The Sunday Mail
Tendai Manzvanzvike Divine Appointments —
DOMINION Ministries International is one of four churches housed at Harare City Council’s yester-year cash cow — Rufaro Marketing’s Rukudzo Bar in Mufakose, Harare.
The ministries have given the former revellers’ spot a facelift and new meaning. Tendai Manzvanzvike (TM), speaks to its youthful presiding pastor, Prophet Fortunate Raston (FR), about his journey from the Catholic Church into the prophetic office, via Christ Embassy.
TM: Prophet Raston, for how long have you been with Dominion Ministries?
FR: Well, it’s now close to a year. Prior to that, I was with Christ Embassy, Mufakose Assembly and I was there for about five or six years.
TM: And before Christ Embassy?
FR: I was a Catholic parishioner at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Church.
TM: What made you leave a well-established ministry to join Dominion Ministries?
FR: A lot of people ask me that question, l have a very straight-forward answer. I believe the first mandate that God gave us was to reach out for lost souls, and as I was growing in Christ, I realised my different giftings, and I wanted to pursue them for the edification of the church.
And in Christ Embassy, by the grace of God, I managed to learn a lot of things under the mentorship of Pastor Chris, and it has been such a wonderful time with him.
I’m actually connected to them via their International School of Ministry (ISM) network, so I can’t say that I have left Christ Embassy per se.
TM: So you are like a child sent on an errand?
FR: That would be a simpler way of addressing it. And the reason why I went to Dominion Ministries was to pursue my prophetic call, because I saw that it was easier for me to grow there under the guidance of Apostle Adam, and I could fully reach my potential as a prophet.
TM: From the Catholic Church to Christ Embassy, and now Dominion Ministries. What does this journey mean in your life considering that you are still young? Aren’t you are just jumping from one church to another?
FR: Well, I agree with you that it has been a journey, and in every journey there is always a starting point, and my starting point towards knowing Christ was the Catholic Church, since this is where my parents were going.
And from there, I realised that I wanted to grow more in the word of God, and the only place that I could really mature in the knowledge of God was under Pastor Chris’ mentorship.
That’s why I went to Christ Embassy – to learn more of God’s word. As I was learning more of God’s word, I had a lot of encounters with the Holy Spirit, and I discovered that I was walking in a certain office that I sought to understand.
That was the office of the prophet because I would see myself prophesying to people, knowing the things that were coming or just about to come, and knowing certain things about people that they would not have told me.
So, in my many meetings with the Holy Spirit, He told me things to do with the prophetic ministry. While trying to find out what it was all about, that’s when I saw the man of God, Apostle Adam and the Holy Spirit directed me and said just see him, he might have something to tell you.
I went to see him during their crusade and the first words he said were, “God has called you into an office of a prophet.”
After the crusade, he started explaining some of the things that I was going through, and how that meant that I was a prophet, and that he was going to teach me to be able to deliver the prophetic word, because prophecy is not just about knowing what someone is going through.
It’s also about the interpretation of what you have seen or heard – that you give the correct message through the grace of God.
TM: When you say correct message, what do you mean?
FR: Well, now in the New Testament when it comes to giving a word of knowledge or word of wisdom or the prophetic word, we are not really looking so much at what people have done, because that is why Jesus Christ came. We are looking towards their salvation in Christ Jesus.
So, when I was starting, Apostle Adam would guide me that there are certain times when it is not necessary for me to say certain things, for example that this person slept with so and so, but that I could say words that are clothed with love, for example saying that I’m seeing that you have a challenge in your marriage, but God is going to give you the grace to overcome it.
It’s a better way of interpreting what you would have seen.
TM: Wow, that’s beautiful. I think most people would say it bluntly. So, there is diplomacy in the prophetic?
FR: When you get into the Bible, we have the prophet Nathan after David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife.
It was not good in the eyes of the Lord, and the prophet had to ask for wisdom from the Lord, because he knew that if he said it the other way, David could kill him.
