The Sunday News
FORMER Highlanders Football Club skipper and defender Innocent Mapuranga has just signed a new contract with a new club . . . not one in the field of soccer, but in evangelism.
Soon to be ordained as a fully-fledged cleric, the former steely defender, nicknamed Durawall or Msholozi told Sunday Life that he had always been a Christian and this development wouldn’t surprise any of his former mates or his close friends.
“. . . I hope this will rub off on the youngsters that I coach and even on other players, as I want to continue to be a defender not only on the soccer field but in defending Christian souls from the clutches of hell,” said Mapuranga, who is an evangelist at Flames of Fire Apostolic Church head-quartered in Bulawayo.
Mapuranga said he had been with the church for the past two years and that he had accepted God into his life.
“I have been to many churches and ministries but I have found a home at Flames of Fire Apostolic Church. I have seen many miracles and experienced great phenomenons here and I want to share what I have experienced with the rest of the world. If you know the old me and look at me now, you will definitely see that there is a change. It is through God that I have achieved a lot, both spiritually and physically,” said Mapuranga.
Mapuranga, who hung his boots not so long ago, preferring to take a coaching path with Bulawayo City said he would also make it a point to impart biblical knowledge to young players, in a bid to instil discipline in the game.
“We want to see disciplined players. They often get agitated in the field and it is only through God that they can achieve greatness in the game.
Discipline is important for any player. If they let God take control and guide them they would become some of the best soccer players in the world,” said Mapuranga.
Last Friday hundreds of congregants converged on the Flames of Fire Apostolic Church auditorium in Bulawayo for an all-night crusade, where the founder of the church Apostle Tawanda Shuche is said to have given congregants a holy experience to deliver lasting solutions to problems faced by people.
The event dubbed Night of Solutions 2, whose primary focus was prophecy, deliverance and healing, was held at the church headquarters in Donnington West. Apostle Shuche said the event granted Christians from all walks of life the opportunity for spiritual deliverance from the shackles of evil.
“This is an experience not to miss, the world is laden with evil and needs deliverance. We as the Christian community need to work towards restoring the world,” he said.
Apostle Shuche said the church was established in 2013, after the Lord told him to leave his job and pursue his spiritual calling. He said the first branch was in Gweru but soon opened more branches in Bulawayo, Harare, Mashava and Silalatshani (Filabusi).
“The church headquarters are now in Bulawayo. As it stands we have about 300 congregants and we hope to see the church growing. I got a calling from God in 2010, telling me to pursue what he had brought me to this world to do. At first I refused but then I realised that it was inevitable, as the Lord never tired in talking to me and telling me to get up and do his job,” he said.
Apostle Shuche said the mission of the church was to save as many souls as possible, with their vision being centred on expanding to rural areas, where men of God hardly tread.
“A lot is happening, there are many spiritual battles and we need to repent while we still have time. With the grace of God we are able to give accurate prophecies and even perform miracles. There are people that will testify to being healed of HIV, cancer and even blindness,” said Apostle Shuche.
He said this was one of the few crusades that they would be hosting.
“We mostly hold one on ones with people but this time we wanted to have a service were we reach out to a magnitude,” he said.
Apostle Shuche said he had great faith in Mapuranga and was delighted in having him as an evangelist.
