The head of United Methodist Church in UK was exposed in a sex scandal before his congregation.
On Sunday 04/01/2015 at United Methodist Church service based at a rented St Peters Church, 310 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, London SE11 5HY Reverend TK Mapfeka was exposed by an angry member of the church whose was wife is allegedly going out with the reverend.
During time for announcements meant for thanksgiving “Zvitendo” which is used to thank the Lord for whatever blessings has happened to someone’s life. A gentleman by the name a Mr Chireka took the microphone and said to the fully packed church “Mufundisi Mapfeka vanodanana nemudzimai wangu. Vakatora mukadzi wangu kuenda naye kuGermany. Mukadzi wangu akati kwandiri ari kuenda kumusha kuZimbabwe izvo ari kuenda kuGermany naMufundisi Mapfeka. Vanhu vaMwari ndiine evidence pano matext nemapicture avaitorana ikoko.” The Reverend who was supposed to take the sermon was dump-founded with his wife seated next to him including his teenage girls.
Members of the church were just astounded at the announcement. Mr Kaisi and Mr Zimunya some known other members of the church swiftly approached the man who was visibly angry. They asked him to go outside with them so that the issue could be discussed outside the church in private. Church members just looked at each other as the commotion went on, Reverend Mapfeka’s wife followed outside. She later came to collect her children and left. Members of the church then held a meeting with Mr Chireka who was accompanied by three of his friends.
Mr Chireka told the church members that he had a lot of evidence to prove the love affair of his wife with Reverend Mapfeka to members of the United Methodist Church. Mapfeka abandoned the service and disappeared. Mr Chideu took over the sermon.
The church comprises Zimbabwe community who are members of the United Methodist Church based in the UK. Chivasa’s wife goes to a United Methodist Branch in Chelmsford.
On this particular day Mapfeka was supposed to announce that he has been to the Methodist Church Annual Conference in Zimbabwe during December 2014 and was re-stationed again as Superintendent of UK Charge area of the United Methodist Church. He went to Zimbabwe for the conference ahead of his girlfriend who followed him on a separate trip. In previous occasions the two flown together only to be discovered by church members on holiday back home.
There are some members of the church whose wives have been to these church funded trips with Mapfeka especially to Germany. Their husbands are now fearing that Rev Mapfeka has slept with their wives. These church funded trips take place annually and United Methodist Delegation is usually led by Mapfeka and he does not sent any of his colleagues on trips.
A lot of concern was raised amongst church members about Mapfeka’s womanising culture in the church but the UK United Methodist Church felt let down by the Bishop Nhiwatiwa and his cabinet back in Harare as Mapfeka dictates what happens in the church and most rules of the church does not apply to him as Superintent. Church members think that due the fact that he is Bishop Nhiwatiwa’s blue eyed boy he is untouchable. Bishop hides behind the excuse that the church cannot get visas for its Ministers to be deployed in the UK. Church members have said that this can be circumvented through rotating the role of Superintendent as he has competent ministers who had been Superintendent while in Zimbabwe. Most men have stopped going to church because of his women problem and feel that they cannot receive Holy Communion from someone who is involved in adultery in front of his wife, children and the church at large.
A wolf in a sheep’s clothing
Reverend Mapfeka is a known womaniser in the church, a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. The United Methodist members in the UK and the leadership back in Zimbabwe (including Bishop Nhiwatiwa) were advised that he was fishing women from his congregation. Both chose to turn a blind eye with no formal investigation being done. A known case was a girl from the church who had always travelled with Mapfeka whenever he flies to Zimbabwe for the Annual United Methodist Conference in Zimbabwe. Bishop Nhiwatiwa and his cabinet does not question him why he always leaves his wife in the UK when ever he travels on Church funded trip to Zimbabwe for Annual Conferences. It is during the annual conference that ministers are given new assignments. His well known girl-friend in the church goes ahead, after him or with him. Church members have noticed that when ever Mapfeka is in Zimbabwe the girlfriend is also back home.
Members of the church tried to raise the issue of the girl but Mapfeka had support of Bishop Nhiwatiwa, a group of elderly women who literally worship him such that the case is swept under the carpet. Mapfeka went to the extend of sending his emissaries to the father of the girl to vouch that there was no issue.
Even some members of the United Methodist Area Mission-UK leadership swept the issue under the carpet and some approached the father of the girl representing Rev Mapfeka stating that there was no evidence. This gave Mapfeka a green light to go around with the girl who became his personal driver. But in the church it was an open secret that the girl was his lover. The father of the girl stopped going to church.
Stationing
According to the United Methodist Constitution,Mapfeka’s term was supposed to be a maximum of four or five years. He was was supposed to have moved to another station in 2006. Due to the support of the Bishop Nhiwatiwa who is believed to be benefiting from Mapfeka’s stationing, nothing was done in terms of stationing or improving the situation. The least which could have been done for Reverend Mapfeka was to rotate the Superintendency of the UK Mission Area with his fellow Ministers but to the surprise of church members again this has not happened.
Fiefdom
This has led to Mapfeka in creating a fiefdom in the church. If any member on any executive criticises him and follow church rules, the member is swiftly removed from the post by him. Members are not happy with his approval of a woman to the position of deputy lay-leader. The woman known as Mai Mujuru slapped her husband in front of the church, husband left the woman. Mapfeka did not take any action when a Finance officer beat another man at his house over allegations of adultery. Mapfeka did not stand up to the values of the Church.
He has directed that the Church buys him a house with a Jacuzzi in an expensive area of north London to the anger of Church members who want to acquire a Church building first as they are currently renting for their church services. Members believe that he is getting his priorities wrong and manipulates all activities in the Church to his advantage. One of the organisers of Church programmes said that during any programme he attends, he does not like to see a name of his colleague on the programme. He always want to see his name on the programme and then delegated to his juniors.
The church has lost a number of members due to his womanising activities. Noone believes that the Bishop Nhiwatiwa will take any action.
The sex scandal has divided the church as some women say that the women involved was separated from her husband. Men are saying Mapfeka is an adulterous man since previously demanded for proof for his long standing affair with one of the young woman in church. Man are saying most of the women who support him had affairs with him. “Madzimai oruwadzano are not worried about the minister’swife” the men say. It has been reported that a lot of young women had been approached by him secretly including married women. This is believed to be the tip of an iceberg.- Zim Newsday
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