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Leonard Ncube
CHURCH ministers and pastors have a lifelong duty to tender God’s flock, a role that involves preaching to and baptising those who are converted.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28:19, Jesus sends his disciples to “go and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

However, many pastors are “crippled” in that regard, due to lack of resources and this confines them to ministering in urban areas only or where it is convenient hence leaving out the rural flock.

Hope Ministries, a church-cum-charitable organisation founded by a Bulawayo couple Dr Jabulani and Zondiwe Mudenda, has come up with a solution in the form of bicycles for use by pastors.

Dr Mudenda said the organisation plans to distribute 1 000 bicycles and study Bibles to disadvantaged pastors with the aim of establishing 1 000 churches countrywide by year 2020.

Founded by Binga-born Dr Mudenda in 2014, Hope Ministries has donated about 300 bicycles and study Bibles to Bulawayo, Harare, Kadoma, Kariba, Zvishavane, Masvingo and Victoria Falls since last year.

Speaking at the close of a weeklong pastors’ training conference organised by Hope Ministries at Brethren-in-Christ Church in Victoria Falls and attended by more than 200 pastors from different denominations recently, Dr Mudenda said local and foreign well-wishers are providing the materials with the aim of equipping pastors who cannot afford to go to a Bible school.

“We are a registered private voluntary organisation where we do church conferences to equip pastors and communities with tangible things and social work. Our vision is to give 1 000 bicycles and 1 000 study Bibles to 1 000 pastors so they plant 1 000 churches in the country by 2020,” said Dr Mudenda.

In Victoria Falls 20 bicycles have been donated while other beneficiaries are in Binga, Bubi, Bulawayo, Esigodini, Gwanda, Kadoma, Mberengwa, Nkayi and Zvishavane.

Dr Mudenda said he has a duty to equip pastors to be able to spread the word and help preserve moral values.

“Things are tough and pastors are finding it difficult to reach all corners of their ministries hence our mission is to help them with transport. With these bicycles they are expected to visit rural communities especially and preach the Word of God.

Hope Ministries also organises outreach medical activities where voluntary doctors visit disadvantaged communities to offer free treatment, with the latest one being in Binga recently.

In Binga, Hope Ministries is building an orphanage in Pashu where two guest houses and a chapel are complete.

Dr Mudenda said they were ready to work with the new Government in implementing social programmes.

“We are planning to bring together Government departments and partners for a breakfast meeting in July next year to show them the projects that we are doing. We are a registered PVO (private voluntary organisation) and we want to work closely with Government to complement its programmes,” said Dr Mudenda.

“Our goal is to transform communities. We get our calling from Romans 5vs 5 which says ‘hope does not disappoint.’ I think this is working basing on the number of churches that have been established. We have a 70-year-old pastor in Matopo in Matabeleland South who has set up 27 churches while in Bulawayo 32 new churches have been started after getting the bicycles,” added Dr Mudenda.

He said they target mainly evangelical and pentecostal churches and are careful not to “touch individual church doctrine to avoid a backlash.”

As part of its work, Hope Ministries integrates orphans into some Christian families as well as pay school fees for vulnerable children.

There are 125 such children who have benefited in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces.

One of Hope Ministries’ sponsors is Dr Wayne Dorsett from Georgia in USA who provides training for pastors and helped in sourcing the bicycles.

He said: “I have done 20 mission trips to Africa and India, seven of which were to Zimbabwe to train pastors. I have trained more than 5 000 to make them become better ministers and be credible to their communities. We are mainly targeting those who didn’t have an opportunity to access such material or training,” he said.

@ncubeleon