Service Of The Church Of The Holy Ghost In Celebration Of The Church’s Centenary Anniversary And The Opening Of The Temple Of Nations
Presentation Of His Majesty Of The Zulu Nation
Before He Speaks
By Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP
Tradtional Prime Minister To The
Zulu Monarch And Nation
Inkosi Of The Buthelezi Clan And
President Of The Inkatha Freedom Party
Hammarsdale
His Majesty the King of the Zulu Nation, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu; Vicars General, Reverend DP Ngcobo and Reverend MP Tembe; Priests, Deacons and congregants of the Church of the Holy Ghost from across Southern Africa; distinguished guests; brothers and sisters in Christ.
Just before this morning’s service, His Majesty and I had the pleasure of walking through the new Temple of Nations building. What a magnificent structure! It made me think of my first visit to this Church, when we met in a small tent. Even then we spoke about the vision of a grand building. This has been in the making for 21 years. Now that it is built, I think it exceeds all our expectations. We give thanks to the Lord for bringing a harvest from years of sowing.
As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of this Church by the Reverend Mfunwa Paulos Nzuza, I have the privilege of presenting His Majesty the King. I have presented His Majesty on numerous occasions and I recall that I had the privilege of presenting my late King and first cousin, the father of the present King many decades ago. If our King is going to address us, we wait each time with bated breath to hear our Monarch’s words of wisdom.
Before His Majesty speaks, I wish simply to express my own prayers of support for this Church. I was blessed to meet uMqalisi, the Reverend Mfunwa Paulos Nzuza, when he visited my late first cousin, His Majesty King Cyprian Bhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe, at his Khethomthandayo Royal Residence. We met again when he visited the King in Durban, in the old Somtsewu Road Township. I remember being impressed by the bearing and dignity of uMqalisi. It was evident that this was the Lord’s messenger and servant. He was highly respected by all of us as a man of God.
It is thus remarkable to see what has been built on the strong foundation he laid 100 years ago. When he began preaching, uMqalisi was just 19 years old. Because of his youth, he was not taken seriously. But he persevered, and the Lord honoured him. On 17 June 1917, while he was preaching, the Holy Spirit descended over the gathering. Some 60 people began prophesying, quoting scriptures they had never read. Thus the Church began.
When uMqalisi married in 1921, two women of God prophesied that he would be blessed with a firstborn son, and this son would lead the church after him. Two years later, a son was indeed born. When uMqalisi went to be with the Lord on 17 June 1957, exactly 40 years after the founding of the Church of the Holy Ghost, his son stepped into leadership.
Archbishop Mfunwa Petros Nzuza led the Church for 38 years, yet the Lord never revealed to him who would lead after his passing. Instead, through prophecy, it was understood that the church would no longer be led by one man, but the Holy Spirit Himself would lead. From time to time, two members of the vicarage would be nominated to manage the day to day running of the Church, and they too would act on the leading of the Holy Spirit. This pattern has been followed for 21 years, since the passing of Archbishop Petros Nzuza.
Today we celebrate his legacy, for it was Archbishop Nzuza who designed the Temple of Nations. Through the contribution of members from across Southern Africa, this Temple has finally been built. It is testimony to visionary leadership, but also to the unity of the church under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
While I am not a member of this Church, I walk with you in fellowship. The core values you subscribe to are the very values at the centre of my life. I have placed these same values at the centre of my party, the IFP. Thus we believe in respect, honesty and integrity, unity, commitment and excellence.
Throughout more than six decades in leadership and public life, I have lived by these values. So it is that I can walk now, in the twilight of my life, with no regrets and with a clear conscience. I know that I have failed many times, for I am a sinner in need of saving. But I also know that I am saved by grace, and that I walk in the knowledge of scripture.
The scripture that comes to mind today as we open the Temple of Nations is from 2 Chronicles chapter 7, verses 15 and 16. It is the Lord’s response to King Solomon when he dedicated the temple. The Lord said, “Now my eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” May this be a prophetic word as the Temple of Nations becomes a house of prayer.
We as the Zulu Nation are blest to have the kind of King that God has given us at this time. A King who is God-fearing and a King who is not shy at every opportunity to declare his faith as a Christian and to declare his dependence on God.
It is therefore a great privilege for me to present His Majesty the King on this very historic occasion. I have already told you about the long ties between our Royal Family and the leaders of this church. His presence here at Emzi-Nkonzo, is therefore historic for many reasons. Let us keep still and open our ears for the message that God has given to our King to convey to us today.
Let us now welcome His Majesty the King.
