spiritual fed does not mean the physical being is fed.
Vus’Ithemba Chairperson Andile Nyathel’igade says the initiative covers about sixty percent of Bizana and they visit homes to clean, wash, provide medication for the needing and this plays a significant role in the lives of people in Bizana. Mr. Nyathel’igade over the past eight years the orgernisation has survived through church members donations, the Wild Coast Sun and local spaza shops. Andile says the existence of welfare contributes to the reduced numbers at local clinics and most some child headed families are easily recognised and assisted.
Mrs. Ngalavu is one of many beneficiaries of the church’s welfare she says she is grateful to the initiative because after she was had house breaking at her home she was able to buy herself basic necessities and recover some of the stolen items through the money donated to her.
