Christians Deserve Better Church Toilets

My friend was invited to preach at our church conference. I was not part of the organizing team but I was instrumental in identifying and bringing him over. During the conference, he called me aside and asked me for a drive. His destination was a near by gas station. I just obeyed and drove him there. As I was looking for a parking space he jumped out and dashed for the gents. When he came out, he apologized for the bother and said he couldn't do otherwise. It was then that he told me that he could not relieve himself because our pit latrine is not only shallow, but unhygienic and congested. Our church of 300 members has two shallow pit latrines, one for men and the other for ladies. It was then that I also noted that it is not roofed, and the walls are only up to the average chest. Who ever goes in has to bear the embarrassment of staring people in the eye as they count his minutes away. Most members avoid it by either coming prepared or using the toilets of a nearby bottle store. Our church is growing and doing well economically, therefore money can not be the reason for this. It simply seems toilets are not the main focus of the leadership but the church building and the pastor's welfare. The above situation is common in many churches budding around. Some meet in classrooms where school authorities lock all the other un-usable rooms including toilets during the weekend. Those which are open are so unhygienic that one has to fight back nausea whenever he visits them.

There is an old saying that says, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness'. The church must realize that members are tripartite beings with a spirit, soul and body. They deserve a holistic attention. Most services in these churches include deliverance sessions which lead to various forms of discharges, including vomiting and in some cases the un-printable. It's not only embarrassing to have bad toilets but a health hazard too. How do they expect people who bump into each other on a toilet traffic jam to respect each other in the church? In some places they have special toilets for the leadership and the pastor while the majority scrambles for the remaining two.

The following could be some of the best suggested solutions to this serious problem. To begin with churches should put the physical wellbeing of their members at heart rather than focussing on their spiritual needs only. It is imperative on them to make sure that enough and functioning toilets are in place. They must be frequently maintained or unblocked whichever applies. They should also civic educate some members on their uses. Secondly the government or any other concerned authorities should come in and help the situation by enacting or enforcing some regulations on this. The church is a public place and should be subjected to rules that govern public order. It's unfair to only punish schools and other public institutions when they violate these rules while turning a blind eye to our places of worship. I feel like the concerned authorities should set up some inspection body that will be visiting places of worship with the aim of checking on their sanitation. It is the height of embarrassment when Christian ladies and gentlemen have to dash for some nearby bush(es) in order to answer the call of nature. As someone sitting at the back of some church, I am among those that would avoid coming to church when I have a rumbling tammy.

Some members are shy to mention this, but let it sink in the ears of our church leaders that church toilets are either not enough, not hygienic or in some instances not even there. May I beg to move a motion that this be the main agenda at your next leadership meeting please?