Records and Archives Management Essays: Ted Wilson Coming to Chitungwiza Zimbabwe

Records and Archives Management Essays: Ted Wilson Coming to Chitungwiza Zimbabwe: Etiwel Mutero works for the National University of Science and Technology,he holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Records and A...

Etiwel Mutero works for the National University of Science and Technology,he holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Records and Archives Management through the Zimbabwe Open University and a National Certificate in Records and Archives Management from Kwekwe Polytechnic.You can contact him on 0773614293 or etiwelm02@gmail.com

The Controversies Surrounding the Employee Weekly day of Rest

By Etiwel Mutero The word tolerance is more prevalent in political circles in Zimbabwe.The word was more commonly used by the Organ on Healing and Reconciliation in the Zimbabwean inclusive government which was formed after the 2008 violent elections.The organ was mandated to bring peace,unity and tolerance among the Zimbabwean rivalry political parties.However,it is lamentable that the word tolerance is rarely used in religious circles especially when it comes to work religious tolerance. As the author had pointed out in the above paragraph, work religious tolerance is less spoken of in Zimbabwe.Is it because Zimbabweans feel that there is no such thing as labour discrimination? It is the author's conviction that work place religious discrimination is rampant in Zimbabwe than political,tribal,gender or racial discrimination. One of the hot topic in the Zimbabwean labour market is the issue of the Seventh-day Adventists and their Sabbath [Saturday] day of rest.Seventh-day Adventists and other faith groups such as Johanne Marange Apostles,Jews etcetera believe that Saturday is a Sabbath, a day which no work must be done.Such faith groups expect to be exempted from coming to work on Saturdays by their employers. Whilst I would like to commend some employers who are sensitive and open minded to their employee's religious convictions, some employers are arrogant and feel that religious issues must not be brought at workplaces.Some employers feel Sabbath keepers must not be treated in any special way.We have seen a number of Sabbath keepers ordered to come to work on Saturdays or risk job dismissal, and a number had lost their jobs or a number have been forced to compromise to the dictates of their employers. Is it a right for an employee to be given a weekly rest day? Oh yes. The International Labour Organization held the following conventions focusing on the weekly worker's day of rest: ILO Conventions 14[1921] 47[1935] and 106[1957]. The above conventions recommended that employees must enjoy a rest period of at least twenty-four conservative hours in every 7 day period or a week.Our government had ratified the conventions which was finally included in the Zimbabwe labour act.The Labour Act s14C says the weekly day of rest must be agreed by the employer and the employee, the employer cannot fix or decide the day of rest for the employee. While the author of this article appreciates the positive move by our government to include the day of rest conventions in our labour act, the author feel the act have some loose ends which need to be tied. You will discover that the act only says the worker's weekly day of rest must be agreed between the employer and the employee.What if the parties fail to reach an agreement? The author feel the act must be more specific like what the State of Israel did in their related act named “Hours of Work and Rest Law, 5711-1951”. The Israel act clearly stipulates that in the case of a Jew the weekly rest day is the Sabbath day[Saturday], and in case of a person other than a Jew the weekly rest day is the Sabbath day or Sunday or Friday, whichever is ordinarily observed by him as his weekly day of rest.The author of this article believes the Israeli weekly rest day act is more specific than our own labour act on the same subject and argue our government to copy the Israeli government act. Employers must know that their employees are not machines but human beings who subscribe to cultural and religious beliefs.Employers must take note that the weekly rest day is not a privilege to the employee but an employee's right.It is well known that certain employers had resolved not to employ Sabbath keepers because they are not prepared to give such employees a day off on Saturdays.The author remembers attending an interview at the UZ library between 2009 and 2010.The interviewee was asked by one of the panellists if really he was a Seventh-day Adventist as indicated on his application letter.The interviewee confirmed positive and the result was a regret. Tolerance workshops must be organized for Zimbabwean employers also not for politicians only.Employers must be taught to create the same “open” culture within their business.Tolerance means going out an extra-mile so as to accommodate one's employee's beliefs and religion. It is the job of the employer to promote religious tolerance at their workplaces.It is the job of employers, managers, supervisor, school heads etc to make sure that their employees understand and tolerate various religious groups.Employers must not stop at being an equal opportunity employer but must go an extra mile and listen to each every employee's religious concerns. Etiwel Mutero is a religious liberty activist.You can contact Etiwel on 0773614293 or on email etiwelm02@gmail.com

