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Nan: In just over a decade, the Church Of Christ has expanded rapidly across Africa, building houses of worship to serve its growing congregations. And it was a special pastoral visit by the Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo in 2014 that fueled a surge of new growth across the continent.
[Music]
But before this surge of growth, the Church Of Christ in Africa had its humble beginnings. Let’s explore its remarkable expansion and the foundations laid to fulfill God’s plan in this part of the world.
[Music]
[On-screen logo graphic]
Rogelio Rafols: Una sa lahat, noong aming pagsamba ay sa bahay lang. (In the beginning, we held our worship services in our home.)
Joel Ramos: And sometimes even our garages. But there were only a few of us at that time.
Nan: The Church first found its way here in 1977 with a group worship service in South Africa.
Rogelio: Hanggang noong dumami ng mga bisita namin. Ang mga kapatid na nabaptismuhan at saka yung mga bisita namin ay dumadami na.
(As time went on, more visitors started coming. The number of brethren who had been baptized, along with our visitors, we continued to grow.
Nan: Over the years, the Church Of Christ extended its reach into Libya, Nigeria, Egypt, Angola, Mauritius, Lesotho, Uganda, Sudan, and many more, introducing its presence in communities across the region.
Rogelio: Ang ministro na nagdalaw sa amin dito na maghanap na kami ng dako mapagsambahan. Kaya hanap po agad. Sabi ko, ito, dahil noon itong kapilya na ito, ay noong 1981, nung paglipat namin dito, binibenta na ito ng Church of England.
(The minister who visited us, advised that we should look for a more permanent place of worship. So I immediately began searching and remembered this [worship building]. This property back in 1981, was already being sold by the Church of England.)
Nan: Renovations were completed in the year 2000, marking one of the earliest dedicated houses of worship of the Church Of Christ in Africa. This marked the beginning of what would one day flourish throughout the region, a permanent and sacred house of worship where God’s people could gather. By 2014, the Church Of Christ celebrated its centennial anniversary, and Africa would never be the same.
During the centennial celebrations of the Church Of Christ, the executive minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, personally visited Africa, attending to the spiritual needs of the brethren, igniting a wave of growth leading to more establishments of new congregations. And one by one, new houses of worship were established in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Taba Nchu, Ha Fochane, Ladybrand, Ha Dinizulu, Petrusburg, Qwa Qwa, and many more.
[Chanting] “We have been waiting for this day. Thank you Lord God.”
Cynthia Teyise: It is very special because before we didn’t have the house of worship. But now I’m proud of telling everybody, inviting them that they can come to my Church and see how my Church is.
Thabiso Khomoaesera: Before, many brethren were not able to be accommodated. But now, at least all of us, we can be accommodated in a house of worship.
Nan: Today, there are many dedicated houses of worship across Africa. However, getting to this point was not without its challenges.
Raymond Frank: The biggest challenge there is this access to certain materials or certain products that we typically use here. It’s just because of the remoteness of the place and the availability of materials. It just makes certain things challenging that you wouldn’t normally expect to be challenging.
Like the types of wood that they use there, bricks, and just the basic components of the construction of the buildings. Just as simple as carpeting, we couldn’t get a red carpet. It was just something like we wouldn’t even think twice about here.
The availability of materials, whatever challenges that we run into, we always have to find a way to make it work. It’s just more difficult. Eventually, we have to make the [houses of worship] ready to be dedicated and ready to be used to worship.
Nan: In the Free State province of South Africa, in the communities of Ladybrand, Thaba Nchu and Petrusburg, much of the land is made up of rich clay soil. While suitable for agriculture, clay expands when wet and shrinks as it dries, slowly shifting the ground over time. Because of this, construction of houses of worship required careful planning. Engineers and builders focused first on strong foundations designed to remain stable despite the movement of the soil.
Nan: And just across the border from South Africa is Ha Fochane. Located deep within the mountainous region of Lesotho, a dramatic landscape mainly composed of solid rock and mountains. This natural environment was reflected in the design of the house of worship facade, using stone cladding to mirror the surrounding mountain landscape connecting the house of worship to the land. And you can’t help but wonder, how do you even access a place like this?
Nan: As part of the construction of the house of worship in these mountains, members of the Church Of Christ made access to the site possible. What was once a narrow walk path was widened into a road, so trucks could bring in materials to this remote location.
Brother Andrey Silva: There goes the pews for Semonkong, Ha Fochane.
Nan: Now, that’s something you don’t see every day. Truly extraordinary.
Nan: And with the grace of God, there are numerous houses of worship dedicated in Africa. Many people have come to know the truth, leading to the establishment of new congregations.
Ntsoaki Mochoa: My favorite part is the choir loft and the podium because when you enter the [house of worship], when you look there, and you feel the choir singing, that’s when you feel the Holy Spirit. And then you will be able to listen to the words of God. Having a beautiful [house of worship] like this one helped me a lot to make our faith strong. It changed my life a lot. I’m supposed to be part of this Church. And I’m happy that it is built near our community, where everyone can see it.
Cynthia Teyise: I also remember when we were having the dedication, Brother Eduardo Manalo was there, so I always have that picture of him when he was preaching to us. He always tells us that we must always be strong, even though there are many things that are happening in our lives.
Thabiso: I’m very fortunate to be one of those that are experiencing the growth of the Church. I see the growth of the Church more especially with my family. Because all of us, we are in the Church Of Christ, and we are there, the officers in the Church.
Gladys Lesenyeho: After I finished the Bible studies, I decided to become a member of the Church. And after that, they inspired me to become a choir member. Wow! That’s something that I love with all my heart. The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the house of worship, it’s where I am saved. I’m proud to invite more guests to come and witness how beautiful the house of worship is that we have.
Brother Madodandile Tyulu: The Church Of Christ has a great impact, not only in this congregation of King Williamstown, because this is where I come from. In this congregation, I was baptized here.
Brother Tsatsinyane Mahanetsa: When you look at the beginning, up until now, you can see the success of God, His power and His might through the works that He bestowed through the Church Administration.
Brother Madodandile: The growth of the Church is just God’s grace. It’s so fast. It’s beyond what I would have imagined back then.
Nan: While many heard the true teachings of God, they also witnessed them in action through a powerful demonstration of love shown in the projects led by the Executive Minister to provide care for those in need.
Brother Madodandile: The Church, once again, is doing a lot of impact. Lingaps—or, humanitarian aid activities. That’s only the beginning. I have no words to describe what the Church can do for someone. Looking at myself, what the Church can do for the continent of Africa.
Rogelio: Salamat sa Diyos sa lahat. Gawa Niya ito lahat. Hindi ito gawa ng tao. Gawa ito ng Diyos.
(We give thanks to God for everything. All of this is His work. It is not the work of man. It is the work of God.)
Nan: The growth is undeniable, significant and still unfolding today. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Blueprint, where in the end, everything is part of God’s plan.
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[Credits]
