The Vision of God Church congregation has ceased church services and vowed not to go back to the house of the Lord until their bishop is released from the hospital.
The congregation is still reeling from shock following a shooting that occurred on Easter weekend at Vosloorus Extension 2, east of Johannesburg, where the church is located.
Church member Nathi Zwane, who was due to receive an evangelist’s ordination on Sunday, said that prayers are being offered for the survival of the two hospitalised victims.
After the shooting, everything had to be cancelled, according to Zwane, who claimed that one of the three people who were shot had died.
“There were six members that were supposed to be ordained. And we postponed everything until the bishop recovered,” Zwane said.
Congregants still traumatised
He added that, as a result of the trauma due to the robbery and shooting, women and children in particular are still shaken.
“I don’t think there is any member who would be willing to attend [a church service] after what happened. They will struggle because they are scared; what happened was scary.”
The congregants’ focus, he explained, is to lay to rest a church member who died during the shooting.
“Some congregants will be going to Mpumalanga this weekend for the funeral,” he said.
He described how the thugs stormed into the church. They demanded money and cellphones and threatened to kill everyone who disobeyed.
He said he had no idea what had irritated the thugs to the point where they opened fire.
Bishop put his life in harm’s way
“They shot at the first woman who died on the spot; that’s when the bishop stood up. He wanted to protect the women. They shot at him too.”
“There were kids in the room, so the bishop, who was down on the ground, pleaded with the thugs to go.
“One of the guys attempted to shoot at him again, but the gun malfunctioned.”
He said they suspect that a fourth man was outside when he fired at another woman. The woman was admitted to the hospital together with the bishop.