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ's life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth. (Gen. 1:1, 2; Luke 1:35; 4:18; Acts 10:38; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:11, 12; Acts 1:8; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26, 27; 16:7-13.)Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Act 10:38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Act 1:8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (Joh 14:26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: Joh 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Christian Church Through the Ages

The Christian Church Through the Ages a. The Church of the Old Testament God’s church stretches from Eden to Eden. Those who have obeyed God have been called by various names, such as “the sons of God,” “the seed of Abraham,” “the children of Israel,” “Christians.” They all have the same fundamental beliefs. The church of the Old Testament accepted the law of God as its rule of life. The Ten- Commandment law is unchangeable because it is an expression of God’s character, which is universal, eternal, unchangeable. Long before the commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai the people of God were keeping them. God said, “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws ” (Genesis 26:5). God has had only one method of salvation, one standard of righteousness, all through the ages. We read in Psalm 105:8-11 that He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the children of Israel “for an everlasting covenant.” God declares that the covenant was made forever, “the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.” It is not correct to say that in the Old Testament times people were under law and in New Testament times people were under grace. God has always maintained a harmony of law and grace. We are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and when we have experienced this salvation and have entered into a saving relationship with Him, we delight to do His will. The members of the Old Testament church showed their faith in the plan of salvation by offering a sacrifice. By faith they accepted God’s plan, for the sacrifice was a symbol of the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. They became free men and women, new creatures through faith in the coming Messiah. The hope of the ages has always been the coming of the Lord. God instructed the church members in Old Testament times through prophets. Moses was the first writer whom God used to record permanent instructions for His church and to preserve the people’s experiences for future generations. These inspired writings were read to the congregations on the seventh-day Sabbath and on other special occasions. These writings are known to us as the Old Testament. b. The Church of the New Testament The church of the New Testament received its fundamental beliefs from the Old Testament church. It accepted the law of God as a rule of life. The Lord Jesus knew that some people would think that He came to replace the teachings of the Old Testament church and the law, so He said,“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill ” (Matthew 5:17). Like the Old Testament church, the New Testament church loved and cherished the law of God. Paul declared, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22). The Church of the New Testament was privileged to have the Lord of glory come to them inhuman form. Unfortunately, the members of the church, even though they studied the Scriptures,were so bound by walls of tradition that they missed accepting Jesus as the Saviour of the world.The apostles continued to preach, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The apostolic church was organized after the ascension of Christ, and James became the first general president. The church had a strong evangelistic program. In addition to the twelve, we read of Paul, perhaps the greatest evangelist of all time, and of Barnabas, Silas, John Mark, Apollos, Timothy and Titus. The deacons were also elected as officers of the early church. It seems that the headquarters of the early church was at Jerusalem, but the apostles and teachers were commissioned to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Officers and members of the early Christian church wrote Gospels and Epistles, not only for the early church, but also for the Christian church in later centuries. Only a few weeks after their Lord ascended to heaven, the members of the New Testament church suffered persecution. The disciples were put in prison for preaching, and Stephen became the first martyr. As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, the church came in contact with paganism, and the followers of Jesus were imprisoned, tortured and put to death. The darkest hours of persecution were from about A.D. 100 to 300. When the sword did not end the Christian church,the enemy of souls tried another method of attack. He attempted to make the church popular with the state and bring pagan rites and ceremonies into the Christian religion. Little by little false teachings filtered into the church. The simple faith was lost as Christians became wealthy and powerful in business and government. In 476 A.D. the barbarian tribes from the north overthrew the Roman Empire, and in the struggle that followed, the head of the church at Rome became known as the bishop. The Bible was not placed in the hands of the church members, partly because only handwritten copies were available in those times, but mainly because the leaders of the church were afraid to let the people study the Holy Scriptures lest they discover that some church doctrines– such as the immortality of the soul, the worship of the saints, purgatory and the observance of Sunday– were not taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church of Rome states that it changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week. History and the Bible show that the observance of Sunday as a Christian institution came from paganism. Despite the compromise and apostasy that crept into the church, there was always a faithful remnant who had the faith of Jesus and kept the commandments of God. a. The Church of the Old Testament God’s church stretches from Eden to Eden. Those who have obeyed God have been called by various names, such as “the sons of God,” “the seed of Abraham,” “the children of Israel,” “Christians.” They all have the same fundamental beliefs. The church of the Old Testament accepted the law of God as its rule of life. The Ten- Commandment law is unchangeable because it is an expression of God’s character, which is universal, eternal, unchangeable. Long before the commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai the people of God were keeping them. God said, “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws ” (Genesis 26:5). God has had only one method of salvation, one standard of righteousness, all through the ages. We read in Psalm 105:8-11 that He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the children of Israel “for an everlasting covenant.” God declares that the covenant was made forever, “the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.” It is not correct to say that in the Old Testament times people were under law and in New Testament times people were under grace. God has always maintained a harmony of law and grace. We are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and when we have experienced this salvation and have entered into a saving relationship with Him, we delight to do His will. The members of the Old Testament church showed their faith in the plan of salvation by offering a sacrifice. By faith they accepted God’s plan, for the sacrifice was a symbol of the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. They became free men and women, new creatures through faith in the coming Messiah. The hope of the ages has always been the coming of the Lord. God instructed the church members in Old Testament times through prophets. Moses was the first writer whom God used to record permanent instructions for His church and to preserve the people’s experiences for future generations. These inspired writings were read to the congregations on the seventh-day Sabbath and on other special occasions. These writings are known to us as the Old Testament. b. The Church of the New Testament The church of the New Testament received its fundamental beliefs from the Old Testament church. It accepted the law of God as a rule of life. The Lord Jesus knew that some people would think that He came to replace the teachings of the Old Testament church and the law, so He said,“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill ” (Matthew 5:17). Like the Old Testament church, the New Testament church loved and cherished the law of God. Paul declared, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22). The Church of the New Testament was privileged to have the Lord of glory come to them inhuman form. Unfortunately, the members of the church, even though they studied the Scriptures,were so bound by walls of tradition that they missed accepting Jesus as the Saviour of the world.The apostles continued to preach, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The apostolic church was organized after the ascension of Christ, and James became the first general president. The church had a strong evangelistic program. In addition to the twelve, we read of Paul, perhaps the greatest evangelist of all time, and of Barnabas, Silas, John Mark, Apollos, Timothy and Titus. The deacons were also elected as officers of the early church. It seems that the headquarters of the early church was at Jerusalem, but the apostles and teachers were commissioned to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Officers and members of the early Christian church wrote Gospels and Epistles, not only for the early church, but also for the Christian church in later centuries. Only a few weeks after their Lord ascended to heaven, the members of the New Testament church suffered persecution. The disciples were put in prison for preaching, and Stephen became the first martyr. As Christianity spread through the Roman Empire, the church came in contact with paganism, and the followers of Jesus were imprisoned, tortured and put to death. The darkest hours of persecution were from about A.D. 100 to 300. When the sword did not end the Christian church,the enemy of souls tried another method of attack. He attempted to make the church popular with the state and bring pagan rites and ceremonies into the Christian religion. Little by little false teachings filtered into the church. The simple faith was lost as Christians became wealthy and powerful in business and government. In 476 A.D. the barbarian tribes from the north overthrew the Roman Empire, and in the struggle that followed, the head of the church at Rome became known as the bishop. The Bible was not placed in the hands of the church members, partly because only handwritten copies were available in those times, but mainly because the leaders of the church were afraid to let the people study the Holy Scriptures lest they discover that some church doctrines– such as the immortality of the soul, the worship of the saints, purgatory and the observance of Sunday– were not taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church of Rome states that it changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week. History and the Bible show that the observance of Sunday as a Christian institution came from paganism. Despite the compromise and apostasy that crept into the church, there was always a faithful remnant who had the faith of Jesus and kept the commandments of God. [Extracted from the book Church Heritage]