So, Nathan diplomatically told David a story. The king initially wanted to give advice, but when he realised that it was him, he was convicted.
It means that every prophetic word has a better way of delivery, than just being blunt as you said, because sometimes that can get you into trouble.
TM: When all this mentoring was taking place, were you now with Dominion Ministries?
FR: I was still with Christ Embassy, but I would be talking to my pastors there, and to a certain extent, they were okay with it because they would say they wanted the best out of me. And I was learning some interesting things.
TM: When you finally left, did Christ Embassy release you?
FR: They did, on condition that I would continue to learn, and grow in the word of God and have connection via the ISM network.
TM: Now that there was a prophet in the house. What was the reception like?
FR: It’s interesting. Although they knew that I was a prophet, I was now the Apostle’s armour bearer.
TM: I gather that you now heading the church because Apostle Adam is now based in South Africa.
FR: Yes!
TM: So what is it like – the roles have changed – the armour bearer is now in charge?
FR: It has been interesting. When we talk about change, there is always an aspect of resistance, but the congregants have been very accommodating, and excited as well.
They are more excited about the word of God because what we call prophecy is basically the testimony of Jesus Christ. For some, they are interested in the prophetic – what is God saying to them regarding their future.
TM: What is the church’s membership?
FR: Over a 100.
TM: What are some of the amazing moments?
FR: We have had situations where some people come for two or three Sundays, and when there is no word of prophecy over their lives, they leave!
All they want is what God is saying about them – not the word of God, not Jesus. Prophet, where is my money, where is my business, where can I get a job? That’s all they want. Nothing about God!
When I see them, I just teach the word, and probably give the prophetic word in the word. If they cannot listen when the word is preached, they will not realise that their prophecy is in the word.
TM: You are very young, but you are leading a ministry. Are prophets coming younger and younger as the Bible says? How old are you Prophet?
FR: Well, I am in my late twenties. lt is the era of the prophetic, but when we talk and do not factor Christ in it as the foundation, it’s like guess work. We have to find out the kind of spirit operating in a person, because even demons prophesy. They knew who Christ was.
As prophets, our job is to point people to Christ, by any means necessary. That’s the job description. I thank God for bestowing on me a certain grace to function in different offices in the five-fold ministry. It’s His grace and nothing else.
TM: Looking at the church movement in Zimbabwe, why is it that someone gets on two commuter omnibus, when there are so many churches in the neighbourhood?
FR: It’s an interesting question, but I would say that the connection to a certain extent is the word that is being shared there. People hear of testimonies from those churches, how the man of God is mightily used, and they also want to be partakers of that same grace.
TM: What is Dominion Ministries’ doctrine?
FR: We are Christ-centred – everything to do with Christ. God is revealed in Dominion Ministries in all aspects through His word. People are saved and lives are transformed.
TM: So many young people are into substance abuse, and many other vices. As a young preacher, what do you think should be done?
FR: First of all, we must fish them out and clean them up because with most of them, when you sit down and talk with them, they have lost hope for the future.
They can’t see their lives 10 years from now. All they are seeing is today. That’s why they are living recklessly. They don’t have a vision for tomorrow. So, we bring them out and introduce them to Jesus Christ who is their hope, and once they have that relationship with Christ, they will change.
Some of them don’t have love. Maybe they come from broken families, and the only way of dealing with their problem is drinking. But I think that it all goes back to love. If we introduce love in our families, every aspect of it – Christ, because He is love – the world will become a better place. People should put their focus in Christ, because that is where life is.
Christ is living in us, so let us be Christ-like every time. Let us pursue Christ and His love, because if we pursue Him we will grow in the grace, and all these things that people are looking for are found in Christ, distributed through is grace.
Receive salvation. Receive the Holy Spirit and get to a Bible-believing church that is Holy Spirit-filled.
Feedback: [email protected]
