Written by Zikhona Mtwa and Anelisa Ndamase
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, financial insecurity has become a significant concern for many individuals, affecting their ability to participate in religious communities. This blog post explores the rising costs associated with attending church and the exclusionary financial practices that have emerged, particularly during times of economic hardship. Through a narrative lens, it delves into conversations among young people grappling with the affordability of church involvement, highlighting personal experiences of feeling unwelcome due to financial constraints. The post highlights the importance of religious institutions reassessing their priorities to support all members, regardless of financial status, and advocates for creating inclusive, supportive spaces within faith communities. The blog also highlights the importance of church membership for dignified burials and the importance of this for older members of these communities.
Figure 1: A recent church gathering in Mount Frere (Taken by: Anelisa Ndamase)
Too Poor to Join
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed unprecedented shifts in various aspects of life, including how individuals practice their faith. With widespread job losses and economic downturns, many people have found themselves grappling with financial insecurity. In this context, the cost associated with attending church has become a pressing concern for numerous individuals, prompting a reassessment of the traditional role of religious institutions in supporting their communities.
While waiting for a taxi in Mount Ayllif, I started a conversation with a group of young people who were discussing the church and the approaching Easter weekend. One young lady expressed her decision to stop attending church due to the increasing costs associated with it. She shared her concern about the commercialisation of the church and how it has become unaffordable for many, especially for the unemployed. The conversation took a poignant turn as the same person recounted a personal experience involving her mother's passing during the pandemic. She revealed that the church had refused to bury her mother because she was behind on her church payments, including the membership fee.
Another person in the group chimed in, shedding light on the overwhelming financial expectations placed on congregants. Tithes, offerings, and donations for various causes and events were mentioned as potential financial burdens, particularly for those who had lost their livelihoods. This individual emphasised the need for the church to find ways to support everyone, regardless of their financial situations. A different perspective emerged in the conversation as another participant highlighted the pressure to contribute financially to the church. This pressure, combined with social expectations and a desire to maintain a sense of belonging, was noted as a source of additional stress for individuals already struggling to make ends meet. The group collectively expressed the sentiment that the church should be more understanding of its members' diverse financial situations and find ways to alleviate the financial burden, emphasising the need for the church to reconsider its financial expectations and strive to be more inclusive and supportive during these trying times, and ensuring that everyone can participate without undue stress.
Church Membership and Family Dignity
In Mount Frere, even though churches have reopened, the people attending them are currently facing problems, particularly regarding ticket payments. In churches like Wesile, members are required to pay for tickets known as ‘umrhumo’. These tickets signify official membership in the church, and all members, including youth (Guilders), older women, and men, must pay for them. The benefit of paying these tickets is that the church will conduct your burial when you pass away. The church will ask the pastor to officiate, and members will attend the funeral in full uniform. This is significant because, as one woman explained to me, "Imbi into yokungcwatywa komntu omdala onganxityelwanga", which can be loosely translated as “It is bad to witness the burial of an old church member without the church congregants wearing their uniform”. In such cases, church members attend the funeral but wear regular clothes instead of the church uniform, which is considered an embarrassment. In the community, there is an assumption that once a person fully joins the church, they comply with its requirements. However, if the church members do not wear their uniforms at a member's funeral, it is seen as a sign of non-compliance and embarrassing.
One woman mentioned that her husband, who is a pastor and has preached at many funerals, was not in good standing with the church because he had not been paying his tickets. When I spoke with him about church-related questions and finances, he explained that church membership is expensive. Preachers are required to pay R350 every quarter, and he sometimes struggles to meet this amount. He added that he was shocked to learn that during Covid-19, he was still required to pay his quarterly tickets even though the churches were closed. His wife is worried that when he dies, she will be embarrassed if the church members attend the funeral without wearing their uniforms.
The post-Covid-19 restructuring and reconstruction of churches has so far been a failure within rural communities. People are still eager to engage with their faith and religious institutions but are now constrained by financial barriers. The elderly, who mainly believe in communal institutions like church, are struggling to come to terms with the possibility that their situations might force them to give up membership in such institutions.
Although people did not leave the churches, they are still struggling to get back in good standing. This means their burials might not be what they desired. The primary reason behind the majority of the stokvels and churches is that people want to be buried respectfully. The people of Mount Frere care deeply about how their burials will look. Since Covid-19, the debts they have accumulated and their failure to settle those debts might result in them having to accept that they will not be buried in the respected manner they wanted. The families of such people will also have to accept that their relatives, fathers, and mothers will be buried in ‘shame’.
Conclusion
The question then arises: Should church be a place where only the financially stable feel welcome? The essence of faith communities lies in their ability to provide solace, support, and a sense of belonging, especially during challenging times. However, the financial barriers to participation can inadvertently exclude those who are most in need of these spiritual resources. Additionally these barriers have serious consequences for family reputation and honour in the form of appropriate uniforms for church and dignified burials. As the blog has shown this sense of anxiety is particularly felt in families with elderly members where the consequences of falling out of your church group as a result of a lack of finances will have longer-term consequences on the families reputation, shame, embarrassment and sense of belonging.
As we navigate the complexities of faith and finances in the midst of a rural post-pandemic context, it is crucial for religious institutions to re-evaluate their priorities and adapt to the evolving needs of their congregations. This may involve reimagining traditional models of funding and exploring alternative ways to support the community, such as offering financial assistance programs, prioritising outreach to vulnerable populations, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and support regardless of financial status. Moreover, it is essential for individuals within faith communities to engage in open and honest conversations about the intersection of faith and finances.
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