Some church properties established by the late revered Assemblies of God (AoG)-Spiritual Movement (AoG-SM) leader Francis Nyika are under siege from a rival faction claiming ownership, it has emerged.
Nyika died in 2020 and left a number of church properties dotted across the country, which he had established under his denomination.
AoG-SM is currently led by youthful cleric Phillip Zinyama, who was appointed by the late Nyika.
This paper is reliably informed that another denomination Assemblies of God-Back To God (AoG-BTG) is pushing to takeover some of the properties through fraudulent means despite facing massive resistance.
The Assemblies of God church has many denominations that have been established since its formation during the colonial era.
According to sources, AoG-BTG leaders are plotting to claim ownership of all AoG denominations' properties, including those belonging to AoG-SM.
" They are plotting to claim ownership of church properties by stating that they belong to AoG.
“We are aware that AoG-BTG has even redesigned their church billboards to just AoG, a move meant to target properties owned by other AoG denominations,and “a source told this publication.
A survey by this publication in Marondera and Mbare revealed that the AoG-BTG church has since erected new billboards only inscribed AoG from the initial inscription AoG-BTG.
According to sources, a bitter war has also erupted over the AoG constitution, which the Nathan Setlhako-led denomination is using to lay claim to property.
The church constitution was signed by Setlhako in 1999 despite him being appointed at the helm in 2017.
"The issue of this constitution is contentious. Setlhako was appointed as AoG-BTG leader in 2017 but we have a 1999 constitution bearing his signature, it is scary, it is fraud in broad daylight," said a source.
"Setlhako also allegedly signed two different copies of the same constitution but with different people signing as general secretary."
This paper established that before the High Court in Harare there are three copies of the September 11, 1999, constitution, one copy signed by Setlhako as executive chairman and Lindani Dube as General secretary while another copy is signed by Setlhako as executive chairman and one Silas Mhazo as general secretary and the last one an unsigned copy.
This means that there are three versions of AoG constitutions across three different cases at the Harare High Court.
Chipo Mahlangu of Maposa Mahlangu Attorneys is representing AoG-BTG in all three cases.
"This obviously means that the lawyer had sight of all three versions before submitting them on behalf of her client,” the source said.
Mahlangu is also a member of AoG-BTG according to her interview with IKonnect Kadoma Trust.
According to Setlhako's biography currently on Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) website, he was appointed as AoG boss in 2017.
Setlhako is a board member at EFZ.
"Bishop Nathan Setlhako is the second successor after the founder of Assemblies of God Church and Back To God ministry.
“Retired from the bank as a senior banker responsible for a function within Sadc.
“Assumed my current role as head of Assemblies of God in 2017," read part of his biography on EFZ website.
Some of the church properties belonging to AoG-SM under siege include one in Chivhu and another in Marondera.
Both AoG-SM and AoG-BTG are currently before the courts over the ownership wrangle.
Efforts to get a comment from Setlhako were fruitless as he was either 'driving' or in a meeting.
The first Rhodesian AoG assembly ironically started in an assembly in East London, South Africa.
It was during Christmas in 1953 when two families from the then Salisbury visited East London.
They were Dulcie Roberts and their two children Ray and Ann, and The Onions and their family Victor, David, and Margaret.
The families then asked Reverend Jim Mullan to start a church in Salisbury, which he did.
He then arranged for the Enersons to transfer to Salisbury and during this time, the Gospel and Bible Study meetings were held in Emblem Hall, and the prayer and Breaking of Bread services were held in someone’s board room downtown.
Meanwhile, in Bulawayo, Ted and Lals Richardson and their daughter Ruth had moved from Belgian Congo and pioneered Bethshan assembly.
So in 1957, there were just two Assemblies of God congregations in Rhodesia: the McCleary Avenue Assembly in Salisbury, pioneered by Mullan and Bethshan in Bulawayo pioneered by Ted & Lal Richardson.
Reverend John Bond after taking over from the Enersons at the McCleary assembly in Salisbury asked Reverend Nicholas Bhengu in 1959 who was a South African black preacher to come and preach to the blacks as up to this point AOG was only found amongst the whites.
Bhengu came with the Back to God crusade and started preaching to the blacks,hence establishing Assemblies of God-Back To God Movement.
In 1960, Arch Bishop Guti, after being mentored by Bhengu, went on and founded Assemblies of God Africa, now known as Zaoga. Later, around 1966, Apostle Simon Winston Mukolo started preaching in Hwange some white missionaries from Livingston linked him to Zambian Reverend Kekani.
Due to the liberation struggle at that time, it was difficult to work with Zambian nationals.
So the white missionaries who were in Hwange then referred him to Reverend John Bond, who connected him to Reverend Nicholas Bhengu, who mentored him and helped him to pioneer AOG Hwange.
By the late 1960's to early 1970's the following ministries had been setup amongst the whites, Bethshan, 6th Avenue Bulawayo, Umtali, Gwelo and Mc Cleary Avenue these went on to form 1 single united fellowship of congregations called 'The Group'.
On the other hand, the blacks had three independent ministries, namely Back To God, ZAOGA, and AOG Hwange.
In 1978, after moving from Bulawayo to Marondera as an answer to God's call to go to Mashonaland Reverend Francis, Nyika arrived in Marondera and started preaching.
He then met a white AOG Pastor Paddy McCoun, who, after confirming his call, took him to Salisbury, where he saw Reverend Bhengu.
Subsequently, Reverend Nyika went on to meet Reverend Bhengu, who mentored him and helped him to pioneer Assembly of God now known as Assemblies of God-Spiritual Movement.
By 1980, the blacks had now managed to pioneer 4 independent ministries, i.e., Back To God, Zaoga, AOG Hwange, and Spiritual Movement.
It is the radical approach adopted at the 1938 AOG conference in South Africa that allowed people to branch out and establish groups of their own, whilst simply adopting the "Statement of Fundamental Truths" (Things Commonly Believed Among Us) as a sign of affiliation to the AoG Fellowship around the world.
This allowed ministers to purchase, own, and control property under their own ministries as well as govern their own affairs.