Leadership elected for faith-based community collaborative

Leaders of several churches, youth pastors and chaplains throughout Roodepoort are joining hands to heal the community with prayer.

Led by members of the district office of police’s Social Crime Prevention Unit, the Divine Intervention initiative is a formal collaboration with faith-based organisations. A meeting was held on Friday, September 17, with the purpose of forming station structure that will champion projects to solve societal issues.

All with an overriding desire to serve their fellow man and get the word of God to the streets, Divine Intervention brings faith leaders together to be the spiritual shield of the police. The newly elected committee will be tasked with formulating projects that either create awareness or offer an outlet to those in need, while also softening attitudes and turning the broken onto a path of righteousness.

The defining scripture which guides their work is Psalms 127:1, which reads “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Roodepoort Police station commander, Colonel Lukas Nkosi, was present to give his backing to the project, saying, “We appreciate these men and women of God. We can plan but without the presence of the Lord, we can not prosper.”

Sergeant Shumikazi Mbuli will be helping to drive the message home through the tools she has been given. Pastor Ashley Augustine with be the interim chairperson, and Pastor Emeka Nwakpuda will assist him as deputy. Chaplain Debbie Rothman will handle the Secretary role while Pastor Kundai Gwanzura will be lead organiser. They will each be deputised by youth pastors Ayanda Cetyswayo and Dillon Janse van Vuuren, respectively.

“It is about having soft hearts and hard feet. This is an important opportunity to do something together to benefit our city,” said Ashley in an impassioned address. While the initial members lean predominantly toward the Christian faith, leaders from other religions are encouraged to lend their hands in the shared upliftment of community and humanity.