The Sunday Mail
Religion Writer
MANY tout him as a towering symbol of astuteness and perhaps the height of principle in a man of the cloth, one that does not compromise on his ideals and is unwavering in his pursuit of the truth and indeed telling it.
In his Gweru community, the leader of Champions Ministries International, Prophet Richard Chiwara, is known by the moniker Chingongingo. One, who like the reeds of a raging river may be lain flat by the flow, but will ultimately go back to his previous position.
No matter how ferocious the opposition to his thoughts, he will always come back and stand by his words and actions.
“I am the product of fighting for the truth,” he says in a steely authoritative voice. One that has fatherly overtones.
“You see, when you work with people and know what is right, no matter what you go against or what goes against you, as long as you stand by the truth you will ultimately conquer,” he says.
And he should be one to know. After all he has struggled to reach the stage that he is now as a strong community leader and father to the many children he looks after. Loathed as they may be, he felt the streets of Gweru had gathered more than its fair share of street children. He then took it upon himself to “adopt” 26 street-kids; or by his own parlance, street sons, before housing them in a mission house.
Prophet Richard Chiwara
A strict believer in how education can free one from bondage and poverty, he took 12 (the academically gifted) of the 26 and got them through O-Level until they graduated successfully.
“Many of them are now working in the private sector and some are self-employed. That is because I run a ministry in which I believe that everyone should be rich and there is absolutely nothing wrong with accumulating wealth,” he says.
His word is that many people to whom the name of God was attested in the Bible were themselves wealthy.
“He is called the God of Isaac. Of Abraham. All those were wealthy men with so much wealth because he does not glorify poverty and wants to see his people being wealthy and satisfied and that is what I will help people do. Get wealthy!”
It is little surprise, therefore, that he has attracted attention in his ministry through his maverick teachings. He has trained engineers, media people, and camera people in the church because young talent needs a helping hand.
“I want my flock to have money and comfort. Anointing without money is annoying,” he says in a popular rhyme associated with the man.
Yet, flamboyant as his ministry might be, he is celebrated for his warm acts of random kindness. After a family lost their home to a fire that gutted everything and left them destitute, he rebuilt their home and gave them a new lease of life and a reason to believe in the principle of human kindness yet again.
Above the rebuilding, he went on to furnish it and bring back the dignity of the family. His educational scholarship that sends 10 students from resource poor backgrounds to the Midlands State University is a way he has empowered those whose sights are beyond just general education and it is here that lawyers and engineers bred by him emerge from.
What has attracted people to this larger than life colossus of Gweru is that he is the little city’s equivalent of a celebrity pastor and even he knows that but he disputes the tag.
“Some call me a celebrity but the only celebrity I know is God!” he retorts in a giddy manner.
And yet in all this loud and fast beauty of a talker lies a unique and calm spirit who celebrates women in the community. A woman whose womb suffered complications sent a cry for help for the 26 000 South African Rands that was needed for the operation. She was at a crossroads facing the doors of death which were wide open.
Just as she was holding her invitation for a date with the grim reaper, Prophet Chiwara came through and gave her a grant of the money, possibly saving her life in the process. There is a sweet toast to the story of Prophet Chiwara. Many modern “men of God” have been criticised for “preying” on the faithful and living ravenously off their tithes. Not so! Says Chingongingo.
“I believe the man of God should not sit and wait for tithes and offerings from congregants. They should work! The Bible says we should work and feed the flock of God and not the flock of God feed us. That is why I am also into business,” he says.
“A full time pastor does not mean being lazy and waiting for offerings. You can have businesses running on the side and still be tending to the flock of God full time,” he philosophises.
While other pastors/prophets receive their calling then become businesspersons, Prophet Chiwara got his calling to minister while he was already a successful businessman – making his story quite unique.
The maverick speaker is one of the directors of the successful River Valley Properties in Gweru, itself a successful group of companies that has left tens of thousands of Gweru, Zvishavane, Shurugwi and residents elsewhere smiling after receiving affordable and decent housing from their friendly schemes.
“I work with Mr Mncedisi and Mrs Smelly Dube and have been with them for close to a decade now. It is because they are a God fearing couple who also know that the poor need to be looked after. After all giving people a decent roof over their heads is one of the Godliest acts one can ever perform.”
