News / National
Breakaway Methodist Revival Church launched
19 Sep 2011 at 05:54hrs | Views
FIVE reverends who recently broke away from the United Methodist Church, yesterday officially launched their new church, The Methodist Revival Church (MRC).
Rev Phillip Mupindu is now the Bishop and his four fellow reverends, Ngonidzashe Mukarakate, John Chinyerere, Mwoyoungoziwa Murauro and Gift Mudambo will be part of the leadership.
Nearly 3 000 followers attended the launch at Harare Gardens, with a church member donating top of the range Range Rover for Bishop Mupindu. Other members pledged stands and generators for the church.
In an interview yesterday, Bishop Mupindu said the new church would be operating under the Pentecostal and Evangelical principals.
He said the Methodist Revival Church was not going to claim ownership of the properties of the United Methodist Church (UMC).
"Takabuda takanyarara" (we withdrew peacefully) and we are not going to touch anything that belongs to United Methodist Church, not even the church buildings. We are going to acquire our own properties.
"We want to avoid unnecessary fights. Right now we do not have any buildings as our church is just one-month old and we are still growing but in the long run we wish to have our own premises.
"In the meantime we are renting schools to conduct our services," he said.
Asked on what was going to differentiate the MRC and UMC, Bishop Mupindu said the Reverends of MRC were not going to put on white collars, neither were the followers going to wear uniforms.
He said some of the issues were going to be discussed later.
He, however, submitted that in the event that they decided otherwise, the uniform would be different from the UMC. Bishop Mupindu said men were not going to put on sashes, which are normally worn by elders - 'Vabvuwi'.
"The style and mode of worship is totally different. MRC will be using more of Pentecostal approach."
"Everyone has a chance to portray his/her talent, be it through singing, preaching, teaching or even praying for the sick. It differs from the old system that does not allow mass praying."
In the UMC, only church elders pray, while others quietly close their eyes.
Bishop Mupindu said it was difficult for them to introduce the Pentecostal way of worshiping, while in the UMC saying the mother church confined itself to the old rules and systems.
Rev Mukarakate said their programme was not designed to take members from other churches but to preach the gospel of repentance.
Rev Phillip Mupindu is now the Bishop and his four fellow reverends, Ngonidzashe Mukarakate, John Chinyerere, Mwoyoungoziwa Murauro and Gift Mudambo will be part of the leadership.
Nearly 3 000 followers attended the launch at Harare Gardens, with a church member donating top of the range Range Rover for Bishop Mupindu. Other members pledged stands and generators for the church.
In an interview yesterday, Bishop Mupindu said the new church would be operating under the Pentecostal and Evangelical principals.
He said the Methodist Revival Church was not going to claim ownership of the properties of the United Methodist Church (UMC).
"Takabuda takanyarara" (we withdrew peacefully) and we are not going to touch anything that belongs to United Methodist Church, not even the church buildings. We are going to acquire our own properties.
"We want to avoid unnecessary fights. Right now we do not have any buildings as our church is just one-month old and we are still growing but in the long run we wish to have our own premises.
"In the meantime we are renting schools to conduct our services," he said.
He said some of the issues were going to be discussed later.
He, however, submitted that in the event that they decided otherwise, the uniform would be different from the UMC. Bishop Mupindu said men were not going to put on sashes, which are normally worn by elders - 'Vabvuwi'.
"The style and mode of worship is totally different. MRC will be using more of Pentecostal approach."
"Everyone has a chance to portray his/her talent, be it through singing, preaching, teaching or even praying for the sick. It differs from the old system that does not allow mass praying."
In the UMC, only church elders pray, while others quietly close their eyes.
Bishop Mupindu said it was difficult for them to introduce the Pentecostal way of worshiping, while in the UMC saying the mother church confined itself to the old rules and systems.
Rev Mukarakate said their programme was not designed to take members from other churches but to preach the gospel of repentance.
Source - TH
