By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
FOUR Reverends of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) have sued their Bishop seeking a declaratory order that the South-East Zambia annual conference held last March is null and void.
Reverends Kings Bwali, Peter Mwenya, Frederick Chama and Bartholomew Sampa want the Lusaka High Court to declare the conference null and void because it did not meet the minimum requirements set out in the Doctrine and Discipline of the AMEC (2016).
The quartet want a declaratory order that all decisions, suspensions and re-assignments made during the purported conference held on March 1-2 this year are null and void.
The reverends want a declaratory order that Bishop Wilfred Messiah is obligated to follow the laid down procedure in the Doctrine and Discipline of the church when disciplining, suspending or re-assigning reverends or ministers.
They want an injunction stopping Bishop Messiah or his agents from suspending or re-assigning reverends or ministers pending determination of the matter.
The four sued Bishop Messiah in his capacity as presiding Bishop of the 17th Episcopal District of the AMEC.
In a statement of claim, Rev Bwali and three others stated that sometime in November 2019, three reverends on behalf of other men of the collar wrote a letter to Bishop Messiah requesting for proper management and accountability of church funds.
This was because it was noticed that a lot of unapproved projects were being undertaken at inflated costs.
They claim that the Bishop did not respond but a few months later, they became targets of his victimisation because of the questions that they had asked, relating to the management of funds of the church.
The four said that since their request for proper management of funds, the relationship with the Bishop had soured.
The Bishop is alleged to have issued a memorandum stating the hosting of the event and invited only a small fraction of the church members and ministers.
Rev Bwali and others stated that they were affected by the said purported decisions, suspensions and re-assignments made at the conference.
