Chronicle Editor
Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter
HARVEST House International Church is set to host a four-day conference at its state-of-the-art conference centre in Bulawayo with a capacity of over 10 500 people from 14 to 17 December.
The Apostolic Conference, running under the theme, “Jesus Christ”, will be the first to be held at the Crown Jewel Conference Centre. During a tour of the facility last week, Personal Assistant to the Founder of the church Bishop Colin Nyathi, Pastor Molly Mashumba said the church has 800 branches around the world with a huge crowd expected to grace the conference next week.
“We are expecting to easily fill up this place considering that we have an all-rounder programme that caters for everyone; the older generation, the youth, children and adults because we believe that ministry is for everybody so we are saying come let’s fellowship together. There will be high security considering the number of people we are expecting to come through. We will also be holding a children’s conference at the premises and as such parents can bring their children so that they too can receive ministry. Our speakers are going to be Bishop Dr Colin Nyathi and Senior Reverend Dr Sarah Nyathi (the founders of the ministry), as well as an external speaker from United Denominations International Accra Ghana, Bishop Edwin Morgan Ogoe.”
Pastor Mashumba said entry into the conference will be free. However, there will be musical events on Friday and Sunday that require an entrance fee.
“On Friday evening (15 December) there will be a concert. The first event is a concert with Minister Michael Mahendere from 5.30 PM to 6.10 PM. From 6.10 PM to 9 PM, we will host the launch of our new album “Hakamah!” This is not to be missed, we have something new, something certainly out of the box. Thereafter, from 9 PM, we have renowned South African gospel musician Bishop Benjamin Dube. VVIP tickets are US$30, VIP tickets are USD$20 while general tickets are USD$10.
“In addition to the concert and in an effort to fund raise for our building project (the new headquarters), we are running a draw. Tickets are going for only US$20. The first prize is a white Honda Fit Hybrid vehicle, the second prize is the latest iPhone 15, the third prize is a MacBook while the fourth prize is an iPad.”
The draw, which is open to all, will be held on Friday evening just before the concert with Bishop Dube. On Sunday afternoon, from 2.30PM to 9PM, there will be the Clash of Hub Choirs competition and the cover charge is US$5. The judges for the Clash are Bishop Dube, Mr Lindelani Mkhize of Joyous Celebration and Minister Mahendere. Tickets for these concerts are being sold at all Harvest House Church branches. Pastor Mashumba said the official opening of the conference centre, which is set to be a momentous occasion, will be celebrated from 28 August to 1 September 2024.
“People are coming through for this conference from far and wide, more so from South Africa, Botswana and several other countries in Southern Africa,” said Pastor Mashumba.
The building, which is arguably the first of its kind in Southern Africa, has cinema-type seating with 10 000 people in the main auditorium and a further 500 in the choir enclosures. It features a gym, two restaurants that will cater for fast-foods and fine dining as well as a medical centre, jewellery shop and clothing stores.
Pastor Karl Nyathi, son to Bishop Nyathi and Senior Reverend Dr Nyathi said on Sunday, 17 December, 23 Harvest House International choirs will compete against each other.
“We are going to have a clash of hub choirs which consists of 23 Harvest House choirs coming from all over to compete against each other at the same time bringing glory to God,” said Pastor Nyathi.
He said the conference will be music-filled as there will be a 500-strong mass choir.
“People should just come and witness for themselves because since the Covid-19 pandemic, the church has in some cases been ministering online so this time we have decided to come and fellowship together and it will be filled with joy since it’s the first live concert since the pandemic,” he said.
The church has a secure five-acre car park where delegates to the conference are expected to park their cars.
“Conference delegates should be rest assured that their cars will be safe as security details will be patrolling around the church. Transport is being mobilised for those coming through and we are trying to make sure that everyone at the end of each day has transport to go back to their homes,” he said.
Pastor Nyathi said refreshments and food will be sold at subsidised prices during the conference.
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