By Suremore Muchuweni
In an online sermon last week the leader of Zion Christian Church (ZCC), Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, warned church members to guard against falling victim to the menace of sexual exploitation and abuse, which is now rampant in society, including in churches.
The bishop said he chose to speak about this difficult and somewhat embarrassing subject because the vice was now so widespread and needed to be openly confronted.
“As religious leaders we should teach both children and adults about sexual abuse and how to handle it,” he said.
“I do not think that in the church we have many sexual predators and perpetrators of sexual abuse, though there can be a few with evil minds,” he continued.
He shared the account of Amnon in 1 Samuel 13 vs. 14 who sexually abused his paternal half-sister, Tamar, pointing out that strangers, and close friends and relatives and guardians like teachers at school, pastors in the church, can be perpetrators of sexual violence and abuse.
He said young people are now pressured into craving for premarital sex by what they view on social media, and he encouraged them to use communication technology wisely.
He also added that sexual abuse can happen to both males and females, saying, “I have been informed that there are older women, commonly known as ‘sugar mummies’, who are also abusing and having improper sexual encounters with young men, known as ‘Ben 10s’ in exchange for some favours.”
He advised listeners never to accept private or secret meetings with members of the opposite sex, especially those involving two people alone.
ZCC protocols strongly discourage private meetings between the clergy and members in secluded places, and members are instructed to conduct church business and activities in an open and transparent way.
This includes fellowshipping activities and home visits.
He said the way to deal with the problem was to increase knowledge and education, and to continue enforcing a zero-tolerance policy where all perpetrators are reported to the police.