Reverend Dirk Odendaal yesterday had to break his Mdantsane NU17 Mbongeni Uniting Reformed Church door after he was locked out by a group of disgruntled church members who accused him of non transparency with church finances.
He had to force his way in for yesterday’s church service to continue and for the induction of the new church council to take place.
All the while about 15 “concerned members”, stood outside the church in their uniform with placards that read: “Odendaal must fall” and “transparency and communication @URCSA”.
The disgruntled group feels let down by their Presbytery, to which they have been writing letters appealing for intervention.
Former church elder Landile Kupiso said he had been suspended from the church in 2016 for insisting on seeing the church’s financial reports.
“They believed that I was the ring leader. However Odendaal is a dictator,” he said.
But Odendaal dismissed this, saying Kupiso had been suspended because he was a troublemaker who convinced other members to stop contributing to the church’s coffers.
Thamsanqa Stephans, who was also part of the church council that suspended Kupiso’s membership, resigned in protest, saying he saw no point in being part of a committee whose suggestions the reverend was not open to.
“I resigned due to stress of not having a say. Even the committee itself was divided. Everything he [Odendaal] does is not in the church’s constitution,” charged Stephans.
The rift, which has been widening over about two years, is so bad that today the church holds two separate services.
The disgruntled members yesterday said they wanted a new reverend.
Odendaal, who has been the reverend at the church for 30 years, denied the allegations.
“We are not fighting with anybody. All the financial documents are in there, they are locked in [the administration office].
“I don’t pay myself, I have other means of income. If I depended on the money I get here, I wouldn’t survive,” he said, adding this was the second time the group had locked other congregants in.
The church’s treasurer, Raymond Kontyo, who has been serving for seven years also denied the allegations of financial mismanagement.
“He [Odendaal] does not pay himself – we can access the bank statement anytime we wish to,” he said.
Andile Madonono, who was elected to be part of the new church council, was outside. “I was removed in the middle of a sermon, while on the pulpit, by someone who will now serve on the council. They caused a commotion. I cannot serve with such people,” Madonono said.
The church service continued yesterday, though with only a few members inside the premises.
The disgruntled group went to Inyibiba police station to report their reverend for breaking into the church.
They said they had informed police that they will do the same next week if they found their church locked. — lisekhom@dispatch.co.za