Chronicle Editor
Nokuthaba Brita Ncube, [email protected]
NEW Life for All Fellowship Church is gearing up to host a historic 40th-anniversary conference in Bulawayo, commemorating its enduring legacy as a pioneering youth interdenominational Christian movement.
In a recent interview, presiding Bishop Cleopas Ncube reminisced about the church’s humble beginnings in the early 1970s. What started as a passionate youth Christian movement has now blossomed into a vibrant community with 17 branches across the nation.
“The ministry started as a youth interdenominational Christian movement back in the early 1970s, then it was called New Life For All Fellowship,” said Bishop Ncube.
He added that the formation of the ministry came about when a few young people whose lives had been transformed by committing to Jesus Christ felt a need to have a place and time to nurture their new-found faith.
“Most of the young people were either at high school or colleges or just starting work and their professional careers, influenced by the Scripture Union or some Christian interdenominational organisation that operated in schools or colleges, with an emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Ncube.
He noted that the young, dedicated people remained members of different mainline churches but on Fridays and Saturdays, they would meet to enrich themselves with teachings and engagements that nurtured their desire for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
“It would not be possible to name all the key players over the early stages of this interdenominational youth ministry’s evolution but some of the names of the leaders then included (and were not limited to) the late Nicholas Mnkandla, Albert Ndlovu, Robert Chimwaza, Dominic Magwada, Patson Netha, among others.”
According to Bishop Ncube, at the time of inception, the group met in a room provided by the Brethren-in-Christ Church — Mpopoma branch. Later the meetings were at different venues, which were mainly hired from churches that were willing to provide such facilities. As the ministry grew, its main activities consisted of Saturday services where there was prayer, praise and worship, teaching and preaching of the word of God.
Its activities also included outreach meetings where teams went out to schools, colleges, public events and in public buses to spread the word of God. Bishop Ncube noted that the ministry had a very powerful choir and musical band that occasionally went out to different public entities, including colleges and communities, to share the love of God through music.
Reflecting on some significant milestones the church has achieved over the years, he cited the time in 1984 when the youthful ministry decided to become a fully-fledged church called New Life for All Fellowship Church.
“This was not an easy decision as the inception of the youth ministry was not to become a church but to complement what the churches were doing by equipping and empowering young people. Navigating that with the churches that had been supportive of the youth ministry who now were having to accept the change was not easy; however, by God’s grace the transition was successful,” he said.
Moreover, ordaining the first pastors and setting up structures was also a significant milestone as this would either spell success or failure of what the ministry was all about. The acquisition of land and building the first church structure in Mpopoma was another significant milestone.
“Before that the new church had been using hired facilities, this was the first immovable asset the ministry acquired and after that the church acquired another in Nkulumane and built another structure,” he said.
“Since the, more assets continue to be acquired to allow the different branches to meet in places of their own,” he said.
Bishop Ncube noted that the church has faced numerous challenges as it evolved from a Christian youth movement to an established church.
“Initially, setting up church structures and navigating relationships with other churches proved difficult. However, under new leadership, we overcame this by defining our vision, values and fostering collaborative relationships with the broader Christian community,” he said.
The 2008 economic downturn posed another significant challenge, as many members were struggling to cope with dwindling disposable income and the ministry addressed this by establishing compassionate ministries to assist the vulnerable and also benefitted from what Government and non-governmental institutions were offering.
He also pointed out that accessing funding for capital projects, such as building expansion, has been challenging. In response, the church has continued to encourage and teach their members financial productivity and prudence, and this has helped sustain them as well as afford extra to give towards the expansion of church projects.
Speaking on the forthcoming 40th anniversary celebrations conference, which will be held in Bulawayo from November 23 to 24, 2024, Bishop Ncube said that it is a special event to them as a ministry when the ministry stops to reflect on what God has done for them and through them in the body of Christ.
“We are believing that God is going to restore us, rejuvenate us as a church to soar up to greater heights,” he said.
The conference will be held under the theme: “Now therefore deem this mountain”, which is partly influenced by the current theme for the year, which is transforming lives and destinies through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus.
“However, we also understand that when we have reached 40 in the spiritual calendar, it is an opportunity for us to relaunch ourselves and get to greater heights. We believe that God wants to give us an opportunity to realise our missed opportunities if there is anything that we did not get right in the past 40 years,” said Bishop Ncube.
From a planning point of view, Bishop Ncube noted that keynote speakers include a bishop from Harvest House International Ministries, among others. In the midst of rising drug abuse concerns, Bishop Ncube firmly believes that the church’s 40th anniversary conference will bring hope, healing and transformative power to the youth.
He noted that the ministry will start off with a prophetic march from the Pick n Pay Hyper area to the Large City Hall, and thereafter there will be a worship night where they have invited some renowned artistes within the city.
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