Prophetic Diakonia in action: Speaking truth to power

Written by Kudzai Taruona

The church has the power that equips it with fearlessness to confront and speak truth to the powers of this world.

This was said by the Revd Mautji Pataki, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches at Diakonia’s Annual Meeting on 22 June 2011, under the theme Prophetic diakonia in action: speaking truth to power.

Revd Pataki said it is significant that we are celebrating Diakonia’s achievements in transforming society just a few days after Pentecost. “On the day of Pentecost, transformation of society took place. The recipients of the spirit were equipped for battle and victory against world power,” he said.

“The world has its own power. Jesus’ power which he gives to the church, wrestles with this power because the space of power is highly contested. No power is tolerant to another power. When we pray ‘thy kingdom come,’ we mean that the other kingdom must give space,” he said.

No power is intended to come into space and do half job, Revd Pataki said, adding that the power that the church has cannot be used minimally but maximally.

He said power by its nature is not in love with the truth. The church should thus be prepared to speak the truth. “We must be ready to say to the nation that there is no justice in South Africa. Our calling and preoccupation is to expose injustice,” Revd Pataki said.

He criticised our political leaders for concentrating more on safeguarding their power rather than on the poor. Of particular concern to him was President Jacob Zuma’s prioritising the ANCYL at the expense of the nation.

“President Zuma failed to execute his state duties to address a huge crowd gathered at Orlando Stadium on June 16, to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the violent and fatal incidents of 1976, where this nation was plunged into a mourning of an unprecedented scale. The President later confessed to the nation that his late arrival by four hours was as a result of the delayed logistics at the ANCYL Congress,” Revd Pataki said.

Noting that the church in South Africa is divided, he ended by asserting the need for a church that is not only reactive, but one that is able to set the moral agenda for the nation.

“The church in this country must make a hard choice between flirting with power and residing with the powerless. The social space has opened so much that we have mushrooming churches whose prime focus is to make money out of the misery of the poor. We need no vacuum,” Revd Pataki concluded.

Earlier on, Revd Ian Booth, who had hitherto been Deputy Vice Chairperson of Council, the supreme decision-making body of the organisation, was introduced as the new Chairperson.

Beneficiaries of Diakonia’s programmes also gave testimonies of how they were empowered by the organisation.

Revd Dr Norman Hudson, a long-time friend of Diakonia, made a passionate friend’s appeal, and encouraged the gathering to financially support Diakonia to ensure its long term sustainability, in the light of dwindling overseas support.

The new-look organisational website was also unveiled during the meeting.

The meeting was treated to some music by St Henry’s (Marist Brothers) Senior School Choir.

(Press Release by the Diakonia Council of Churches and used by permission.Visit them at www.diakonia.org.za.)