BENSON the Soul Winner
A Zimbabwean Leader
by Doris Dube
In every generation some men and women are so attuned to God that he speaks and reveals his secrets to them. Sometimes he allows them to travel through deserts, and yet even there they know the love and depth of his protection. What God reveals to those men and women is so sacred that they, like Jeremiah, weep for the people of their generation. What God reveals to them is not always easy to pass on.
One man who has a very intimate relationship with God is Benson Nyathi. God speaks to him through dreams and visions. One time Benson had a strange dream. He was walking in the park here in Bulawayo. It is a place of beauty with green grass and lovely flowers. Wherever he stepped a fire started. He moved away from the grass and trees and stepped onto cement slabs. Still, a fire started as soon as his feet touched the ground in any one place. He was setting the whole place on fire.
In panic he started running until he met an old man who said to him, “However much you run, you will not be able to put the fire out.” When he turned to look back he found that everywhere behind him there was a blazing wall of fire, stretching as far as he could see.
This dream came after he listened to a Missions Day sermon preached by the late Brethren in Christ leader, Rev. Steven N. Ndlovu, at Nkulumane Church in 1984.
Another time God spoke to Benson was when he was going through a particularly trying time in his long walk as a door-to-door soul winner. The mudslinging and hostilities in his congregation were such that he was seriously considering leaving it to go and fellowship elsewhere, then God spoke. [Abakhala ngemva kwakho uzabothini?] What will you do about all who are crying behind you? The voice was so loud and clear that Benson turned around but found no one. He was alone. God had spoken.
There has been a lot to frustrate him in his call to win souls. Another time as Benson continued praying and seeking the Lord’s face he had a revelation. In this vision he was lifted high so that he saw the whole of Nkulumane, Nketa, and Emganwini suburbs as if from the top of a high place. As far as the eye could see he saw a carpet of rooftops. He was told to consider every single one of those rooftops as a pulpit. When he was about to question such a directive the voice went on to chastise him, When it comes to winning souls and helping them grow, you answer directly to me.
Benson works with an urgency born of a desire that none should perish.
Benson Nyathi was born in a family who belonged to Jehovah’s Witnesses. His parents were such devout members that the family home was often used as a venue for meetings. When he started school, he went to an Anglican school. Because of his religious background, he was soon very much involved in church life. Eventually he rose to Youth Leader for the Bulawayo of the Anglican Church. He tried to live the Christian life; however he did not know Jesus, and he knew something was missing in his life.
As a young man Benson had a friend called Elton Tshuma who went to New Life For All Fellowship Church. One time Elton lost a friend through sickness. On the day of the funeral, which Benson attended, the late Rev. Mathe preached from John 1, verse 12, as well as from the story in John 9 starting from verse 1. Benson wanted to have that relationship with God which was preached about.
He started questioning many practices in his church. Though the leadership wanted to elevate him to the position of priest, that was not what he wanted. He only desired to serve God. Together with other Youth Leaders they sought an audience with the leadership in order to raise areas of concern. They questioned the liturgical prayers. They read the Bible and received revelation. When the door to fruitful discussion was slammed in their faces, Benson and a few others who were also searching decided to leave the Anglican Church.
At about that time he found a house in Nkulumane suburbs. A few enquires revealed that there was a Brethren in Christ church fellowshipping at Masuku School. Through their door-to-door visitations Benson was among those contacted. At a Missions Day service Benson gave his heart to the Lord. That night he had the dream of walking through the park and starting a furnace of fire.
The dream bothered Benson because it was so intense and vivid. Benson’s mentor throughout his long walk up to now interpreted the dream for him. Benson, his mentor, and another man formed the first cell group in their congregation. A friend who was an ex-combatant opened his home to these men and their wives, and soon the seed was born to start other such Bible study cell groups. These cell groups have been the backbone of church planting and growth in Nkulumane and Nketa.
