Court reinstates Lutheran Church pastor

It was tears of joy for members of Evangelist Lutheran Church of Botswana as Gaborone High Court Judge Michael Mothobi dismissed a case in which the church council wanted to interdict Pastor Thabiso Segatlhe from his pastoral duties.

The power struggle at the church dates back from 2010 when the council withdrew ordination and terminated membership of Pastor Segatlhe with immediate effect.However, Segatlhe did not take kindly to the decision and continued with his duties despite having lost a case in which he challenged his suspension in 2011.

But this week Justice Mothobi began proceedings in a rather unusual manner when he asked one of the ZCC members present to hear the matter, to lead them in prayer. In his ruling, Justice Mothobi said the church council failed to prove locus standi in the application and that their application lacks validity.

After delivering the final judgement of the matter it was tears for members of the church who had come to support their pastor. Speaking in an interview with The Midweek Sun, Joyce Sengate said they are happy that the matter was dismissed because they always knew that at one point justice will prevail for their pastor. “Even though we are happy with what happened today, we still do not know why our elders brought this matter to court. Pastor Segatlhe will continue to do his duties. We do not know why our elders were fighting him.

“We have always maintained we do not have a problem with him. If elders have problems they should call us as members of the church and tell us what their problem is,” said the emotional Sengate. Meanwhile another member who identified himself as Evangelist Lutheran Church of Botswana Secretary General, Dickson Moyaumbo said they are going to appeal the matter because they still believe Segatlhe is not a member of the church because they have long expelled him. “We have the right to appeal this matter.

They have won on technical points. We have expelled the man from our church and he will never set foot in our church. We will also go back to our structure for further consultations. Our stand is that the man should move. He should understand he is expelled from the church,” said the visibly angry Moyaumbo. In their withdrawal of his ordination and termination of his membership, Bishop Mothusi Letlhage wrote in September 2010, “You were called for discussion with the church council about your pastoral role at the Ramotswa congregation but you refused to talk to the church council. “And furthermore, the church council had written several times to you whom you failed to respond to any of the letters.

It was also recalled that in the month of January 2011 you were suspended from pastoral work for a period of three years by the church council and you didn’t comply.” The letter further states that the matter concerning his suspension was reported to the November 2011 synod, being the top most highest body of church as per church constitution, which confirmed the church council decision of his suspension but he didn’t comply. It also says that there had been mediation attempts to reconcile with the fired pastor and given an opportunity to work in the church full time as a pastor at Ramotswa congregation but he didn’t accept rather he “forged visits to other congregations where you preached heresy.”