Reverend Chivavariro’s dream fulfilled

28 Jun, 2015 - 00:06 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Last year, founder of the Assemblies of Pentecostal Methodists, Reverend Tapera Chivavariro had a dream in which he was singing with fellow local gospel musicians while a huge crowd had gathered for the show.

When he woke up from that dream, Rev Chivavariro wrote a song entitled Ebenezer.

The South Africa-based pastor went on to call all the gospel musicians he had seen in the dream, requesting that they join him in recording the song.

Apart from Rev Chivavariro’s wife, this dream song brought together local gospel music giants such as Baba Charles Charamba, Mechanic Manyeruke, Pastor Lawrence Haisa, Noel Zembe, Kudzi Nyakudya, Bethany Pasinawako and Rumbi Zvirikuzhe.

The song is now commanding its own space among the most popular tracks on the Star FM Gospel Greats show hosted by Leander ‘Leekay’ Kandiero every Sunday evening.

Taken from the album Ebenezer/Tiri Munyasha, Rev Chivavariro said the way the song has gained popularity is exactly how he envisioned it in his dream.

“In the dream I saw people being ministered to by the song. So when I phoned the artistes one by one asking them to join me in singing the song, they all agreed.

“Each one of them (musicians) came at their time to learn their words with some adjusting their words according to their voices. When we recorded the song, no one thought the song would get this far.

“The song went viral last year on social media and that’s how it found itself gaining popularity with audiences as far as the United Kingdom,” Rev Chivavariro said.

Biblically, the word ‘Ebenezer’ means, “thus far the Lord has brought us,” (1 Samuel 7v12) as the prophet Samuel acknowledged God for giving the Israelites victory over the Phillistines.

Rev Chivavariro said inspite of religion, gender or race, everyone has an Ebenezer moment which probably explains why the song has become popular.

“Everyone has an Ebenezer moment. No matter what tribe or business you do you have a point where you say God has brought me through. Even the way these musicians agreed to join me in singing the song — it proved that it was God’s grace,” Rev Chivavariro said.

Having left Zimbabwe a decade ago to pursue a PHD in Religious Studies, Rev Chivavariro eventually started a ministry in Germiston in 2001. The ministry now has 19 assemblies in most of the provinces of South Africa.

The assemblies also answered the prayer of many Zimbabweans who were migrating to South Africa but could not find a church they identified with.

“Most churches were conducting their services in South Africa’s local languages while those that used English were too traditional for some Zimbabweans.

“So our initial focus was on closing that gap. While I was with the Methodist Church in Africa, we started to conduct Shona services and other churches began to follow suit.

“And now Zimbabweans come through for services. People have to fellowship and the need is huge. Another need now is that we establish branches in Zimbabwe,” noted Rev Chivavariro.

The reverend has promised the launch of the DVD album next month in addition to a tour of various cities locally.

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