The Sunday Mail
GOVERNMENT has endorsed the forthcoming United Family International Church’s Judgment Night 4 as a major religious tourism event.
This was after UFIC indicated that more than 45 000 international visitors had registered to attend this year’s edition of Judgment Night on August 26, 2016 at the church’s headquarters in Mt Hampden.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Dr Walter Mzembi, his deputy Anastancia Ndlovu, directors in the ministry and a UFIC delegation led by church spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufa attended the endorsement ceremony in Harare last week.
Dr Mzembi said Government’s interests in Judgment Night 4 was born out of the philosophical foundation of his ministry, which is based on Isaiah 60:11.
“Generally sold as ‘arise and shine’, verse 11 of Isaiah 60 speaks of keeping gates open: ‘Thy gates also shall be open continually, day and night, they shall not be shut; That men may bring unto thee the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.’
“What it means in our modern day pallets in tourism is to open skies, open borders. The Gentiles referred to by Prophet Isaiah are actually our modern-day tourists whom we have re-defined in our National Tourism Policy as religious tourism,” Dr Muzembi said.
“We are doing this endorsement of Judgment Night 4 within the context of that philosophical foundation that underpins this ministry’s mission and mandate. I am happy to do this seeing that the last three editions of the event have grown in leaps and bounce.
“We have a negative net travel balance, meaning that our out-bound tourism measured against in-bound is resulting in a negative output. We are losing that wealth which God directed us to gain through Isaiah in chapter 60:11. We are losing it to the outside world, outside Africa.
“So any purpose, mission and vision that seek in the instance to limit and cartel those negative will heavily draw support from Government.”
He said the endorsement came without any reservations.
Deputy Minister Ndlovu said according to United Nations Tourism Organization statistics, more than 300 million tourists travel for religious purposes annually.
“Official statistics indicate that of ten people who visit Nigeria annually, six of them will be visiting Prophet TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of all Nations. Based on these facts and many others, it becomes imperative for Government — through this ministry — to consider the impact of spiritual travel in the development of our economy,” she said. UFIC spokesperson Pr Kufa said Judgment Night was an event on God’s own calendar as premised on Exodus 12:12 when God said “I will judge the gods of Egypt”.
He explained why the event was moved from its usual venue, Harare’s National Sports Stadium, to Mt Hampden. “The move has been necessitated by the fact that the stadium has become restrictive in terms of attendance. We have gone to a much bigger venue and we expect God to move like never before this year,” said Pr Kufa.
He said this year’s gathering was themed “The Sentence”, saying there would be sentencing of spiritual forces that opposed humanity’s development.
