More than a Palm Sunday
Sunday, 2 April 2023, saw Palm Sunday celebrated throughout the world. In South Africa, predominantly, we see congregations going around the neighbourhood waving Palm leaves, singing, and praying for the people. These street marches, mainly led by the Allen Christian Evangelical League (ACEL), end up in churches with the Palm Sunday Worship commencing. Often, many unchurched people follow them to churches.
This year, however, we have seen the Nkosi Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Tlhabane, MM Mokone Conference of the 19th Episcopal District, do more than usual. Led by their Pastor, the Rev. Sebego Zepahaniah Moremi, Nkosi Memorial AME Church members embarked on a pothole-fixing project and tree planting. These potholes result from a lack of road maintenance over a long period. Having been appointed to the church only five months ago, the Rev. Moremi wasted no time to ensure that the AME Church is not an armchair critic when it comes to the church being part of the community. Instead, the Church moved from the comfort of the pulpit to the streets.
Present was the Rev. Lekubela Simon Moobi, Presiding Elder of the Ga-Rankuwa District, who came not as a spectator but as a worker. This sterling work was witnessed and reported by the Herald Newspaper based in Rustenburg (see insert). The Rev. Moremi is grateful to Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford for the 19th Episcopal District’s four core principles: “Go to the people, Love the people, Serve the people, and Empower the people,” as well as Presiding Elder Mexico, who emphasises these four core principles during the Quarterly Conferences. These four core principles are what the Nkosi Memorial AME Church is built on, so their holy week was held at members’ homes rather than in the sanctuary to revitalise class meetings.
