Baptism
As we prepared for constituting membership here at Berean Reformed Baptist Church, we had the privilege of witnessing and administering the baptism of a sister by the name of Kuziva. After a year of getting to know her whilst she was at school in Bulgaria, and seeing her eagerness to be part of the work here in Harare, we baptized her while she was home during her holidays in order to admit her to membership before she returned to Bulgaria at the end of March.
Her testimony is that she was converted through listening to the Gospel preached by Ray Comfort of Living Waters. She had been self-deceived that Christianity was all about being a good person and she thought she was a good person. Her heart was illuminated when she compared herself to demands of the Law of God. She discovered that she has broken the law numerous times and she knew that she was in danger of not being pardoned by God. She realized that the only way she could escape the wrath of God was through the righteousness of Christ, and thus she ran to Christ in repentance and faith and clung to the cross and He clung to her.
Why Constitute Membership Now?
We were now ready to proceed to covenant together and form a membership for BRBC. The question that could be raised is, ‘Why are you constituting membership when there are only a few of you?’ The reasons I would give are 1) to keep one another accountable, and for me to be kept accountable by other believers; 2) we also want to partake of the Lord’s Table, which we have not been doing and I have been convicted about neglecting to remember the Lord Jesus Christ in this way and that this ordinance is one of the marks of a true biblical church; 3) there is a need for the church to collect tithes and offering. It is of utmost importance that the congregation, as young and as small as it is, be well-taught on matters of giving to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Encouraging Progress
It has been a long time coming, but Berean Reformed Baptist Church has constituted membership. After roughly a year since the first Sunday Service took place, we saw it appropriate to form a membership for the benefit of those who profess Christ and are regular attendees, and for the sake of accountability for the pastor himself. There are 4 members – the pastor and his wife, Kuziva whom I baptized last month, and Ndodana.
The Lord has been gracious to us in that, since the lockdown was lifted, we have constituted membership, started collecting offering, partook of the Lord’s Supper, and resumed our Children’s Bible Club. From the first weekend after the lockdown was lifted, the children immediately came back in good numbers. There is a young lady who regularly attends the services and no longer needs to be coerced to come to church. She professes Christ and has hinted at being baptized and joining the membership, so I have invited her for Baptismal classes. Through the classes, we will further investigate whether the Gospel has really taken root in her heart.
A New Meeting Place
We are grateful for HeartCry Missionary Society pledging to cover the rentals for the new building we will be meeting in, Lord-willing, from the beginning of May. I cannot express the joy that I have since it has been difficult to find a place to rent in this area. Our prayer was to not move from this area of Westgate, and I am elated to announce that we will be meeting in this area for the next year, at least, by the grace of God!
