Valente Luís thus responded to Bishop Alberto Segunda, who leads the other wing of the sect founded by Edir Macedo after replacing the Brazilian Honorilton Gonçalves, and told Angolan public television (TPA) that the opposing wings would be reconciled.
Valente Luís underlined that the UCKG Angola that he directs, legitimized by the Angolan government, is interested in reconciling the estranged brothers, developing "continuous efforts" in this sense with the support of other religious leaders, "however, without success so far".
In a statement released on his Facebook page, he considers Alberto Segunda's statements surprising and accuses him of confusing church members and public opinion considering that there is no "real interest" on the part of this wing in reconciliation.
However, "we keep the doors open" and "we will continue in prayer for the much-desired unification to occur", he continues, stating that a joint communiqué will be issued at that time.
Valente Luís also appeals to the Angolan authorities, namely the National Institute for Religious Affairs (INAR) – which legitimized this wing as the legal representative of the church in Angola – to order the reopening of temples still closed and return them to the legitimate representatives of the church.
Last Tuesday, Alberto Segunda called a press conference saying that there were no legal obstacles to the reopening of temples, but that he was still waiting for a public statement from the State on these issues.
The Angolan bishop who replaced Honorilton Gonçalves – after the controversies surrounding this religious leader, who was even accused in a lawsuit – stressed that the process regarding the temples that had been seized by the Attorney General of the Republic of Angola and sealed by legal determination arrived to the end in December 2022, with its refund having been determined.
Alberto Segunda explained that the places of worship have not yet opened because they are waiting for an "administrative procedure" and want "a public statement" on these issues by the State.
"We understand that all temples should already be open and we believe that they will open, gradually, even on account of the critical state of the buildings", said the UCKG bishop, since some of these, over the three years, were degraded due to rain and lack of maintenance.
He also stressed that, in the case of cathedrals that are in the hands of the reformist wing, the bodies of law have mechanisms to remedy this situation: "We are not the ones who are going to take our brothers there, they will certainly be notified and within the judicial and administrative procedures these temples will also be returned".
Alberto Segunda stressed that the UCKG is autonomous in Angola and run 100 percent by Angolans, with around one hundred pastors, all of Angolan nationality, rejecting the idea of it being a "Brazilian wing".
The bishop stressed that he has been appealing to the brothers "to return to the mother church" and that the existence of another wing is a "non-issue", adding that there is no problem with the faithful.
Alberto Segunda said that there have been several "productive meetings" with leaders of the reformist wing in religious and institutional forums for conflict mediation, with "serene conversations".
The official highlighted that the UCKG already has a registration, a name and a brand and that "if there are things to correct, that is what must be done, instead of creating situations that divide the faithful".
In November 2019, UCKG dissidents in Angola accused the Brazilian leadership of financial crimes, racism, discrimination and abuse of authority, among others, and formed a reformist wing, headed by Valente Bizerra Luís, meanwhile recognized by the Angolan Government as a legitimate representative of the religious movement founded by Edir Macedo.
Subsequently, four members of the leadership of the UCKG were accused, who were acquitted in March 2022 of most of the charges, except for former leader Honorilton Gonçalves, sentenced to three years in prison, with a suspended sentence, for the crime of physical violence. and psychological.
