By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Bishop Dr Clarence Mafararikwa has officially launched Pedah International Ministries in Mutare, saying his return to his home city is driven by a desire to “heal and raise” people through biblical teaching, prayer and empowerment.
The first Sunday service of the new church was held today, Sunday, 9 August 2026, at Hellenic Community Hall in Mutare, with The Wasu Post attending the inaugural gathering.
Pedah will hold its regular Sunday services from 8:30am, with members of the public invited to attend.
Preaching from Isaiah 60:1, Mafararikwa described Pedah as a church built around the message of rising and shining.
“Pedah is a church of rising, church of shining,” he said.
He said the name Pedah carries a message of redemption, explaining that it speaks to a debt or ransom that has been fully paid.
“Pedah means your ransom has been fully paid,” Mafararikwa said.
The bishop said his decision to establish the ministry in Mutare was influenced by his 15 years of pastoral work and a growing conviction that he needed to invest more directly in people in his home community.
“For the 15 years I have been pastoring, I have been helping other people, but I see that I have been doing injustice to my people. This is why I come to my home, to heal and raise my people,” he said.
Mafararikwa said Pedah would place the Bible at the centre of its ministry, while also focusing on prayer, family, healing, deliverance and personal development.
“In Pedah, the Bible is the final authority. We believe in praying, we consider family, we believe in healing, we do deliverance, integrity, excellence, empowerment and honour,” he said.
He said the church’s mission was to combine spiritual development with practical empowerment, using biblical teaching as the foundation.
“Our mission is to merge spiritual profundity and human empowerment through biblical teaching, spiritual formation, family empowerment, healing and deliverance and impact the community,” Mafararikwa said.
The ministry’s inaugural service was held under the theme “Destined for His Glory”, based on Isaiah 60:1, which calls believers to arise and shine because the glory of the Lord has come.
The bishop said the scripture captured the identity and direction of the new ministry, with Pedah seeking to help individuals and families rise above their circumstances and fulfil their potential through Christ.
The launch marks a new chapter in Mafararikwa’s pastoral journey. His ministry roots are in the Apostolic Faith Mission, while his experience as a pastor, lecturer and theologian has also shaped his emphasis on biblical teaching, spiritual formation and leadership.
Pedah International Ministries says its wider focus will extend beyond worship services to include healing, deliverance, family empowerment, spiritual formation and community transformation.
The church will now conduct its regular Sunday services from 8:30am, with residents of Mutare and surrounding communities invited to attend.
For Mafararikwa, the establishment of Pedah represents a return home with a specific mission — to use his years of pastoral experience to help build, heal, empower and raise people in his home community.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” — Isaiah 60:1