By Kudzai Chingwe
Aug. 9, 2023 | HARARE, Zimbabwe (UM News)
Surrounded by farms and mining areas, two rural preaching points of Chisipiti United Methodist Church have found a fertile ground to harvest new converts to Christ.
The men’s organization, Mubvuwi weUnited Methodist, launched “Vhuserere,” an aggressive approach to bring 60 people to Christ in March and May. A third session will convene later this year.
“The United Methodist Church is rapidly growing in Africa in general and Zimbabwe Episcopal Area in particular,” noted the Rev. John Makaniko, Harare East District connectional ministries director and Chisipiti pastor-in-charge.
He said so far in 2023, the Harare East District has gained 174 new souls to Christ, with Chisipiti United Methodist Church having 86 new members as reported in its June 2023 charge conference report. “This means the district has the capacity of creating a new local church or charge yearly.”
He said Chisipiti’s outreach to farming areas in the Pagejo RaRubi and Chabwino preaching points is of “great magnitude,” and the driving force is multifaceted.
“There is the vision to grow Pagejo RaRubi preaching point into a local church, turning Chabwino into a vibrant preaching point and creating new preaching points around Shawasha, the Grange areas, so that the gospel is readily available. We are fulfilling the mission of the church of making disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18),” he said.
