The Sunday Mail
Tendai Manzvanzvike and Sophie Chese-MsowaDivine Appointments
GROWING up as an orphan without anyone to give you a shoulder to lean on, no one to give you clothes, shelter or just love, let alone going to school, was the life that Apostle George and Bishop Rosewittar Chikohwa lived.
They thought life had nothing to offer as Apostle George, now 59 years of age, lost both parents at the age of four, while his 57-year-old wife Bishop Rosewittar was orphaned at 14.
Little did the couple know that God had a special assignment for them – that is founding a biblically-centred healing ministry!
On February 14 1988, the couple responded to God’s call, and that led to the birth of Church on the Rock Ministries International (COTRMI). Like farmers who appreciate what their crops have yielded, despite hail, storms and disease, COTRMI has overcome many obstacles.
This year the church celebrates its 29th anniversary and the celebrations will be held in Harare.
In an interview, Apostle George and Bishop Rosewittar said the birth of the church came after a strong calling from God.
“In 1980 God called me to a healing ministry, and He performed signs and wonders through me. The blind could see, the crippled walked, and the dead rose from the dead, while lost souls were saved,” said Apostle George.
“I started going around doing God’s work as an Evangelist. In 1982, God blessed me with a wonderful wife Rosewittar.
“Then again in 1986 and 1987, God spoke strongly to us to give birth to COTRMI, but it was frightening because it seemed as if we wanted to do our own thing, and that we were puffed up with pride,” he said.
Apostle George said it was a difficult assignment since God instructed them not to take anyone from the church they were fellowshipping (name supplied), or not to take any musical instruments with them.
“He instructed us to go and give birth to COTRMI. He also instructed us not to take either the people we were working with, even the instruments we were using, and not to take pastors and church members from that church, nor to take pastors from other churches,” said Apostle George. He said he had to pray so that God could grant him and his wife the strength to go ahead and start the ministry. Apostle George said he then started doing crusades in Mabvuku without anyone to assist, except his wife.
“After much fasting and prayers, God instructed us to start a crusade in Mabvuku. We decided to obey God and we took action by preparing posters. It was not easy to prepare for the crusade because we had no people to help us. I had to walk around by myself, sticking those posters using flour as glue. That is when God sent us a young man Wilbert Sitah to help us in the preparation of that crusade,” he said.
He added, “Our first crusade ran from February 3 to 13, 1988. During the crusades, my wife Rose could bring me food in a basket to eat before I preached. On Sunday February 14 1988, COTRMI was established at the New Mabvuku Crèche. Many people gave their lives to Christ but they were very poor people who could not even support themselves.” After Mabvuku, they said they planted other assemblies in Highfield, Mufakose, Marondera, and Glen View.
Apostle George said there were challenges when they wanted to hold their first convention:
“We started to prepare for our first conference, but we had no money. Though my wife believed what God had said, there came a time when we faced many challenges and she started to doubt God.
“At one point, she refused to give me money for transport as I was doing the preparation for the conference. I walked all the way to the bus stop picking some coins from the ground here and there until it was enough for one trip only.”
But the visibly humble but happy man of God could not hide his gratitude about the grace that has taken the ministry this far as he said, “Today the church has grown. It has many leaders, pastors, evangelists, praise and worshippers, musicians, administrators, secretaries, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, intercessors and it has also gone to different nations.”
Bishop Rosewittar chipped in: “God helped us to produce many pastors and leaders who are now leading churches in Zimbabwe and other nations.”
With reference to their doctrine, Bishop Rosewittar said, “We just use the Bible. All our teachings are from the Bible we believe in biblical principles. For instance, God blesses the work of people’s hands, thus we encourage people to work hard using their own hands in order for them to prosper.” Many people from various social and cultural backgrounds and nationalities have had their lives transformed through the biblically sound teachings from Apostle George and Bishop Rosewittar. One of the people who had his life transformed is Namibian national Alex Yanah, who said he used to be a well-known gangster in Windhoek (the Namibian capital), who engaged in various kinds of mischief, including armed robbery and gay activities, but had his life transformed when he gave his life to Jesus Christ in Church on the Rock Ministries International.
“I was a dangerous gangster, I tell you! Some of the people whom I beat up, I don’t even know if they are still alive. I would beat up a person and leave them for dead. Because I was a drunkard, I could do anything that would let me have money in my pocket. The worst thing that I did was to engage in gay activities.
“I slept with other men in order to get money for beer and prostitutes, but I want to thank the God of our father and mother (Apostle George and Bishop Rosewittar) who transformed my life. When I gave my life to Jesus Christ in Church on the Rock, my own father and mother also repented,” he said.
Yana is now an Evangelist in COTRMI, whose work is accompanied by signs and wonders wherever he preaches.
As part of their calling, Apostle George and Bishop Rosewittar are also taking care of orphans and the underprivileged. To date, they have 23 children under their care – 14 girls and nine boys. Some are now in secondary school, while others are still in primary school. They are also taking care of infants.
Apostle George explained: “We both grew up as orphans. I lost my parents when I was a little boy, and I do not even know how they looked like, while my wife was orphaned at the age of 14. “When God called us, he reminded us that we were orphans whom he had raised, hence the need to also remember the orphans and vulnerable children.
“Our vision is to provide shelter, food, clothing, to give the children love and above all education, which both of us did not have because no one could help us,” he said.
Some of the children whom they raised are now responsible citizens in society. They are doctors and pastors, etcetera.
The couple spent seven years without having the fruit of the womb, but the Lord eventually blessed them with four children – three boys and a girl. Their eldest son is 28, and is studying in Australia, while the second born is training as a pastor with a local Bible School, and the third born – a girl – is at a local university. Their last born son is doing Form Three.
To Pastor George and Bishop Rosewittar, the 29th anniversary celebrations are testimony of God’s faithfulness, as Hannah says in 1 Samuel 2:8, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.”
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