The Standard (Zimbabwe)

Zim ‘missionary’ takes Christiani­ty to Moslems

- BY REX MPHISA

AMutare-based preacher Moreblessi­ng Rwambiwa has taken Christiani­ty to the Moslem world of Pakistan despite the volatility against that religion in that region. Rwambiwa, the founder and president of the River Song Church headquarte­red in Mutare is arguably the rst black Evangelist from this part of the world to venture deep into that Moslem territory.

He has reportedly made in-roads and doing massive crusades in the predominan­tly Muslim country.

In a recording made from that part of the world, Rwambiwa claimed his strength had been a number of miracles and prowess in reading the into his new ock individual­ly fortunes.

He said he has performed varieties of miracles where the lame have been helped recover and misfortune­s addressed and the barren receiving help.

“I am [Pakistan] at this very moment. I am doing massive crusades and have been widely accepted in this country,” he said.

Pakistan, according to reports, is overwhelmi­ngly Muslim, but Christians and Hindus make up the largest minority groups, with each representi­ng about 1,6% of the population.

“At the moment I am in Lahore where I have converted a number of Moslems to Christiani­ty,” Rwambiwa said.

“They are an interestin­g people, who when converted extensivel­y seek to understand scriptures.

“Most converted have studied the whole New Testament and know it word for word. Initially they were resisting, but gradually they accepted.

“They have a culture where they for some reason dislike preaching using a loud hailers or use of microphone­s, but they have since accepted that I use those electronic devices.

“At the beginning penetratio­n was di cult because they most probably wanted to see if I had anything new.

“As time went on crowds began to follow as I performed miracles there was change.”

He says he made some blind see and the deaf were healed which attracted large followings.

He was only accepted as a prophet, a title he said was reserved for Mohammed, he said.

“At one time I met a businessma­n whose past and future had been opened to me in prayer and when I told him he accepted my religion and so did many of his relatives,” he said.

He said his mission was to reveal people’s talents as shown to him by his holy spirit.

Rwambiwa’s mission is not one of the easiest though. According to some press reports, religious minorities including Christians have been increasing­ly targeted amid the growing Islamicisa­tion of Pakistan.

They are accused of “blasphemy”.

Christian communitie­s also remain among the poorest sections of society and often still do menial jobs.

Entire villages in parts of Punjab are Christian and their inhabitant­s work as labourers and farmhands.

But there are sections of the Christian community that are more well o . Better educated and mainly settled in Karachi, they came over from Goa during the British Raj.

Muslims and Christians mostly co-exist amiably enough without frequent outbreaks of animosity.

But accusation­s of blasphemy have also often led to mob violence against Christians, while militant Islamists have also targeted the community.

Documented attacks are many including one on a church in Quetta in December 2017 that killed nine people and injured 57

Suicide attack targeting Christians celebratin­g Easter at a Lahore playground in March 2016 left 70 dead and more than 340 wounded, just to name a few.

Rwambiwa said despite that he chose Pakistan because in some of the Christian scriptures word had to be taken all over the world.

“As a result I felt it deep in my spirit to go to an lslam Nation and preach the gospel,” Rwambiwa said.

“Many ministers are afraid of the unknown especially when it comes to preaching to such Nations of people who don't believe in Jesus.

“With the many stories we read and see on the internet, of preachers dying especially in lslamic nations,l took a bold step to go there and preach.”

 ?? ?? Rwambiwa was well-received in Pakistan
Rwambiwa was well-received in Pakistan
 ?? ??
 ?? ?? Moreblessi­ng Rwambiwa (right)
Moreblessi­ng Rwambiwa (right)

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Zimbabwe