Departure of a soul winner

Though death has always been a part of us like our shadows, we have never been able to reconcile ourselves to this fact to the point of receiving it with joy.
The Bible call it our last enemy; it is truly the enemy of our deep longing and yearning for immortality. The spiritually mature now understand that physical death is the only door into the world of immortality for saintly souls. But it seems no one among the living really likes that entrance. That is why we mourn every time a soul departs into the great beyond. 
Such is our experience at the present moment following the passing on of Evangelist Phanuel Dzangare Chiweshe. May the Holy Spirit comfort the bereaved family in particular and the whole nation in general through this scripture, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints  (Psalms 116:15).
Evangelist PD Chiweshe died on August 30 as a result of kidney failure.
I learnt of his sudden departure through some text message sent to me by brother Paul Nyakazeya. His message was short but loaded with meaning and history. It read, “Pastor PD Chiweshe died this evening.”
Truly speaking, I was not shocked by the news. But I really felt bad about something.
When I called Paul the following morning I was surprised to learn that he was also feeling bad about something.  We had abandoned the evangelist in his last days. Millet Mangono, Paul and I used to publish a magazine, called Gospel Vision, as a literature evangelism ministry for the interdenominational crusade meetings of the late evangelist which he conducted under the name Anointed Ambassador for Christ. My own regret was deeper than that of Paul because I missed a golden opportunity to capture the last words of the renowned man of God. He had called me three weeks prior to his departure asking me for space to write some message; for he was a guest writer on this column.
 I delayed going to collect the message thinking I would always publish it later. Now, instead of writing his final important words, I am writing an his obituary. It is sad.
I can only guess what he wanted to say. Maybe like the Apostle Paul he was going to say something like ” . . . the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight of faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord . . . will award to me . . . and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”(2 Timothy 4:6-8).  These are Apostle Paul’s words, the evangelist’s actual words I missed, but I am sure someone recorded them for us.
PD Chiweshe the evangelist
He was a passionate, anointed, wise and successful soul-winner. “My passion is to win souls. I do not like to stay at one assembly as a pastor, it limits me.” The evangelist said these words upon his return from America where he had served for about one year and they were recorded in the Gospel Vision of 2004, vol. 2.
I first met the evangelist in 1998 in Chegutu doing my upper six when he was conducting a week long crusade. Then I joined Paul and Millet here in Harare in 2004 after college as we wrote the Gospel Vision magazine. The evangelist introduced us to pastors under his oversight in Seke, Chitungwiza as his scribes.  His only message of salvation both in open air and on this column carried some tone of urgency and seriousness. Satanists and hard core sinners were converted during his crusades.
 Testimonies of conversions, healings and other miracles performed during his gospel crusades were recorded on tapes and in the magazine.
His ministry was one of the earliest to record messages on tapes for sale. You could hear his messages on air in commuter omnibuses, households, shops as well as at 133 Mbuya Nehanda Street where his Christian bookshop was located.
He had an enviable sense of humour. When he sensed resistance from unbelievers he would say, “Vamwe venyu vari kuti ko mapositan’a aya ari kuitei? Ini ndinoti imi muri mahedhan’a. Isu tika tila tinoenda heaven asi imi mukatila munoenda kufires.” (You say what are these apostles or Christians doing? You who say that are heathens. The difference between you and us is that when we die we go to heaven but you to hellfire.) Evangelist’s ministry was ecumenical. He plundered hell and populated many churches with souls.  He was a true evangelist who did only what he was called for.
Thanks to God for the many sons and daughters he raised, mentored and trained for the ministry. These, his spiritual offspring, will carry on the work of the ministry perhaps not in the same way because Moses was not Joshua, and Joshua was not Moses even though Joshua was groomed by and succeeded Moses in leading the same people. 
Chief lesson
No matter how effective and important a man may be, his time and work on this earth are limited. How wise therefore it is to ask God to teach us to number our days and learn as much as we can during the man’s life.

– Call 0772889766 or email mairos78@yahoo.co.uk