THE Andrew Wutawunashe-led Family of God (FOG) church has split after a group of elders and some congregants walked out in protest over their leader’s recent messy divorce with wife, Ruth.
by Khanyile Mlotshwa/ Nqobile Bhebhe
The disgruntled former congregants have formed a splinter church called Family Covenant Church (FCC), led by Bishop Henry Muzhari, who is based in Bulawayo.
FOG, ranked among the pioneers of Pentecostalism in the country, formally split on March 9 over what insiders said was sparked by Wutawunashe’s decision to divorce Ruth and settling with a Botswana based-church member, Masego Makhao.
FCC spokesperson Charles Masunungure confirmed yesterday that their grouping was officially launched on Sunday at the Large City Hall in Bulawayo.
“We have 21 branches across the world, including in every town in Zimbabwe,” he said, adding other branches were in Pretoria (South Africa) and Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Masunungure said the new church believed in “peace with all people, including those in the Family of God church”.
“As FCC, we acknowledge the great role Apostle and Prophet Andrew Wutawunashe played in our lives over the last three decades, that is his teaching is the true and undefiled word of God,” he said. “As FCC, we implore our global membership to refrain from the use of hate language against anyone, including against those in the FOG church, where most of us have relatives.”
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Masunungure said FCC’s vision was anchored on four pillars.
“Evangelism, discipleship, building a habitation of God and a place of His presence and His glory, and preaching and teaching the full counsel of God as revealed in the Scriptures,” he said.
Wutawunashe could not be reached for comment yesterday.
