The Sunday Mail
Noah Pito
MINGLING with prisoners and giving them the chance to deliver testimonies while enjoying song and dance is not only what distinguishes the Seventh-day Adventist Church from many other religious organisations, but the church in fact has a department that provides for the welfare of inmates at every level of its hierarchical structure.
On the last Sabbath of July, 2015, much jubilation came to the town of Karoi in Mashonaland West province as SDA members from all corners of Kariba and Hurungwe districts (Zone 1 Federation) converged at Karoi High School to celebrate their Prison Ministry Day.
SDA’s North Zimbabwe Conference president Dr Obert Mudzengi presided as the church also handed over clothing, foodstuffs, toiletries and bibles to Karoi, Kariba and Hurungwe (Pendenis) prison inmates. Inmates from Karoi and Hurungwe prisons were a sight to behold with well-choreographed music that punctuated by touching testimonies.
Dr Mudzengi said in the eyes of the church, every person was worth the blood of Jesus, no matter what crime had led to their incarceration because Christ died for all sinners.
“Even if the whole world had one sinner, the Lord Jesus would still come and die for that person. A soul in prison thus also needs the blood of Jesus,” he said.
Dr Mudzengi drew attention to the story of Saul (Paul) in the biblical book of Acts, who was saved albeit having been the chief persecutor of the early church.
He added that there was need to complement the ministry by providing basic necessities to prisoners, which is why the SDA Church had a Prison Ministries Department that also conducted services at correctional facilities every Sabbath.
There was a written appeal from Edward Nyemba (52), an inmate at Hurungwe Prison Farm, who is due to complete his jail term at the end of August 2015.Nyemba wrote that life outside prison was going to be very rough for him since his family had helped itself to his property and his wife had remarried following rumors in his home area of Shamva that he had died long back.
Nyemba’s troubles were made appear very small as congregants pledged an overwhelming number of items that included clothing, blankets, shoes, seed maize and utensils to help him start a new life after prison.
Karoi Town Council chair Mr Richard Ziki thanked the SDA Church for the help it gave to the community, particularly in the form of donations to children’s and old people’s homes, prisons and schools.
Representatives from Karoi and Hurungwe prisons hailed the church for its spiritual and material support.
North Zimbabwe Conference covers part of Harare, Bindura, Murehwa, Shamva, Mutoko, Mt Darwin, Muzarabani, Rushinga, Norton, Chegutu, Chinhoyi, Kariba, Guruve and Hurungwe among other places.
