The Sunday Mail
Tendai Manzvanzvike
Divine Appointment
THERE are several shady characters in the Bible, both men and women. Some of the women include Tamar, who slept with her father-in-law Judah and bore twins (Genesis 38); Rahab (Joshua 2, 6); Ruth; Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife; the woman at the well (John 4:1-26); Mary Magdalene, and others. Despite their unsavoury backgrounds, some of them are in the lineage of Jesus, a demonstration that God can use anyone. 2 Samuel 3:7 describes Rizpah thus: “Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah.” Zoe Life Changing Ministries led by Apostle Florence Kanyati has been holding “Rizpah: Uncommon Woman Conferences” on Africa Day since 2001. The 2016 edition will be held on July 2. In an interview with Tendai Manzvanzvike, Apostle Kanyati explains the objectives of the conference.
Q: Zoe Life Changing Ministries’ Rizpah Conference has been moved to July. You have always held it on May 25 — Africa Day. Why the change?
A: This year’s Rizpah will be held on July 2 for the very first time since its inception.
It’s a new day, a new season, a new era in the life of Rizpah. God has directed that this year we hold it on July 2. So, the change of date is in obedience to divine instruction. We usually had our annual Rizpah in May because May is mother’s month the world over. We celebrate motherhood in the month of May, so we had twinned the conference and mothers’ month.
May also being the Africa Day month, we were sending a message — Arise African woman; praise God for Africa; and, thank God for our continent. But over the years Rizpah has grown beyond Africa, beyond motherhood. Thus, 2016 God has unleashed Rizpah to the next level.
Q: It comes amidst Mother’s Day (May 11), Pentecost (May 15), Africa Day (May 25), and the Day of the African Child (June 16). How do these events impact on the significance of Rizpah?
A: Since it comes at the backdrop of Africa Day, the African woman deals with so much on her plate; hunger, poverty, sickness, marginalisation, and sometimes has to single-handedly raise her family. The Rizpah Conference is designed to spiritually empower the woman of this generation to deal with challenges that come her way. A woman is taught and empowered to know that pity parties are not an option. Feeling sorry for one self is not on our vocabulary. The work ethic is instilled. A woman is taught to work with willing hands.
Q: What is the theme for Rizpah 2016?
A: We have been running Rizpah since 2001 in Harare Gardens, but this year we are taking it to the HICC auditorium. Our theme this year is “Winning Woman” dubbed “Mudzimai wese kuna Jesu” (Every woman to Jesus).
God is raising a winning woman – women who are not satisfied to be spectators in terraces of life but hands-on women; women who carve their own destiny applying the wisdom of God.
A Rizpah woman is not a victim of life but is a force to reckon with. We are raising pioneers, trailblazers, generational changers, pilots of industry. This year, we are saying our women: they will matter where it matters, they will count where it counts.
The anointing for 2016 is, “Our Women Will Ride in High Places”.
Q: And the speakers?
A: Our speakers are the hosts — myself and Apostle LC Kanyati. We also have on our line-up Pastor Cindy Kiganda from Uganda. On the praise and worship side, we have the highly acclaimed Takesure Zamar, Mathias Mhere, ZimPraise and Zoe Praise team.
Q: What are you saying and what should people expect by the end of the conference?
A: Through this theme, we are saying a woman will walk away from this conference having become relevant to her community and society. The woman becomes influential to her generation and zealous for the things of God and her family, prayerful and practical.
A woman will stop being a spectator in life; she becomes a participator in the day-to-day issues of life. Laziness will be far from the Rizpah woman because she is trained to be active. The one-day conference, prepared over a long period of time, endeavours to produce an honourable woman. A Rizpah woman is a woman of integrity, dignity and honour.
Q: Let’s examine Rizpah the biblical personality and her impact on today’s woman. She is a less known character who is only mentioned four times in the Bible. One analyst says she represents “the power of one”, and that she is “a tragic woman, yet one highly compassionate, deeply loving, and devoted — a woman who persevered and never lost hope.” You chose to call her the “Uncommon Woman”.
A: The Rizpah Conference is designed to spiritually empower the woman of this generation. Rizpah is a place where you encounter God for yourself.
Through Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God is manifest, the presence of God, the move of the Holy Spirit is awesome. Wow!
The Word of God is taught with power, followed by signs. The word will equip in a mighty way, and the real transformation is experienced, all to the glory of God. I urge people to come and hear last year’s testimonies at Rizpah. There is abundant grace for fruit of the womb. Many women with impossible conception problems conceived. You are next in line. Healing especially!
Q: Despite being buried in the pages of the Bible, Rizpah is actually a shadow of Mary Magdalene in the New Testament and how her ministry impacted the new church. Your comment?
A: Yes, Rizpah is an unknown character with a very humble beginning, but she rose to the moment and became too relevant to be ignored. Rizpah proved that your past cannot disrupt your future, and that God can use any one.
Though Rizpah started as just a concubine to the king, she attracted King David’s attention.
Q: Final remarks . . .
A: The Rizpah Conference is a present to every woman. It’s a gift to womanhood who will ever live young or old, rich or poor. While some had reduced womanhood to the kitchen, maternity ward, weaker vessel aspect, the Rizpah Conference depicts the right picture of who and what a woman is in the fullest sense of the word woman — a woman relevant to her generation, inspiration to her times, positive influence to those around her, and zealous for the Lord.
I bid all women to come to the mother of all Rizpahs, the mother of all conferences in order to maximise their hidden potential and to mine out the capacity hidden inside of them. 2016 is a game changing conference.
God will hand-pick the ordinary, the despised, the nonentities and usher them to the front seats of life. Come to Rizpah and be blessed, come and be healed by Jesus, come and be restored. Every woman will walk away a winner.
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