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About Us
Ministerial Team
December 2024
Author Fred Hill says “The development of leaders for future ministry and equipping them to lead and mentor the next generation of leaders effectively must be an absolute necessity for continued church success”. Brethren In Christ Church Lobengula continues to make efforts towards ensuring church success through equipping of leaders.
Leadership renewal - In the past 5 years, the church has gone through significant leadership renewal. Since the retirement of Rev. Albert Ndlovu, the then Senior Pastor, in 2019; there has been changes in leadership. (Pastor Hloniphani Ndlovu (the former Youth Pastor) had already left a few years before). After the departure of Rev. A. Ndlovu the church welcomed Reverend Siphetho and Mrs Sikhanyisiwe Dube, as Senior Pastors of BICC Lobengula, in November 2021.
In 2022 Pastor Glen Ncube was commissioned to Magwegwe North to lead a new branch there. This meant that the church officially remained with 3 fulltime Pastors from the usual team of 5. Maqhawenkosi Mhlanga continued serving on a voluntary basis since completing his attachment in 2020. In May 2024 Rev. Milson Ndlovu left for Eswatini to be the missionary there and has since recently moved to the United States of America to pastor a Brethren In Christ Church. After the departure of Rev. M. Ndlovu and family the church brought in Shalom Ndlovu and Bhekimpilo Mhlanga to the ministerial team and together with M. Mhlanga serve as Part-time Assistant Pastors. So now the ministerial at present is a team of five led by Senior Pastor Rev. S. Dube and each Pastor is responsible for specific departments/Ministries.
Rev. Siphetho Dube
Besides being the Lead Pastor he oversees the following Departments/Ministries: Leadership Development, Women/Men Fellowships, Outreach, Deacons, Bereavement, Cell Groups, Bereavement.
Rev. Simangaliso Ncube
Our lady Pastor is responsible for:
Children’s Ministry, Hospitality, Health, Christian Education, Schools Ministry, Community Liaison/Home & Family
Pastor Maqhawenkosi Mhlanga
Pastor Maqhawenkosi Mhlanga is one of the Assistant Pastors who serves as the Youth Pastor and is also responsible for the Music and Media Ministries.
Pastor Shalom Ndlovu
Pastor Shalom Ndlovu is an assistant Pastor responsible for the Teens Ministry. He is also in charge of the Counselling and Prayer Department.
Pastor Bhekimpilo Mhlanga
Pastor Bhekimpilo Mhlanga is also an assistant Pastor in charge of the Young Couples fellowship. He is also responsible for the Empowered Worldview (Business/Entrepreneurship/Life Skills) and Peace Departments
Deacon Josephat Nyathi
The ministerial Team works together with the Senior Deacon who serves as the Head of a team of deacons. Mr. Nyathi is the Senior Deacon and reports to the Senior Pastor
Mrs. Hylet Nkomo
Mrs Nkomo is our Administrative Assistant who is responsible for all the administrative work of the church. She serves as the assistant to the Pastors in executing the church business and works closely with the treasury department.
During the course of the year it seemed needy to the leadership to set up a team of ‘elders’ who would work as a supporting team to the ministerial. These are a group of mature members of the church that have a specific assignment to assist especially in ministering to the elderly members of the church in times of sickness and bereavement. More leaders are being identified and trainings facilitated so they can be of service today and in future. The growth of the local church continues to foster the need for innovative, progressive and futuristic initiatives towards equipping more leaders. By the grace of God, we look forward to continue growing God’s church for the coming Lord.
History - BICC Lobengula
Brethren In Christ Church Lobengula – History
BICC Zimbabwe - We are part of a bigger church which is over a century in Zimbabwe. The national membership stands over 40 000 with 300 congregations across the country and 45 in Bulawayo only. The Lobengula membership is currently at averagely 1200.
