As faith based organisations congregate in different parts of the country while some cross the border into neighboring countries for their ritual pilgrimages and night vigils over the holidays, STAFF WRITER KEITEBE KGOSIKEBATHO examines recent developments in the church and the relationship with the state. She finds a longstanding romance gone bad. In 2008, the Botswana government took a decision to audit religious organisations and their activities. The audit was necessitated by fears that some of the practices of some religious bodies were at variance with the law. Soon afterwards, the nation saw the state moving swiftly to tighten the regulation of the church and its operations in Botswana. In 2015, a Bill that will change how churches are being operated in particular the increase in number of members required to register a church from 20 to 250 was passed into law by Parliament. An increase in the expulsion of pastors of foreign decent of pentecostal charismatic and highly episcopal African independent churches, otherwise known as Fire churches, from the country has left congregants fuming over the development. Some sections of society have also raised concern about the heavy handed approach, accusing Government of interfering with citizen's freedom of association…