Launching a new pastoral plan (“Evangelizing Community, Serving God, Humanity and all Creation”), Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, president of the bishops’ conference, spoke of “the realization by the bishops that as a Church in this region, we are not making an impact, both on the people we serve and in society. There is no growth in faith and spirituality, the furthest most of our faithful go is confirmation and they remain there. With regard to witnessing for Christ and continuing the work of evangelization, the majority of our Catholics do not see these as their task … Our faith does not influence society, it is as if the Catholic Church does not exist.”