Perfect Chivima
A praise and worship team from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church in Gweru, Mkoba made headlines over the weekend for all the wrong reasons as members of the choir got into a physical altercation over which band would lead the songs at the big Sunday ceremony.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with punches being thrown and instruments being knocked over. The church members who had come to worship in peace were left shocked and dismayed by the behavior of the praise and worship team.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw members of the choir fighting amongst themselves. It was supposed to be a time of worship and praise, but instead, it turned into a scene straight out of a street brawl,” said one church member who wished to remain anonymous.
The misunderstanding reportedly arose when two bands who usually schedule their performance on rotation, showed up to perform at the Sunday ceremony both vying for the opportunity to lead the songs.
Choir A which performed the previous Sunday was supposed to offer Choir B the stage nevertheless being rated the best in their last performance they wanted to showcase their talents again.
Tempers flared as each band insisted that they were the rightful choice to take the stage. In response to the incident, the church leadership expressed their disappointment and issued a statement condemning the behavior of the praise and worship team.
“We are saddened by the actions of those involved in the fight. As a church, we condemn violence in any form and expect our members to conduct themselves in a manner befitting of their faith,” said Pastor John Marufu.
The church has since launched an investigation into the matter and has vowed to take disciplinary action against those responsible for the brawl. In the meantime, the congregation is left reeling from the unexpected turn of events and is grappling with the fallout of the incident.
“I never thought I would witness something like this in a place of worship. It’s truly disheartening to see such behavior from members of the church,” said another churchgoer. The praise and worship team has yet to state the incident.