Church Revitalization – Muledane Baptist Church

It is indeed Jesus Christ who builds his Church; it is his prerogative and his alone. It says in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” First Corinthians 3:6 further confirms that, over and above all human efforts, it is God who gives growth to all the good work he starts both in our hearts and our local churches. It says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

By God’s grace and providence, it all started in the late 90s when God planted a strong desire for his Word in a handful of young adults from the Muledane Area in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province. The following are some of the young people who, by God’s irresistible grace, started to attend Bible studies at Mbilwi King Jesus Baptist Church led by Pastor Makondele Erick Livhebe: Mr.Musandiwa Patrick Nemabubuni, Mr. Geoffrey Nemabubuni, Mr. Thingahangwi Mashapha, Mr. Takalani Amos Ralikhuvhana, Mr. Ndivhuwo Benjamin Rembuluwani, Mr. Azwitakadzi Tuwani, Mr. Mpho Mudau, and Mr. Nkhumbuleni Imraan Tshilande. The desire to understand and live God’s Word was so vivid that this young group of people was dubbed the apostles. Their hunger for God’s Word was clear evidence of Philippians 2:13, which says, “For it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” 

This young group of people, zealous for God’s Word and good works, used to walk about 20 km (return) to Mbilwi King Jesus Baptist Church almost every Friday, attending Bible Study and attending corporate worship every Sunday. They were mostly walking on foot to attend all these services, except some other times where fellow Christians would help them with money for public transport. Then in 2001, Pastor  Livhebe affirmed them to open a baptist church in their local area, Muledane village in Limpopo Province, South Africa. He also affirmed Mr. Patrick Nemabubuni to be the lead pastor of the branch or daughter church called Muledane Baptist Church. As a result, a local church was opened on July 01, 2001, fellowshipping at Muledane Lower Primary School – see photos above.

Now, as the local Church grew, by God’s grace, and the young group of people who started with it began to reach the age of starting their own families and taking care of their mothers, fathers, and siblings, and, the leadership of the Church started to be unstable. In December 2007, Patrick Nemabubuni relocated to Pretoria to work in the national Department of Agriculture. As a result, the Church’s leadership shifted hands from Patrick Nemabubuni to Ndivhuwo Benjamin Rembuluwani/Makuya, Nkhumbuleni Imraan Tshilande, Rendani Nemulalate, Geoffrey Nemabubuni, and Dakalo Elton Rambau. As the pulpit was changing hands, the congregation was feeling the pain of unstable leadership. Some members decided to change membership to other churches, while those who remained were left hanging on the edge, breathing through the wound.

As the Scriptures says that God works in mysterious ways (Cf. Isaiah 55:8-9), He has been working behind the curtains to keep the local Church’s light alive despite its challenges. The truth of Romans 8:28 became active and meaningful as the local Church was going through these turbulences. It says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. So, even the leadership challenges faced by Muledane Baptist Church were being allowed and used by God for the Church’s temporal and eternal good.

How is that possible? As Patrick Nemabubuni was in Pretoria, busy pursuing his career (i.e., studying further in his secular studies) and advancing in the corporate ladder, God was at work in his heart and life in general. In 2009 he was married to Mrs. Meriam Ruth Nemabubuni (maiden surname, Nemakonde from Mbilwi King Jesus Baptist Church). He also obtained his Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management at the University of South Africa while working in government. Through God’s grace, Patrick’s spiritual life was not choked (Cf. Matthew 13:22) by his studies and employment as he was striving to feed and manage his family well (Cf. 1 Timothy 3:4-5). God’s grace and providence helped him manage his household well, financially and spiritually, as he grew in the knowledge of the truth and holiness as a Christian (Cf. 1 Timothy 2:4 and  John 17:17).

As Patrick was busy in the busyness of life under the sun, God was busy working in his heart and life mysteriously. Upon relocating to Pretoria in December 2007, he became an active church member at Central Baptist Church in Pretoria, South Africa. That’s where he was trained in evangelism in a church ministry called Evangelism Explosion 111, and this was one of the ministries he was passionate about and involved in for some years. In 2013 a door was open for him to be trained in a two-year training program in Biblical Counseling in Pretoria, South Africa, at Strengthening Ministry Training Institute (SMTI, www.smti.co.za), instructed and directed by Dr. Wayne Mack.  

Surprisingly, biblical counseling was (and still is) at the heart of Patrick’s spiritual giftedness of teaching and exhortation. It was also a dream come true and a privilege for him to be trained by such a reputable scholar, author of biblical counseling books, and one of the biblical counseling fathers, like Dr. Wayne Mack. Furthermore, upon completing the two-year training, Dr. Wayne Mack, through God’s providence, became a mentor in biblical counseling to Patrick Nemabubuni. The bond was so close that Patrick became like a spiritual son to Dr. Wayne Mack. This was confirmed when Dr. Wayne Mack, through God’s providence, of course, helped Patrick to be accepted and register for his Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling (MABC) at The Master’s University based in California in the United States of America. Through God’s enabling and equipping grace, Patrick finished his MABC in 2017, and in June 2018, Patrick flew to California in the USA with his wife for graduation.

Indeed this can only be God working behind the curtains to accomplish His purposes. It can only be God who was doing all these in and through Patrick’s life. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). How can a person complete a graduate program (MABC) while he is working as a manager in a government department and managing his marriage and family at the same time? Again, while he was doing his MABC, he was also going through rigorous studies and training to be registered as a certified biblical counselor with one of the highest body or board called the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors based in the USA (ACBC USA). By God’s grace, on September 06, 2016, he became the first Black African to be certified (accredited) by ACBC USA. Then after completing MABC, Patrick became a lecturer for two years under the supervision of Dr. Wayne Mack at Strengthening Ministry Training Institute here in Pretoria, South Africa.

