It is a privilege because like Jeremiah, you shall see and know what ordinary citizens dont know. Like Jeremiah, you shall be shown the mysteries of God. You shall know and be empowered more than others. You shall know the truth. But I want to warn you, in order to know all these mysteries to communicate Gods message to all people and all nations, there are three essential elements required of you.
l You must pray every day:
Prayer helps you to communicate with God directly. Dont pray in public to please or impress others; pray and talk to God alone. Matt 6: 5-8 says.
l Learn: Learning is very essential to Gods ministry. Jesus was a teacher and he liked to be called a teacher. Former president Masire called teaching a noble profession: Jesus spent 18 years learning! Luther spent 14 years learning. Those who discourage you from learning are anti-Lutheran and anti-Christ because both Christ and Luther were teachers.
l Honesty: The third element essential to Gods ministry is honesty. To be honest does not mean that you dont make mistakes. As human beings, we make mistakes. But we must accept our mistakes and correct them for God to forgive us.
It is imperative that you should keep these three elements if you want to stay in the ministry. If you are not honest, you wont be able to speak out because you will be afraid that people will expose you. If you dont pray to God, you cannot have the power and courage to speak out against wrongdoing. If you dont learn, you cannot speak out because you know nothing and are afraid to expose your own ignorance.
Your job description is in the Constitution of the Church. Read it and follow each step you are asked to. A minister is not only a minister on Sundays. You can be called at any time of day or night. Visit and know all your congregants and their families, visit the sick at their homes and in hospitals.
But you are not ministers to Lutherans only; you are ministers to all Batswana regardless of their political, economic social status. In the village or town in which you will be stationed, you shall find the BDP, BNF, BCP, BAM, BPF, NDF members. You must treat them equally. As a spiritual leader, when they ask you for pastoral care or counselling, attend to them. When they invite you to their congresses and conferences, attend and give pastoral guidance.
Last but not least, as President Mogae has correctly stated, Botswana is at war with AIDS. However, to fight this war, we must start with ourselves. Like any other war, we need to equip ourselves. AIDS is first and foremost a moral issue. As Church leaders, we must be exemplary and morally sound. The days of small houses are over. It is heartbreaking to see pastors, priests, and even bishops, committing adultery. Some of them are going to the extent of having children with married women. What are we saying to the world?
I am calling upon our leaders, both religious and others, to be exemplary and stop immediately this culture of small houses. It is immoral and unethical for leaders to be engaged in such activities. We cannot name names, but we know that some religious ministers, cabinet ministers, MPs and counsellors in this country are engaged in immoral activities, especially sex and alcohol.
In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB), I will take a drastic step against any minister reported to me who engages in breaking other peoples families or in alcohol abuse. You cannot be seen at bars on Saturday night and on Sunday be expected to conduct Church services.
If we break families, we break the Church. How do we expect people to come to Church when we are running away with their wives? People should feel safe when they leave their wives with us. People should feel safe to approach us for marriage counselling.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you for accepting Gods calling and to wish you the best in your prophetic journey.
*Cosmos Moenga is the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (ELCB). This is an abridged version of a speech he made at the ordination ceremony of new ministers in Ramotswa last Sunday.
