What is the purpose and vision of your Church?
We plant churches, build school, sponsor bible schools and build Churches. When we build, it remains the property of the church and the church maintains it.
So who are you sir?
I was born in a rural area call Dlangeni, we are three boys. I had my secondary education in 1986 and continued at a Bible school between 1999 and 2001. The call of God came simultaneously with my salvation in 1985. When I was leaving school, I was fond of ministering the gospel but I resolved to be patient till I graduated from school. After my secondary education, I worked at a clinic and in 1989 I left school for full ministry. My wife is also a ministry worker but she still works with the government in Swaziland .
Since your arrival in Nigeria , how do you see our mode of Christianity?
I came here recently. Christianity here is vibrant. Before I came here, I have seen some form of Christianity here. I actually love the music. In Swaziland, we sing like the Western world but here, it is conceptualized, so you can see that it is African, even when they sing Western music. I have preached in one church and it has been a wonderful experience.
Compare the mode of service here in Nigeria with that in Swaziland ?
Let me start from the praise and worship; it is rather short in Nigeria . In Swaziland , we praise for close to an hour before the pastor comes in. Here, much power and energy is put into worship and praise here than there. We are more conservative in Swaziland except for some Churches that are now charismatic.
We are generally more reserved in Swaziland. Here when you say “Praise the Lord”, there is a big Hallelujah. When you say Amen, it is ore resounding here. But in Swaziland , we are more reserved. We don't have such things in Swaziland , so if Nigerian pastors come to Swaziland , they will be disappointed that the people don't respond to Praise the Lord or Amen. That does not mean the people do not agree with you or praise God but we like to listen than to talk.
Just as in Nigeria where I see Churches all over the place, so it is happening in Swaziland . Churches are taking over the districts. Churches are becoming very powerful and influential. Nigeria 's become a role model in ‘churching' to so many countries in Africa . We look unto Nigeria Churches in so many areas. So many pastors come to Swaziland . Nigerian has introduced prosperity preaching, spiritual warfare, etc to the Churches in Swaziland. So many of our pastors do come here to train and they become big when they returned home.
Some Nigerian pastors like Bishop David Oyedepo, Chris Oyakhilome and T.B. Joshua are much known in Swaziland. Pastor Chris is perhaps the most popular Nigerian pastor in Swaziland because of the power of the television, which forces him into our living rooms. So many people in Swaziland like to meet with Pastor Chris. When he came to South Africa, so many people traveled there to see him. I have not met with him. I only did in reading his books.
"... Some Nigerian pastors like Bishop David Oyedepo, Chris Oyakhilome and T.B. Joshua are much known in Swaziland. Pastor Chris is perhaps the most popular Nigerian pastor in Swaziland because of the power of the television, which forces him into our living rooms..."
When would you say Christianity was introduced to Swaziland and what are the highlights there?
About 160 years ago. About 80% of Swazi people claim to be Christians but about 20% go to church on Sundays. We do not have much Islamic influence in Swaziland so we do not have such religious frictions like Muslims burning churches and vice versa. But I can see that happening in time to come because the Islamic population is growing fast and the people are poor. If you give them food they will listen to you.
Other highlights like pilgrimage to Jerusalem used to happen but now, I don't hear of much people doing that.
On denominations, we have them just as you have them here, the orthodox, the charismatic and the African, etc,
On gospel music, just as you have them here: Some years ago, there were very few groups because it was very difficult for them to survive but now, hey are more popular than the pastors. They have over taken the pastors. People come to watch the musicians and leave immediately they finishing their performances. In Swaziland , some musicians ask for money while others just play and leave.
There is a cultural show in Swaziland where young women parade themselves almost nakedly, amongst whom the Swazi King picks a wife on yearly basis. The news has it that the Swazi King now has about 35 wives. For a predominantly Christian country, how do you react to the show of nudity?
No, the King does no have 35 wives. The show is purely a cultural show and those bare breasts you see does not move an average Swazi man. It is not an issue to us, though women can't come to Church like that.
On Christian reactions to that, it depends on the individual. Christians might attend or not. It depends on what the pastor feels that he tells his members. For me, if my member tells me she wants to attends, she needs to tell me why. To us, bare breast is not an issue.
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