A Seventh-day Adventist Church in Johannesburg South Africa was robbed in day-light during the the services after six men posing as Visitors entered the Church.
A group of Six armed men robbed members of the Johannesburg Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa . Posing as visitors, the men waited until the pastor stood at the podium and then “got up, ordered [the pastor] to lie down, and took all cellphones, wallets, and other valuables from the congregation and stomped out,” according to The Star newspaper.
Speaking to The Star, church deacon Prince Thebe said: “We were just in the middle of the service, and about six guys came in, pointed guns at us, and started asking money for offerings and cellphones.
“When the first guy came in, he went to the front seat, and while sitting there, he kept looking around and moving seats. The other deacon went to him and asked him what he wanted. He said, ‘I’m visiting, and I don’t know where to sit.’ He then suddenly stood up and went out.
“A few minutes later, a group of guys stomped inside the church, from the right and left sides of the doors. One went straight to the preacher in the front, pointed a gun at him, and told him to lie down. The other guys were busy with the congregation, walking pew by pew and collecting cellphones. They then asked for the money for offerings, and we showed them the basket. They took the money and ran off.”
The General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwanaspoke, spoke out against the robbery. “The majority of worshippers in this country are extremely poor people. These are people who give of themselves in worship in a way that you do not find in affluent societies. The place of worship, the last time we had this kind of violation of places of worship was in apartheid days. The apartheid security forces would ram into churches,” Mpumlwana said to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
The suspects remain at large.
