Tanzania Daily News – The Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam has rescheduled to October 9, this year, delivery of its judgment in the leadership crisis involving Elim Pentecostal Tanzania Church.
Senior Resident Magistrate Binge Mashabara was yesterday to have delivered the judgment in question to resolve the conflict, but he told the parties and other members of the congregation in a fully packed courtroom that he was still preparing it.
In the case, the church’s registered trustees have taken to court its Bishop, Manaseh Martin, and two pastors, Tito Tunda and Jarome Andrea, seeking orders sanctifying removal from their respective posts for allegedly going against the church’s constitution.
The trustees are asking the court to compel the trio to return bank cheque books, a motor vehicle and other property of the church which were under their custody and they should be ordered to pay 40m/-, being costs for disturbance and loss caused, among others.
According to the plaint of the suit lodged by Kings Law Chambers, on November 25, 2011, the registered trustees removed Bishop Manaseh from office with immediate effect due to alleged bad conduct, immoral behaviour and indiscipline, contrary to the preaching of the church.
“The first defendant (Bishop Manaseh) was ordered not to do anything concerning the activities of the plaintiff (Registered Trustees of Kanisa la Elim Pentecoste Tanzania)” reads the plaint of the suit in part, adding that the Bishop was also stopped from conducting any diocesan meetings.
It is stated further that both Tunda and Andrea were ordered by the plaintiff not to conduct any diocesan meeting and subsequently terminated their tenure as pastors due to the alleged misconduct as against the church’s teachings.
The removal of the bishop from membership of the church and episcopal seat and subsequent elimination of the two pastors from their posts, it is alleged further in the plaint of the suit, were in accordance with the church’s constitution.
However, the respondents, through their advocate Augustino Ndomba, refuted some of allegations by the plaintiff in a written statement of defence and requested the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety with costs.
They state that, save for the “unlawful termination from their respective spiritual services from the church and their unlawful prohibition to conduct any church’s activities, the rest of facts are vehemently contested.”
“The defendants further contend that the plaintiff, when purporting to terminate them from their spiritual services in the church, violated the constitution of the church and the principle of natural justice,” the written statement of defence further stated.
