Adventist Pastor Wins Court Case Against Sexist Congregation
08 April 2025 |
After enduring “sexist abuse” and “intolerable conditions,” Pastor Lerato Makombe won a landmark case for constructive dismissal in the Cape Town labor court. Makombe began her internship with the Cape Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in January 2014. Once she became a pastor, she was transferred from position to position without any consultation from the conference.
Throughout her ministry Makombe was consistently undermined by her congregants. Her transfer to George in 2019 became her most hostile posting. There, congregants humiliatingly targeted her in a WhatsApp group, barred her from performing pastoral duties based on the belief that such responsibilities should only be handled by male pastors, and publicly demeaned her. The congregants believed only men could hold positions of authority and that their abuse was merely an attempt to uphold “religious and biblical convictions.”
Makombe’s attempts to seek support from the conference were consistently met with indifference; she was told that they could not control their congregants.
According to an article on her case, “Makombe developed a medical condition as a result, and the church showed no sympathy or compassion, instead choosing to label her as a serial complainer.”
After several unanswered complaints and increasing hostility due to her gender, her mental health deteriorated, leading to hospitalization. Ultimately, Makombe resigned in November 2020.
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) initially dismissed her claim that her resignation stemmed from gender discrimination and employer negligence. However, Judge Gandidze from the Cape Town Acting Labour Court overturned the CCMA’s decision, demanding restitution. The church was ordered to pay 12 months’ salary (approximately $13,087 USD) within 20 days.
The judge also ordered the church to cover Makombe’s costs during her time as a pastor, “citing not only her success in the application but also the ‘unfathomable’ treatment she received from the church, which allegedly subscribes to an ethos of care and compassion.” The judge noted that the church had essentially abandoned her, saying it could not dictate the actions of its congregants.
A commissioner from the CCMA claimed that the church had intervened to assist Makombe, but further investigation proved this statement false. Judge Gandidze criticized the Cape Conference for its willful ignorance regarding the severity of the issue, indicating that their inaction caused significant harm.
In the end, the judge ruled that “Makombe’s resignation was not voluntary. She had to resign to avoid a relapse because her employer failed to protect her and did not consider transferring her to other districts where she would be accepted by the congregation.” The judge affirmed that every employer, including churches, is subject to labor laws.
At the time of this report, the Cape Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has not responded with a comment.
