Bishop Lukas Katenda of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of Namibia (Reach) has vowed to establish a congregation at Onamukalo village despite opposition from villagers.
Katenda told The Namibian yesterday that his church had applied for a piece of land in the Ohangwena village on 24 December to build a church, a pastor’s house, a kindergarten and a youth hall.
The village headwoman, Justina Hamukwaya, however, rejected the application, citing a lack of space and opposition from the community.
“There is no space in the village suitable for putting up a church.
And there was a community meeting where residents were invited to give their input about the application,” Hamukwaya says in a letter written on 30 December, seen by The Namibian.
“At the meeting they decided they do not want a Reach Namibia congregation at Onamukalo village,” she says. “If there is a resident who wants to worship at Reach Namibia, they should do so elsewhere.”
Katenda argues that the village has historical ties with the church, as it is the birthplace of Reach-Namibia’s deputy bishop, Nelson Ndakevondjo.
He adds that the church baptised several villagers around 2020 and 2021 and has members who live there.
Katenda insists that the church will go ahead and open its doors in the village in March this year.
“Our church will be there whether they (the villagers) want it or not,” he says.
According to Katenda, Reach will no longer seek permission from the village leadership and will go ahead and build on its own land.
“The Namibian Constitution guarantees freedom of worship. We are not breaking the law. People have the right to choose where and how they worship,” Katenda says.
He adds that the church’s mission is to spread the gospel and serve communities through prayer, counselling and social outreach.
Katenda claims that the opposition to the church comes from a small group of Anglican church members in the village.
Formerly an ordained priest of the Anglican Diocese of Namibia, Katenda resigned from the Namibian diocese in 2017.
“I am informed that they said they do not want this church because there is already an Anglican congregation in the village. We have nothing against the Anglican church,” he says.
Katenda was consecrated as Reach Namibia’s bishop in 2019.
Hamukwaya was not reachable for comment yesterday.
Oukwanyama Traditional Authority spokesperson Andrew Naikaku referred The Namibian to Hamukwaya.
“This is the responsibility of the headwoman and the senior traditional councillor in the village,” Naikaku says.
In 2024 some leaders from the Uukwambi Traditional Authority and the Omusati police reportedly demolished a church at Oshuudhi-B village.
The church, Omwene Tumange Ministry, was accused of turning into a money-making scheme rather than preaching the gospel for free.
A year ago, Ondonga chief Fillemon Nangolo claimed revival churches were becoming a concern as they were destroying families and openly accusing people of witchcraft without providing any evidence to back up such claims.
This, in turn, he explained, leads to division and hatred within families, among neighbours and in society, in contrast to biblical teachings.
At the time, he said the Ondonga Traditional Authority would not allow the unregulated mushrooming of revival churches in areas under its jurisdiction.
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