THE ASSEMBLIES of God-Back To God (AOG-BTG) church is facing growing scrutiny from its membership amid emerging concerns over poor governance practices, financial mismanagement and spending church resources on legal disputes.
The church leadership is reportedly under fire for delaying the completion of the much hyped Mashava Auditorium project, as funds are said to have been diverted towards settling legal disputes, mainly against the Phillip Zinyama-led Assemblies of God-Spiritual Movement (AoG-SM).
In a recent High Court matter, Justice Dembure, in an extempore judgment, imposed punitive costs on the Nathan Sethlako-led AoG-BTG, noting the need “to deter church leaders from irresponsibly dragging the church into litigation.”
The initial matter, filed under case number HCH 5359/23, resulted in the award of the costs.
However, records indicate that a subsequent application involving the same property has since been filed by AoG-BTG under HCH 6427/25, raising questions among observers about the church’s legal strategy.
Church members say court records show that AoG-BTG chairperson Sethlako and secretary Silas Mhazo have featured prominently in legal proceedings involving the church, with resolutions authorising such action in several instances signed by either of them, despite the existence of a nine-member national executive.
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They said this raised questions among some observers about how decisions around litigation are being made and whether they are subject to collective oversight from the national executive.
Following the ruling, church representatives proposed settling the amount — reported to be over US$8 000 — through monthly instalments of US$1 000, citing financial constraints.
It is understood that the opposing party, AoG-SM, had indicated willingness to engage directly with church leadership in an effort to resolve outstanding disputes amicably.
However, the matter did not proceed towards a negotiated settlement and the full amount was later paid in a single payment.
Documents gleaned by this publication showed that the payment was made from an account whose details correspond with those publicly promoted for the Mashava Project, a fundraising initiative supported by congregants.
The use of money from a designated project account to settle legal costs is likely to raise questions among members, particularly given the that project is facing financial challenges and delays.
It is reported that congregants have further questions around a property reportedly acquired by the church in 2024 for approximately US$150 000.
The property was acquired in one of Harare’s leafy suburbs.
Publicly available information, including details on the church’s website, shows that the church is using an address in Strathaven, Harare, which is also used by a law firm that handled legal matters involving the church.
“This has raised questions in some quarters about whether the property forms part of the church’s assets,” a congregant said.
In an interview yesterday, Sethlako refused to comment much on the matter.
“Just deal with the people who told you that, aren't they claiming to be members of AoG-BTG? They must know everything, deal with them,” Sethlako said.
AoG-BTG, understood to be largely rural in composition, relies heavily on contributions from members with limited financial capacity.
In his 2025 end-of-year address, Sethlako acknowledged the challenges, noting that he had to cut his message short as many members would not have sufficient mobile data to follow a longer broadcast.
Full-time pastors are said to be getting a monthly stipend of around US$100, a figure that raises concern when viewed against other financial obligations.
Some congregants said existing facilities were showing signs of deterioration, including the reported collapse of part of the iconic Mkoba Convention Centre in 2024.
With internal processes and AoG-BTG elections approaching, there are growing calls for the national executive to play a more active oversight role.