When a cell group became solid and grounded in the Word, the leaders left to start other cells. Sometimes groups which had become too big were split. Every Wednesday evening the cell leaders got together for training so that they too were continually nourished. By 1991 when a new pastor came, there were more than 16 cells at Nkulumane. Some of the people who have grown at Nkulumane have been instrumental in building Nketa and Emganwini congregations.
For Benson, door-to-door ministry is his life. After work, when the rest of us are looking forward to a lazy evening at home, his call is to visit and draw men to God. At first he used to go on his own, but as this could cause problems in some situations, he now goes with his wife. This husband-and-wife team has touched many souls and has been a testimony to others. The church has been built through this ministry.
God opens many doors to those who wish to serve him faithfully. One evening after work Benson felt the urge to go to Nketa. At one of the bus stops at Nketa 8, as Benson looked through the window, he saw a disabled woman watering her garden from a wheelchair. He felt the urge to get off the bus and minister to her. Benson went over, greeted her, and asked if he could come in and fellowship with the family. As he was welcomed into the home he noted that the man of the house was on crutches.
The family was very happy to hear the Word of God and opened their door to more times of fellowship. Soon a group was meeting at the house for Sunday worship services. To keep the connection with the main congregation at Nkulumane, on the first Sunday of every month Mr. Knight Ngwabi, one of the elders at the church, would drive the couple to church with the larger body.
This fellowship was one way in which the body of the church was built. It was also one way in which power struggles within the church came to the forefront and destroyed all that had been built.
The church in that Nketa home could have developed into a BIC congregation, but that was not to be. Some people in leadership felt that rather than the church being set up in the home of the disabled, the pair should find a way of getting to the services at the main church. This hurt, and the couple was lost to the church, together with all the others who used to meet at their home.
Benson has served in several leadership roles in his congregation. Some leaders in his church felt that he should limit his service to being a deacon. They did not approve of his house visits. They felt that he was trying to overshadow the pastor who had no call for door-to-door house calls. They asked him to stop. It was at this time that he was tempted to leave this congregation until he was challenged in the vision of the rooftops.
Prior to being baptized, all those who are taking this great step are usually invited to give their testimonies. Many have shared about how they were introduced to the Lord through house visits by Benson.
One by one, Benson started inviting the leadership to join him in his house visits — starting with the pastor and on to all those holding key positions in the congregation.
In evaluating some of the obstacles which have frustrated his call to ministry Benson says, “If there is a sin that is binding the church today, it is manmade rules. We leaders are the ones who do the most harm to the work of the Lord because of our separations and divisions. These rules prevent us from taking up our responsibilities to the lost.”
Benson’s desire is that all Christians should see the lost as God sees them. Though he respects and affirms the work that is done in theological training institutions, Benson feels that all believers are called to witness to those who have not heard and disciple those who are still young in their walk. He quotes the story of the Samaritan women. She did not go to a training college before she could witness. Neither did Legion. When Jesus touched their lives they wanted to tell the world about it. A touch by God and a burden for lost souls is all the teaching one needs to be a soul winner.
Recently Benson negotiated with his boss that instead of working from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., he would dismiss at 5:00 p.m. every Tuesday to enable him to do house visits. Already, three new cell groups are in place.
Some people cannot afford to buy Bibles for themselves, and yet it is Benson’s strategy that all believers should have access to literature to help them grow.
In doing house calls Benson has been challenged by the increase in the number of orphans around us, as well as the abundance of households which are headed by minors when the adults have succumbed to sickness. Benson’s desire is that all Christians should see all humanity as God sees us, with physical as well as spiritual needs.
Benson has a burden for his country. His vision for the next five years is that God would work in the church and raise men and women who will know and listen to God’s voice. Men and women who will learn from the master teacher, then go out and build The Church, not churches. Men and women who will take time to pray and change the world on their knees.
Doris Dube, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is Africa Editor for Courier.
