When South Africa began easing its coronavirus lockdown in May, it allowed religious worshippers to gather in groups of up to 50, but banned people assembling to drink alcohol.
That’s a problem for the Gabola church — the name means ‘drinking’ in the local Tswana language — for whom a tipple is an integral part of their religious worship.
Founded just two years ago, the church tried to hold its usual meetings in local bars, called shebeens, to praise God while downing whisky, but they soon got arrested, its leader and self-styled ‘pope’ Tsietsi Makiti, 55, said.
“They can arrest us until Jesus comes back,” said Makiti, wearing a bishop’s mitre with a miniature bottle of spirits hanging off it.
But he added they had been moving services from place to place to avoid a run-in with the cops.
“People call us drunkards but we are doing God’s work. Even Jesus turned water into wine.” Makiti said.
At Gabola church, every worshipper comes with his own drink and they share.
The sermon where Christ turned water into wine is very popular with the church.
Gabola means ..drinking.
So the church is named the drinking church of South Africa
The church is considering starting a branch in Kenya
