South African Pastors Join 3,000 Christian 

Leaders Worldwide in Call for Religious 

Freedom and Justice

18 August 2026 | Dizindaba Staff Reporter | Cape Town

Approximately 3,000 Christian leaders from around the world, including pastors from Southern Africa, joined the Joint Assembly of World Pastors on 13 August to raise concerns about religious freedom, human rights and due process following the detention of 95-year-old religious leader and war veteran Chairman Man Hee Lee in South Korea. 

The international assembly brought together pastors through online and in-person participation from countries including Zambia, Rwanda, Russia and others. Religious leaders examined concerns surrounding religious freedom and the separation of church and state in South Korea, as well as the principle that judicial proceedings should be determined by evidence and due process rather than public opinion. 

The gathering concluded with a joint statement calling for the protection of religious freedom, respect for the presumption of innocence and an end to trials influenced by public opinion. The statement also called for consideration of bail for Chairman Lee in light of his advanced age and circumstances. 

Two days later, on 15 August, pastors in Cape Town continued that call at an International Pastors Conference, where 23 pastors signed a petition supporting religious freedom, fair-trial rights and consideration of Chairman Lee’s circumstances. The Cape Town gathering provided an opportunity for South African religious leaders to reflect on the wider implications of the issues raised internationally and the responsibility of the church to protect human dignity and freedom of religion or belief. 

The local gathering also highlighted how questions of religious freedom and justice can extend beyond national and denominational boundaries, with pastors considering their responsibility to speak on issues affecting human dignity and fundamental rights. 

Pastor Aime Enyeka, said the age of Chairman Lee was an important consideration when discussing his detention and the wider question of human rights. 

“That is not fair, it’s not right. I think that is against human rights. What happened to Mandela in those times, is starting to happen now in South Korea,” said Pastor Enyeka. 

The reference to South Africa’s own history brought a local dimension to the discussion, with the pastor emphasising that the treatment of elderly people in detention should remain a human-rights concern regardless of where it occurs. 

For Anetta Barnes Mangxaba, Publisher of Dizindaba Media, the discussion highlighted the responsibility of religious leaders to recognise that questions of religious freedom can have implications beyond national borders. 

“This is not a country issue, it’s a global issue,” said Mangxaba. 

She also emphasised the importance of pastors understanding the legal and constitutional frameworks of the countries in which they serve saying, “Pastors need to empower themselves. 

We need to know the laws of the country, it’s to know the Constitution, it’s to know the acts and how to apply that and how to empower the ones that we lead as pastors.” 

For Pastor Philip Bahama, the gathering demonstrated the importance of unity among Christians across different churches and backgrounds. 

“The thing that I have learned from today’s gathering was that as the church we need to stand, 

because when we stand together, there is power,” Pastor Bahama said. All of us, as the leaders, pastors, we need to know our rights and we need to defend our rights. We need to speak the same language and we need to be together to fight injustice.” 

The participation forms part of the wider international response by Christian leaders who say that questions of religious freedom, human dignity and due process should be addressed beyond national and denominational boundaries. The Cape Town gathering reinforced the call for religious leaders to stand together in defence of justice, truth and the fundamental rights of all people.