adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
AS the sun rises on August 26 – the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe – renowned for its discipline, powerful preaching and massive discipleship will mark its100th anniversary, with more than one million followers expected to join the celebrations. The four-day centennial conference will be held at the church’s traditional Chartsworth (Rufaro) Shrine in Masvingo from August 26 to 30.
The conference will run under the theme: “Celebrating 100 years of being established on a solid foundation”, which is anchored on 1 Corinthians 3:11.
Thousands of its congregants in Manicaland will today (Friday) converge in Mutare for the pre-centenary march.
Deputy Overseer, Reverend Smart Tetiwa, who is coordinating the event, said they would assemble at the NRZ Flyover and march along Herbert Chitepo Street before converging at the Meikles Park where they will hold a prayer for Zimbabwe before an address by the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene and the church’s provincial overseers.
The main celebrations at Rufaro will be graced by the AFM international president, Dr Frank Chikane and the church’s international general-secretary, Reverend George Mahlobo from South Africa.AFM secretary-general, Reverend Amon Madawo, said the church would celebrate qualities that have distinguished it from its founding in 1915, honour its past and celebrate a future that focuses on bridge building – bridges that connect its followers to their leaders, community and most importantly the Lord.
“Attaining a milestone 100 years of a successful and meaningful existence is certainly a matter of great pride and satisfaction for any organisation. Our members will congregate at Rufaro and this event will showcase the religion’s stunning success at home and abroad. The church will honour its legends and luminaries with various accolades,’ said Rev Madawo.The work of the AFM in Zimbabwe is said to have began in 1915 in Gwanda through the preaching of Zacharias Manamela, a convert of the AFM of South Africa. The work was recognised by the AFM of South Africa and G.J. Booysen was appointed to look after the work and seek registration of the church with the colonial government.
Mr Kgobe succeeded Manamela and he also was working under Booysen. Kgobe was used by God in divine healing.
The government of the day was very critical of the AFM because of Kgobe’s exercise of divine healing. AFM bought a farm in Gobatema, south of Gwanda, to set up a base for their work in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile on June 20, 1918, Luttig established an AFM base in Gatooma, now known as Kadoma. In his reflections, AFM president, Dr Aspher Madziyire, wondered how a small group of people worshiping 100 years ago at Gobatema Mission in Gwanda had the foresight and the mindset to cast a vision that would span generations. Dr Madziyire said the church had only reached this stage due to the sweat of generations of leaders and congregants who came before. He singled out the likes of retired Reverends Enock Gwanzura, Johane Chihari Gwanzura, Samson Gwanzura, Langton Kupara, Kruger, the Wilsons, Jefferies Mvenge, Steven Mutemererwa, Enos Manyika and many others for honours – saying their sweat, blood and tears are today mirrored in unique cathedrals that top soaring spires that can be seen in most cities and villages across Zimbabwe.These legends put great emphasis on the salvation of the soul, the Holy Spirit baptism, divine healing, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and living a holy life. Abstinence from intoxicating substances, eating pork, listening to and dancing unchristian music and ancestral worship were taught as signs of genuine Christianity.Today, the AFM has over 2 000 congregations in South Africa, representing over three million Christians.
AFM churches have been established in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya and other parts of Africa. There are also thriving AFM churches in Britain, America, Europe and Asia.
Dr Madziyire said it boiled down to a legacy of five things the founding generations gave to the this Pentecostal establishment; a community worth having, a standard worth achieving, a message worth applying, a model worth changing, and a faith worth reproducing.
“The button stick was passed on to spiritually permitted men and women who vigorously evangelised further to the length and breadth of our land. Signs and wonders followed their ministry. The 100 year span is like from the interpretation of Gamaliel (Acts 5) that anything founded by God Himself is sustained by Him and cannot fall. He creates lasting things because He is eternal. When builders build a city without God, they labour in vain. The attainment of this 100 year land mark is only attributed to God.
“Our forbearers knew that if the church was going to last, it was going to be a community. They recognised that it had to be a family. In a culture that celebrates independence at almost every turn, our forbearers said no, we’re going to be about community, because the richest part of the Christian faith is not about individuality, it’s about sharing life together,” said Dr Madziyire.
Dr Madziyire attributed the church’s stunning ability to mass people with prayer rallies and evangelical missions across Zimbabwe that regularly draw hundreds of thousands of people to the Lord’s grace.“We have not only established new churches, but we have formed leaders, we have formed clergy and our denomination has gone on to serve other places,” said Dr Madziyire.
“It is a standard of excellence that we provide, our faith, our commitment, and always our view on the future that has brought us to this stage.”
The AFM’s teachings are rooted on a rigid following of the Bible, the AFM doctrine and salvation.
The AFM believes that God is the eternal, triune, the father and author of creation and salvation. The most unique belief of the church is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of its fruits and gifts in any believer.
The AFM worships on Sunday, the day the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected, having been crucified of Friday.
The AFM does not accept abortions for reasons of birth control and strongly believes that heterosexual marriages are the only biblically ordained grounds for sexual intimacy.
It abhors same-sex marriages, and individuals who are openly homosexual cannot be ordained and will be excommunicated.
The church believes in divine healing while allowing its members to seek medication.
The AFM uses Presbyterianism model of governance, where all congregations are connected with each other under the jurisdiction of the presbytery. The presbyteries are under the armpit of the “workers council” of elders from the whole church, which is the supreme governing authority of the organisation.
Dr Madziyire said the scriptures call Christians to live with an extraordinarily high standard, one that AFM has taken up and placed at the heart of its mission as a church.
He warned today’s church against dumping down the standards.
“It is insulting to the old generation. The current generation wants to be challenged, they need to grow, the older generation still wants to see a church that walks the walk and helps the poor. We want to raise the standard.
“Our goal for 100 years, for every pastor that has ever stood in the pulpit, is to teach our congregation how to live a life that reflects the values, principles, and grace of Jesus Christ.”One of the things that make the AFM unique has always been its emphasis on having multiple styles of worship. To accomplish this, the church has relied on a spirit of innovation and acceptance of change.
Speaking on what church members should expect at the Centennial Conference, the deputy president, Cassim Chiangwa, said that everybody who would be given the Grace to attend would not leave the place empty-handed. He foresaw a special Holy Spirit visitation, manifestation of spiritual gifts, deliverance and healing.
“That will be the legacy AFM is known for and it will be carried into the next century. It will therefore be an extraordinary event,” said Rev Chiangwa.
The church was divided into 29 provinces whose scope of ministries include higher education and youth ministries, theological education, health ministries, women’s and children’s ministries, and peace education, reconciliation and reunification work.
“The pursuit of excellence in faithfulness brought forth the fruit of the Spirit and throughout the years, the AFM built churches, seminaries, schools, orphanages and hospitals that bear witness to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ.
“We pray that God will continue to inspire, equip and connect us as we are led into the future for the sake of God’s realm. This is the power of prayer and the transformative love of Jesus Christ,” said Dr Madziyire.
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