BUSHIRI'S CHURCH IS BACK!

 

Prominent Malawian Prophet Shepherd Bushiri's Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church has made a full-scale return to Botswana, this time under the Jesus Nation Church banner.

This publication witnessed one of the church's services in Mogoditshane, where operations appeared to be in full swing. The church auditorium was packed with worshippers, while congregants appeared enthusiastic, engaged, and fully immersed in the service.

When contacted this week, the church's Botswana leader, Apostle Matebisi Nathaniel, confirmed that the church is officially back after spending seven years out of operation following its deregistration.

Apostle Nathaniel admitted that the church had fallen short of complying with the requirements set by the Registrar of Societies, a failure that ultimately led to its deregistration.

'We do admit that we did not do things right here in Botswana. It was not even the doing of our spiritual mentor, Prophet Bushiri. We failed to comply with the Registrar of Societies' rules and regulations, and it was only right that the Registrar acted. We do not believe we were being hated or targeted,' he said.

He explained that after the deregistration, the church made several attempts to regain legal status, but each effort proved unsuccessful.

'It has been a long and tedious journey. We are thankful to the new government for accepting our application and allowing us to register again. However, this does not mean we believe the previous government had anything against us. We are grateful that we have finally obtained the licence and are now able to worship freely once again,' he said.

According to Apostle Nathaniel, the church received its registration licence a few months ago and has since shifted its focus to rebuilding its structures and reconnecting with members across the country.

'We are currently in a rebuilding phase. Our priority is to resurrect the church and ensure that we reach every part of Botswana once again. At the moment, we have 25 branches, mainly concentrated in cities and towns. Before our deregistration, we had more than 50 branches. We believe that in the coming months we will continue expanding and regrouping with many of our members,' he said.

He said the church's absence resulted in many former members joining other congregations, while some pastors went on to establish their own ministries.

'During the years we were not operating, many churches benefited because our members had to find places of worship. Some even started their own churches. However, there remained many people who still longed to return to ECG, and that motivated us to work hard and ensure that we complied with every legal requirement so that we could be registered again,' he said.

Nathaniel revealed that the church's official relaunch a few weeks ago attracted more than 3,000 worshippers, a turnout he believes demonstrates that the ministry continues to enjoy significant support in Botswana despite its lengthy absence.

'That was a clear indication that the church is still alive and that many people still identify with our ministry. It encouraged us that the work we are doing is worthwhile,' he said.

On whether the legal controversies surrounding the church's founder, Major Shepherd Bushiri, had been resolved and whether Botswana should expect him to visit anytime soon, Apostle Nathaniel said it was still too early to speculate.

'We do not have much information regarding that matter at this stage. The government has not informed us of any restrictions. We do know that at one point he needed a visa to enter Botswana, although that was a long time ago, and that restriction was later lifted. If there comes a time when he needs to visit Botswana, we will engage the relevant authorities and ensure that every legal process is followed,' he said.

Nathaniel said that although Bushiri is their spiritual father, he is not involved in the administration of the church in Botswana.

'We have learnt a great lesson through this experience. From now on, we want to ensure that we comply with all the laws and regulations because we never want to find ourselves in a position where the church is disbanded again,' Nathaniel said.