Rev Albert Ndlovu- The Lobengula branch was established in 1978 when the church leadership decided to combine two branches Magwegwe and Luveve. This was a decision coming from Bishop Philemon Khumalo who was the 1st African Bishop of the BICC in Zimbabwe. Bishop Khumalo was coming from training at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. He became influential in inspiring the combining of the two small congregations as he felt it was more costly to run smaller congregations.
Reverend Albert Ndlovu is the founding Pastor of the branch and has led it since then till his retirement in December 2019. He became the first full-time Pastor of BICC Zimbabwe who was to be fully paid by the local congregation. The BICC Board for World Missions (USA) initiated a Phase Out Scheme that assisted the paying the Pastor’s Salary for the first 3 years after which the local congregation took over that responsibility fully. The congregation began with averagely 25 members and has over the past 35 years grown to be at some point, the largest BICC congregation in the world. Currently it is believed to be the 2ndlargest BICC congregation worldwide and continues to grow. At his early stages in leadership, Rev Gegana (as he is affectionately known) had the counsel of the elderly people who assisted him in handling various challenges that would arise. Some of them included Joash ‘JT’ Ndlovu and his brother-in-law Joab Ncube. He worked with a committee which was chaired by Mr. Christopher Moyo a hard-working man who has served in the church especially in church planting.
Structural Growth- At its inception BICC Lobengula was gathering in a classroom at a Primary School (Mafakela Primary) in Luveve. As the church grew land was acquired to build a structure using funds sourced from one of the national church businesses (Matopo Book Centre). By the grace of God the church continued to grow not only spiritually but numerically and in the year 1989 it became evident that there was a need to expand further. Fundraising activities were initiated and the construction took off which lasted over 20 years. Due to the collapse of the economy in Zimbabwe the construction was slowed down and there was need to seek funds for the roofing phase. A loan was sourced from BICC Jacob Engle Foundation in USA through the assistance of Bishop J. Shenk. The church worked very hard to raise the funds to pay back the loan and by God’s grace it was fully paid. Nehemiah 4:6 which says, “So built we the whole, and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof for the people had a mind to work” was fulfilled as the congregants committed themselves passionately to the building of the house of God till its completion. The spirit of volunteerism has been evident amongst members as we have seen fellowships contributing willfully to the furnishing of the structure. The structure has a full seating capacity of 2200.
BICC Lobengula has seen its growth through various activities including Evangelism (Door to door, Crusades, Schools ministry), pastoral care, counselling, Cell groups and prayer.
Such events like weddings, family functions have been an opportunity for the church to reach out with the gospel of Christ.
Leadership development as well has been and continues to be a major part of the growth of the church with the specific niche in:
• Facilitating the development of people’s potentials, at each life stage.
• Contribution to the growth of leaders, others branches, churches and denominations
• Developing a society in which members and none members enjoy Christian ministry, Pastoral Care, Counselling and discern their vocation and use their potential.
Leadership Growth As the church grew in numbers there was a need to expand the leadership as well. Two Full time and 2 Part time Assistant Pastors had to be engaged to work together with the Senior Pastor to grow the church. BICC Lobengula became the 1stcongregation in Zimbabwe to appoint a fulltime female Assistant Pastor and have a Full time Admin Assistant. The church continues to grow and more leaders and ministers are being identified, trained and appointed. After the retirement of Rev. Albert Ndlovu in December 2019, Rev Siphetho Dube has since assumed that Senior Pastor position.
The church has raised leaders who are serving locally, regionally and internationally like the BICC Head of denomination in Zimbabwe, Overseers and other Pastors. Some are serving regionally (South Africa), internationally, like the USA (President of United Christian Fellowship Church), UK (other pastors) in BICC, Canada, and other part of the world.
By 2012 the church membership had grown to over 1000 and weekly Sunday Service attendance of 1500 members with a leadership of 5 Pastors, 8 Deacons and over 150 lay leaders.
To date the church has seen notable growth where leaders have had opportunities to be further capacitated by enrolling for programs that would enhance their skills and effectiveness in ministry. With the advent of technology the church has utilized the available social media platforms for ministry where services are broadcast online like Whatsapp, Facebook and YouTube.
