Salvation is a total package

Tendai Manzvanzvike Divine Appointments
THIS week, we host Pastor Nyasha Mutasa (NM) of Glad Tidings Fellowship, Melfort Township. Melfort is a peri-urban centre in Goromonzi district, 35km from Harare. At the end of September they hold their 2015 Elim General Conference. Tendai Manzvanzvike speaks to the 36-year old pastor about the conference and related issues.

Q: When I saw the message “Glad Tidings Fellowship Melfort Township presents, Elim Annual General Conference 2015”, I was confused because Elim is a well-known international ministry and we have Elim Mission here in Zimbabwe. So too Glad Tidings Fellowship. What is the relationship?
A: Glad Tidings Fellowship is a Pentecostal Church with many autonomous church assemblies in Zimbabwe and outside. Its founder believes that each church should have its own identity, and the pastor and elders should be able to run the ministry. He wouldn’t want to impose his personality on that ministry.

Q: That’s Pastor Richmond Chiundiza?
A: Yes! I am the leader of GT Fellowship in Melfort, and we started in 2011. We don’t necessarily report to him or anybody else. If you don’t invite him, he doesn’t force himself on you. That’s how it is.

Q: And who is Pastor Nyasha Mutasa?
A: I was born in Ruwa in 1979 and studied in Nyanga. Then, I was in the Anglican Church. My calling came in 2000 when I was serving in the youth ministry, and I was already in GT. I was shy and didn’t want to be popular, but I just found myself witnessing to people and helping. When I attended church services and saw someone preaching or teaching, I would identify myself with them.
But in 2011, I told myself that God had put something inside of me that could help other people. That’s how I started.

Q: And, the Elim aspect?
A: Elim is from Exodus 15:27, which says, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees and they encamped there by the water.”
These are interpreted as anointed ministries because Jesus got 12 apostles and 70 other disciples, although other manuscripts say 72. That is what we identify ourselves with.

Q: What is it like in Melfort?
A: Being a peri-urban centre with a marginalised population, Melfort is not as developed as other locations. So, we have this mandate from God to uplift people; and, to see the power of the Gospel changing people’s lives.
I believe very much in the power of the Gospel where it has to change a person from the crown of their head to their toes. That’s what I believe, for salvation is a total package. If God can save my soul, He can save everything else about me.
So, from that Elim Centre we now have an Elim General Conference. We are kingdom-minded people. We turned it into a general conference because we are saying that it is open to everyone who wants to hear the word of God, to be uplifted, inspired and delivered. You can be delivered from many things: ignorance, complacency, laziness and so forth.
It is also a general conference because we don’t have a specific theme although we have a number of speakers from other churches. We just want to be ministered to and be in the presence of God.
As ministers of the Word, we want to direct people to Jesus so that they have a personal experience with Him and not base their faith on any human experiences be they good or bad. No! We want them to base their faith on the word of God.

Q: The power of the gospel – what is that power?
A: What I am saying is that the Gospel is powerful because it can transform. Paul says in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind . . .” So, the Gospel can transform how you think and see.
Internalise it and allow the Word of God to take precedence in everything. God will direct you through His word. When you do that, you will be thinking like God, acting like God, speaking like God.

Q: Some say it’s easier said than done. How practical is it that God is able to provide the answers to all the things that I am facing? When someone starts doubting, is it because they are not well fed on the Word?
A: I think that it is a very critical question and that is what we are teaching them to depend on God, to be faithful to His Word, have time in the Word, be like the Berean church.
Even if the man of God is powerful, performs miracles, we say go back and check if it is from God. Study the Word for yourself. We wouldn’t want people way-laid with doctrines that are out of this world. People have to exercise lots of wisdom: study the Word and know the truth for themselves, and they won’t move from one church to another.

Q: And this is what is happening, with people moving from one church to another, following men of God and not necessarily God . . .
A: You cannot deny people the freedom of moving from one church to another, because in some cases, they might not be fed enough. But the bottom line is that know the Word for yourself, know the plans that God has for you as an individual.
Salvation is personal, it’s not denominational. You relate to God individually and not as a denomination and you’re going to face Him alone, and not as a denomination. That is very critical in a Christian’s life.

Know the Word for yourself. People these days, maybe are not diligent enough. They don’t have that much time to go into the scriptures to study the word as they study for their academic and professional qualifications.

Q: Let’s go back to the upcoming conference. You don’t have a theme, so what will you be doing in the three days?
A: I have asked the speakers to just listen to the voice of God – whatever God has ministered to them, to minister to the congregation.
On Saturday, we will have “Money Matters” with Apostle Duncan Manyonda, who will teach about money, stewardship, practical examples of how we can invest, start small businesses, for example selling vegetables.

We will also have the CEO of Goromonzi Rural District Council who will talk about their plan for Melfort Township, that is in terms of the area’s development so that as Christians, we see where we can participate in the socio-economic development of the area.
I believe that we are the salt and the light of the world so we also need to help the local council in order to develop the area.

Q: I have spoken to several pastors and when they talk about transforming people’s lives, I always hear about assisting people to start small businesses. Why can’t the church think big? They all end up selling vegetables or secondhand clothes and they feel that areas like mining are for a certain class of people.
A: I think it is about how we present the information. It is also important to stretch people’s imaginations and make them believe that with God, they can also do it. That is why we invited Apostle Manyonda because he is in business, and I know that he can impart that wisdom.

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