Evangelism Thrust in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe 2025 to 2028
After assuming office in January 2025 as the new Connexional Evangelism Coordinator taking over from Revd D. Maturi who had done much during his term. What l have seen and leant is that for sure “inoenda sehondo church yaMwari ichivatevera vatsvene vose.” What is most exciting is that the MCZ for the past 15 years had the Vision to grow and nurture its membership however, it has not changed a lot!
Yes, different strategies and approaches have been employed, with the latest strategic plan being implemented starting 2024 to 2028. Our main goal is to grow our membership figuratively from currently perceived 150 000 to 200 000 by 2028 under strategic Pillar 1. Let me assure sisters and brothers in the Lord that this figure can be achieved by God’s grace and if some serious measures and commitment can be taken!
In 2010 Evangelism and Discipleship Committee then reported, “the Evangelism Department is motivated to fulfilling the Great Commission and the furtherance of MCZ’s mission by its Vision ‘EVANGELISM FOR ALL, BY ALL’ with a threefold mission focus of:
- Evangelising the lost
- Equipping the Believers and
- Encouraging the Believers
“As a department we therefore call all to reach out i.e Evangelize, Equip and Encourage Believers!” Some of you might be reminded by our T-Shirts then being written “I Am PROUD TO BE A METHODIST!” Being a METHODIST that time seemed to have been a unique brand! But of late one might wonder where has this zeal gone?
Therefore, l am saying we need as a Church we need ‘Evangelism for All and by All’ (Rom 1:16) Proposed Approach: Evangelism and Discipleship should not be taken as program for certain people or a group of individuals. This should be taken as everyone’s business, i.e “leaving no one or any member behind”.
In every member’s heart a fire should be lit that has an inner voice which says ‘if not by me, then by who? And ‘If not now then by when? If l can’t do it then no one is going to do it!
Let Jeremiah ‘s fire be felt in each member who is called a Methodist (Jeremiah 20:9). This calls for an intensive training program from the grassroots level of our Church structures (i.e from Sunday Schoolars). The grassroot approach is good on accountability i.e monitoring and evaluation of every soul won for Christ.
The advantage we now have is that we are now leaving in a global village. The globe has become one, right from the local, national, regional and even international levels, (whom we can partner with in our quest to win and nurture souls for His Kingdom!)
Therefore, it is my prayer and hope that as the program will be rolling out of training almost every member to be a soul winner, many are going to say, ‘here am l, LORD send ME.’
By Revd Obert Shatai (Connexional Evangelism Coordinator)
