Assessing Chaplaincy Ministry as a Christ-Woven Nest in Times of Disaster

Abstract

The Chaplaincy Ministry is practised in most closed communities, such as uniformed forces, medical institutions, funeral homes, educational institutions and orphan and vulnerable communities. Its relevance in Zimbabwe has been critiqued as it has not been able to demonstrate itself as God’s presence during disasters such as cyclones. The displacement of people in Chimanimani and Chipinge communities in the Eastern side of Zimbabwe, the death of their relatives and the destruction of their properties brought some traumatic experiences that the Church was not able to deal with. Churches in Zimbabwe joined the government and civic organisations to provide humanitarian aid to the distressed communities but unfortunately missed the primary aim of the church journeying along with the distressed. This qualitative research paper argued that, unlike the government and civic organisations that give humanitarian aid and leave the devasted areas, the role of chaplaincy ministry was for the church to commit itself to the daily struggles of the traumatised populace. The paper challenged the churches in Zimbabwe to be like a Christ-woven nest that protects, provides, and prays for communities grappling with the omnipotence of God in times of disaster. The paper concluded by proffering a challenge to the church in Zimbabwe to either function as a centre of God’s presence in the shattered communities or be like a charity organisation in humanitarian aid alongside the non-governmental organisations and the government which is not her call. This paper contributes significantly to scholarship as there is limited literature on chaplaincy from an African genre and more importantly resources that define the role of the church in troubled communities. This paper provides a solution for churches struggling with the approach to take when disasters loom and people are questioning the omnipotence of God during a crisis. Keywords: Chaplaincy Ministry, Woven Nest, Disaster, Cyclone Idai