Methodist revival Church rift deepens

The Methodist Revival Church (MRC) is facing a deepening leadership crisis after a faction aligned to Bishop Philemon Munyaradzi Chamburuka broke away, triggering a protracted legal battle over control of the church.

The dispute has spilled into the High Court of Zimbabwe, which ruled against the Chamburuka-led faction, ordering it to surrender all church assets, equipment, and documentation to the main body. The court also barred the faction from using the MRC name, symbols, and insignia.

In a decisive judgment, Justice Rodgers Foroma Manyangadze nullified Chamburuka's purported inauguration as bishop of the church and ordered him to pay legal costs on an attorney-client scale.

Founded in 2011 by Bishop Phillip Mupindu following a split from the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, the MRC now finds itself grappling with internal divisions reminiscent of its own origins.

According to court records, the MRC filed summons against the Chamburuka faction in May 2023 under Case Number HC 3300/23. Although Chamburuka initially entered a defence, his failure to submit pre-trial conference documents led the matter to proceed unopposed, culminating in the court ruling.

The conflict has not subsided. The church has since filed a fresh chamber application for contempt of court under Case Number HC 25/2025, accusing Chamburuka and his associates of defying the ruling.

In affidavits submitted by MRC board of trustees coordinator, Itai Zvenyika Munyoro, the faction is accused of continuing to use the church's name and symbols, reoccupying church premises, and disrupting services in Harare, Mutare, Rusape, and Murehwa.

"They are unlawfully using the name, signs, and symbols of the applicant and have returned to premises they were evicted from," reads part of the application, which also alleges that the group is blocking congregants from accessing church services.

The court papers further state that Chamburuka has continued presenting himself as a bishop of the MRC despite the standing court order declaring his appointment null and void.

The matter is compounded by a pending application filed by Chamburuka in November 2024 seeking rescission of the judgment, which remains unresolved.

Several clergy members have been cited in connection with the dispute, including Reverends Gwinyai Ndembera, Fungai Tapera, Thoko Jokwiro, and Pastor Happy Chipapami, among others.

Meanwhile, Chamburuka denied claims that he presided over an Easter conference at a contested MRC church in Vengere, Rusape, while Reverend Reginald Kuziwa Mujeni also dismissed reports that he hosted the bishop.

"I did not host him. I only met him in town. Anyone with evidence that he attended my church should produce it," said Mujeni, adding that he remains unaffiliated to either faction.

As legal proceedings continue, the deepening rift threatens the unity and operations of the church, with both sides locked in a battle for legitimacy and control.