Africa-Press – Namibia. ANGLICAN priest Daniel Shiwaomwenyo has resigned from the church, citing endless infighting, “toxic gossip” and “false witnesses” among the priests of one of the oldest churches in Namibia.
The Namibian has seen Shiwaomwenyo’s resignation letter addressed to the church’s vicar general Nicky Barth. The letter was written on 31 January this year, but was only submitted this week.
Shiwaomwenyo served the Oshandi Anglican parish in the Ohangwena region until 2017 when he went on a sabbatical to pursue a four-year education qualification.
In the letter, he took a swipe at the recently retired bishop Luke Pato, saying he was “an agent of darkness”. Shiwaomwenyo further accused Pato of focusing on making money when the ministry needed his pastoral care.
He also accused the retired bishop of leaving a legacy of “indoctrinating and poisoning priests”. He said when canons are transgressed, no one is held accountable.
Speaking to The Namibian this week, Shiwaomwenyo said when Pato took over as Anglican bishop of the Namibian diocese, he sold three vehicles belonging to the church, and bought a Toyota Fortuner for private use.
He claimed Pato had also asked the diocese’s board of trustees, of which he (Shiwaomwenyo) was a member, to sell a seven-bedroom church house, after which he bought a three-bedroom house in Windhoek’s Olympia suburb.
“I questioned why he was selling church properties. He started purging me and did not want to work with me. After that, he wanted to send me to Ruacana and I refused because it is not that they wanted a pastor there. He just wanted to send me there, maybe to suffer,” he said.
Pato, who is a South African citizen, could not be reached for comment. However, the church’s executive administrator, Archford Musodza, said he was not aware of church properties being sold.
“Ask him where he got that information from,” Musodza said.
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