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An American bishop who is closely related to the South African church that was raided by police forces said he was “shocked and indignant” at the actions taken against the some 1,500 refugees taking shelter in the church.
“I cannot believe that such a raid could take place – a raid without warrant of a house of God, arresting people who have been driven from their homelands by hunger and repression. Unbelievable!” exclaimed Bishop Felton E. May, interim general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) of The United Methodist Church, in a statement.
GBGM is the parent agency of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which financially supports the outreach of the raided South African church. The church’s Ray of Hope ministry provides shelter, food, clothing, child care, counseling and employment assistant to refugees.
On Jan. 30, beginning at around 11 p.m., police forces, all carrying guns, broke into Central Methodist Mission on what they claimed was a “routine” search for drugs, guns and illegal immigrants. The nearly four hour ordeal resulted in the arrest of more than a thousand refugees with 400 to 500 still being detained as of Jan. 31, according to the United Methodist News Service.
Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist Mission noted that the church does not condone criminals living under its roof and would have willingly cooperated with the police to investigate such allegations if they had been asked. He also highlighted that many of the refugees are schoolteachers, accountants and other professionals fleeing economic hardship in Zimbabwe. No drugs or guns were found in the church.
Besides a brutal arrest, which reportedly included kicking pregnant women and the disabled, the raid also damaged church property. Verryn said the police broke down every door in the church building.
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Moreover, police officers refused to speak to him during the raid and he was personally “pulled down the stairs by the belt of my trousers,” he recalled to UMNS in an interview Thursday.
“There must be at least 10 laws that they broke [during the raid],” Verryn said, listing the lack of a search warrant, damage to church property, theft of money and assaults of numerous people, including women. “One person came to me with his mouth full of blood.”
The Methodist mission head noted that some of those arrested may be deported after a Feb. 1 court hearing if they don’t have legal documents for residence in South Africa. However, he added that many of the refugees do have legal documents but cannot show it to the police because they are still in the Central Methodist building.
“The General Board of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) are thankful that we are partners with Central Church and its leader, Bishop Paul Verryn, in the homeless ministry now so dishonorably interrupted,” American Bishop May stated. “We intend to continue in this partnership in all possible ways despite the horrifying action of the South African police.”
May called on the South African police and national government to make amends for actions taken against the church, starting with releasing the people arrested and apologizing to them and the church leaders. He also urged former South African President Nelson Mandela and Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu to use their influence to achieve justice for the raided Central Church.