“Indeed to whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48). To date, Patrick has written three books, including the one on  expository preaching called “How was the Church Service?” All these books are available on Amazon: www.amazon.com. In his endorsement of the book, Dr. Tim Cantrel (Sr. Pastor, Antioch Bible Church / President, Shepherds’ Seminary in Johannesburg, South Africa), said, “I’m thrilled to see capable African authors expounding and applying the truth of Scripture for our local churches here in Africa.  Patrick has provided us a useful tool for digging into God’s Word, growing as a Christian, and strengthening churches.  May God use this resource far and wide.”

And to add a cherry on top, here is another endorsement by Dr. Charlie Rampfumedzi, (Pastor at Christ Baptist Church and Principal at Christ Seminary in Polokwane, South Africa): “Some books are a pain to finish reading, but others are a pleasure and a joy to revisit again and again. What makes this book a pleasure to read is its simplicity and clarity, which are key to preaching the Bible. Patrick developed a tool for all who love the exposition of the Word of God. This book is indeed a must-read for every Christian.”

Now to cut a long story short, at the same time I (Patrick) was being equipped spiritually,  Muledane Baptist Church was still up and running, by God’s grace. When I completed my studies at The Master’s University and busy in my biblical counseling ministry and writing books, Mr. Dakalo Elton Rambau was the lead pastor at Muledane Baptist Church. At that time, Dakalo was completing his theological studies at Christ Seminary in Polokwane, South Africa. But surprisingly, on July 28, 2020, I received a Whatsapp message (as his spiritual mentor), saying, “I have come to a decision to leave Muledane Baptist Church and join a church where I will serve as a pastoral assistant.” That’s it! A bombshell in my comfort zone. While I was cruising in my secular job and biblical counseling ministry, God gave me something big to think about.

The thought of seeing Muledane Baptist Church die was painful to me. I said to myself, “Between myself and Muledane Baptist Church, I may rather die first.” Romans 9:1-3 weighed very heavily on me. It says, “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Since July 1, 2001, when Muledane Baptist Church was established, God has laid a special love and bond on my heart for this local Church, which I cannot divorce. Even though I left the local Church in December 2007 for Pretoria, the love and burden for Muledane Baptist Church didn’t leave me ever since.

When I received this mind-bothering and a peace-disturbing message from Dakalo, I was an active member at The Church in Mamelodi led by Pastor Sibusiso Mlotshwa. I’ve come to know Pastor Sibusiso, as fellow brothers in Christ, at Central Baptist Church Pretoria back in 2008. After extensive consultation with Pastor Sibusiso, Dr. Charlie Rampfumedzi (Pastor at Christ Baptist Church Polokwane and principal at Christ Seminary), and Pastor Patrick Mutombo (Pastor at Central Baptist Church, The Hill Campus, and Lecturer at The South African Theological Seminary), I, together with my wife, took a decision to be part of the revitalization of Muledane Baptist Church, if God allows.

To cut a long story short, I then consulted Pastor ME Livhebe, who is my spiritual father in Christ and the one who sent me to establish Muledane Baptist Church back in July 2001.  Surprising, my desire to lead Muledane Baptist Church was an answered prayer for him. When the matter was taken to Muledane Baptist Church, a unanimous decision was taken that I should lead the Church again as a pastor. In fact, they were wondering where I was all along. Fast forward; the ordination service was conducted by Pastor ME Livhebe (see photo below) at Mbilwi King Jesus Baptist Church on 20 December 2020. Pastor Sibusiso Mlotswa (and the delegation from The Church in Mamelodi) and Dr. Charlie Rampfumedzi were also there to witness the occasion – see photos below. After the ordination service at Mbilwi, the guests were invited to Muledane Baptist Church to a meet and greet fellowship lunch as an expression of gratitude for what God has done for Muledane Baptist Church to date.

    

      

      

The letter of affirmation from Pastor Sibusiso Mlotshwa reads as follows,

“It is our joy to commend Patrick Nemabubuni to you. He has been part of The Church in Mamelodi for some time now. In this time, he has served us and shown great maturity and loyalty to Jesus and the local Church. We are saddened by his leaving us as he played an integral role in the strengthening of our Church. But with the same breath, we are excited that he will have an opportunity to lead the Church that he planted so many years ago. Having talked with Patrick about his involvement with your Church previously, it was evident that Patrick truly loved that Church. He made it clear coming to us that his heart is in Venda, and he was looking forward to going there and serve the body as soon as he gets the right opportunity. It seems the right opportunity has come, and we are overjoyed that the kingdom of God will grow in that part of the world.

We look forward to attending the formal ordination of Patrick Nemabubuni as the Pastor of Muledane Baptist Church later in the year. May you receive him with warmth and encouragement as your Pastor. We believe there is a lot you will learn under his ministry and the team he will assemble around him. We join in saying congratulations to him for wanting to serve the kingdom of God above his comfort.”

Conclusion: Indeed Jesus Christ is building up his Church even today, not us. He could have used someone else at Muledane Baptist Church than Musandiwa Patrick Nemabubuni. It is by His own sovereign will that He chooses to use us in His great and glorious plan of salvation. Ours is just to be diligent, faithful, and humble servants. Luke 17:10 says it all, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”

Photos of the FIRST Sunday after the ordination of Pastor Musandiwa Patrick Nemabubuni.