adminI do a lot of counselling for pastors’ wives who say their husbands are having affairs. I counsel lots of girls who are being abused by their pastors. They are afraid to speak out in the church. That’s why a lot of pastors don’t like me because they know that their flock will not go to them to tell them this.
Dr Patience Itai-zvenyurudo Hove is the founder and Bishop of Elshaddai Ministries International (EMI), which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year under the theme “Radical sacrifice for double achievement”. She holds a PhD in Transformational Leadership, is a renowned public speaker, counsellor and also a prolific writer with 23 books to her name.
Tendai Manzvanzvike (TM) spoke with Bishop Hove (PH) on a wide range of issues regarding the church and her ministry. We publish excerpts.
TM: You made history at the 33rd Independence anniversary celebrations when you became the first female to give the prayer of dedication. How did it feel and how did it happen?
PH: I didn’t even know that I was the first woman to do that. I was approached by the ministry responsible (and) when I went to the stadium, it was of an official duty and for the first time in a very long time over 80 000 people came to the stadium.
For me to stand at the podium just before the President spoke, and speak to the President, to the whole Cabinet and the whole nation was an amazing experience. It made me feel like I had contributed to my nation, not to mention feel appreciated and received by the nation as a minister of the word of God.
When I spoke about shalom community, I referred to Jeremiah 29:7 which says, seek the peace of the city, make sure that peace begins with you, because if you pray for the peace of the city that you are in, you will know that that city will actually be peaceful, and that peace will also be with you.
So I spoke about that and immediately after the President gave a similar message.
TM: Now we are in 2014. How do you feel as you look at the Zimbabwe situation?
PH: I feel that the word carried us through. I know that there is a meltdown of our economy and there are lots of things that are going on, a lot of bickering, a lot of things that are not well in the nation right now because of issues political, spiritual and otherwise, but I realise that the message of peace carried us to where we are now.
At the National Heroes Acre this year, I was invited to speak and I spoke about leaving an inheritance. I also spoke about God restoring Zimbabwe. We are in a season of restoration, and if we maintain love and peace and stay united, God is going to restore Zimbabwe.
TM: What’s hindering that?
PH: The problem is that our Christian fraternity is not united. We have lots of arguments about prophets; arguments about who is doing the right thing and who represents the voice of God.
However, we are one, worshipping the same God, speaking the same language and reading the same bible. Unfortunately, to come to a table and agree in many areas is actually very difficult for the Christian community right now.
I believe that if Christians lead by example, if united, the unity will cascade into all other spheres.
First things first; judgment must start in the house of God, and when it’s done then everything will come into line because righteousness exalts a nation.
TM: What has caused disunity in the church?
PH: I think the division starts in the book of Acts. There is just something about Christianity that the Devil doesn’t like.
We look for names, someone to blame, who said what and who shouldn’t have said what, but the bottom line is our enemy is the Devil. We shouldn’t be fighting each other, for the Bible clearly says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
If we stood together and pray and say, “Satani wajaira, loose your hold, all power belongs to our God”, definitely, we’d be able to do it.
The problem is that we are fighting flesh and blood, fighting over who gets the bigger piece of the cake, who is getting the money and who is getting more offerings or tithing. Some are going to sangomas to look for powers to attract large crowds.
You know what, if Elshaddai Ministries is going to be the smallest but cleanest church, I’ll be happy.
TM: Some say women are not supposed to lead in church but you’re a bishop. You are also celebrating your 20th anniversary. Take us through what it has been like.
PH: It has been difficult for me to break the glass ceiling. When I was doing my doctorate, I did a topic called “copious challenges of women in leadership” because I had lived it. There is a lot of marginalisation, a lot of bickering, a lot of cultural issues and a lot of pulling each other down.
There is lack of mentoring from older women. I have written books called the “Art of Mentoring” and “Woman, God’s Idea” just to try and help young women grow into becoming Christian leaders.
TM: How about your husband, does he have a problem with you being in the forefront?
PH: He encourages me. The ministry started when I was 27. I was married at 18, and he said carry on, do it. He was not part of the ministry. He said he was not called but said he could see the hand of God.
TM: But we don’t see the oneness between men and women that you address in your books, especially among married couples?
PH: Many couples put themselves together and then invite God to the ceremony. They put themselves together wherever they meet and when they want to have a ceremony, they bring God into it.
TM: Are you therefore saying that most of the weddings are a farce?
PH: Very unequally yoked. And the Bible clearly says do not be unequally yoked. You can take 85 percent of Christian marriages — they are deceptive. Most of them are not even living together happily, but they are doing it for the sake of the church.
I do a lot of counselling for pastors’ wives who say their husbands are having affairs. I counsel lots of girls who are being abused by their pastors.
They are afraid to speak out in the church. That’s why a lot of pastors don’t like me because they know that their flock will not go to them to tell them this.
I have actually helped some to seek legal counsel against abuse. There is so much abuse going on in Zimbabwe but it is being swept under the carpet in the name of the church. It’s happening, but nobody wants to talk about it, nobody wants to be unpopular as I am.
Online Reporter