Reverend Jacob PL Zachariah

| Friday January 23, 2009 00:00

This response seeks to set the record right and to inform fellow Christians in general and Anglicans in particular that the author of this article 'Reverend Jacob PL Zachariah', is neither an ordained member of the Anglican Church nor a Parishioner of the Anglican congregation at St Simon of Cyrene Anglican Church in Tlokweng. I am writing this article on the understanding that everyone is entitled to his/her opinion; as such Mr Jacob PL Zachariah is entitled to his opinion. However, on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Botswana, we seek to set the record straight that this particular person is not an ordained priest in our church nor is he a member of our congregation at our Tlokweng congregation as he purports. I need to spell it out clearly that the Anglican Church respects order; as such it has a process of identifying people for ordination.

The proper process laid down in the Anglican Diocese of Botswana for all those who feel called to the ordained ministry is very clear and straight-forward and every Anglican clergy is aware of it. In order for candidates to be considered for the different routes of ordination training the following steps are followed: first, a consultation with the local Priest and Parish Council takes place in order to avoid people who come in through 'the back door'. Without their approval it is impossible for any person to be considered for ordination because it is the local congregation that knows the prospective candidate very well.

Secondly, the selected candidate joins Fellowship of Vocation [FOV] for one year. The candidates are taken on a journey of discovery about Holy Orders. The Fellowship discerns whether a candidate referred to has a calling to the priesthood or not. The Fellowship is led by the Director of Vocations. 

Thirdly, a Selection Conference is convened by the Director of Vocations. This compromises clergy and lay people appointed by the Bishop.  The Selection Conference interviews and recommends names of those candidates the Selectors feel have a calling to the ordained ministry.

Finally, the final decision on the recommendations by the Selectors rest with the Bishop, who holds the veto power to disqualify any candidate recommended to him. We believe that the Bishop will decide the best for God's church, which he represents as the Chief Shepherd. 

Having explained the ordination process as it exists in the Diocese of Botswana I state categorically that Mr Jacob PL Zachariah, who has been masquerading as an ordained Anglican priest is not one. He has not followed through any of the above processes other than appearing at a Selection Conference in 2006, which did not select him. A cursory interview of the real members of our Tlokweng congregation including their authentic Rector will show that Mr Jacob PL Zachariah is not what he claims to be. All he is; is an opposition party activist. I therefore appeal to our faithful members to ignore his writings, which are basically a projection of his disappointment with the Anglican Church for not considering him for ordination. Although Mr Jacob Zachariah is entitled to his opinion, he is certainly not entitled to masquerade as an Anglican clergyman because doing so amounts to impersonation and a deliberate erosion of the sacrality of the ordained ministry as we have it in the Anglican Communion.

All we know and what is on record is that Mr Jacob Zachariah once belonged to some local independent Church called African Mission Church based in Tlokweng. During that time he embarked on a programme of study towards a Diploma in Theology, which he did through Kgolagano College. It would appear, upon completion of this study, Mr Jacob Zachariah was not ordained in this church, as such he decided to move and join the Anglican Church where he was licenced to serve as a Lay Minister and not an ordained priest. It was during that time that he appeared for a selection conference in 2006, but the panel of selectors at that Selection Conference did not see Mr. Jacob Zachariah as having a Call for the ordained ministry. As such he did not take that kindly hence his venom and anger against the Anglican Church as expressed in his writings over the past few months.

The Venerable Dr Archford Musodza
Director of Vocations
ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF BOTSWANA