14 - 16 February 2014 - The Observer
The doctrine of Gumbura unmasked
U
Correspondent
nlike a character in William
Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo
and Juliet who quizzed whether
there was anything in a name
since “by a different name roses would smell
as sweet”, Pastor Robert Martin Gumbura
believed it mattered to be named either a
“Capulet” or “Montague”.
In a 1995 sermon “Chosen Nation” he
tells his End Time Message flock, then not yet
RMG Independent: “Your name is your life.
Zita hupenyu.” Gumbura is Shona for “make
angry”, and the men of the cloth’s cupboard
skeletons have doubtlessly enraged and
shocked even the most unrepentant atheist.
At the height of similar but less-publicized
sex accusations in the ‘80s, he at one time
mulled changing his surname back to his
original Makwenya, Murindagomo, or
Chitemerere clan names, saying it was his
ancestor who had been in the habit of making
other Makonde villagers angry, thanks to his
mischief.
“Wherever he is, Makwenya must be
turning green with envy if the latest allegations
against the former Geography and History
teacher are anything to go by,” informs Samuel
Moyo, a former pillar in the alleged cult, now a
parishioner with another church.
“Since Robert was a name given to him
by an uncle Dhaki Makwenya ‘achireverera’,
Gumbura chose to be known as Brother
Martin, but maintained his last name,
defending that maybe he was ordained
kuGumbura Satani (to make the devil angry).”
Only time would tell.
The Observer spoke to more than a dozen
former RMG Independent church members
and they told stories of sexual abuse, heresies,
forced labour, coerced offering, harassment,
and wealth amassing by the pastor, who at
one time worked as an Old Mutual broker.
Another old-timer recalled how in the mid80s they dismissed a female member of the
albino community when she alleged that she
had been raped by Gumbura.
He said: “Takati sister, munoti pastor
vangakubatai chibharo here?” (Are you
alleging the pastor could have raped you).
“But before she died, Sister Phiri said
although we had refused to believe her story,
one day the truth will come out. Now look.
This is shocking!”
Since the early ‘90s after a handful of
church members left, this publication heard
that Gumbura, quoting John in the book of
Revelation, hit strongly against splits, saying
they were “the deeds of the Nicolaitans”.
“But this you have, that you hate the deeds
of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate,” reads
chapter 2 verse 6.
Gumbura is said to have constantly bragged
that his church would never split, arguing that
“only a few aggrieved family members who
left did not constitute a church”.
When this reporter in 1995 visited the
church’s Sixth Street Gweru chapel - which
has now been turned into a trading place
diametrically against Jesus Christ’s actions
of whipping those who traded in church a kaylite billboards screamed “We hate the
deeds of Nicolaitans”.
“Gumbura would preach in his long
services that even spanned 12 hours at times,
that splits were of the devil. He discouraged
and threatened members who wanted to
fellowship elsewhere with misfortunes
that ranged from death, being a vagabond,
sickness, and still-births,” said one Brother
Abraham.
“Botswana-based
electrical
engineer
Chigova, who perished together with 13
other family members in a Kwekwe accident,
and a mentally-challenged Judith (surname
withheld) were used as examples.”
Then came the big split in October 2000
that saw more than half of his flock, including
his assistant Pasino Marisa and most elders
across the country and in the diaspora leaving
the church.
A then ardent follower of Gumbura,
Shepherd Madzingira, and his End Time
Harvesters dominated Radio Zimbabwe and
National FM charts with Jerubaal-Mwari
Haarwirwe, a song which hit hard against
senior church officials who left their old
congregations to form a new one.
“They claim they are the one with God,
but you don’t fight for God – He speaks for
himself,” sang Madzingira and his crew.
Indeed, in 2013 God has seemingly spoken
for himself, with the gospel musician himself
testifying against Gumbura in a rape case in
which the pastor was acquitted.
However End Time Message church
visionary and father of modern miraclehealing William Branham (1909-65) says
Nicolaitans are church leaders who take over
the church using their own craftiness such
that what they said held the day.
In his Revelations 1 – 3 commentary
An Exposition to the Seven Church Ages,
Branham says despite the numerous
interpretations on what these evil men were,
he believed the word Nicolaitan came from
two Greek root words nikao (to conquer)
and laity (the church), hammering the point
that “God has never let his church be run
by men who rule the church with political
mindedness.”
Says Branham in a chapter entitled
Ephesian Church Age: “Have you ever
noticed how the people who lead others astray
bind them closely to themselves by fear? They
say that if the people don’t do what they say,
or if they leave, then destruction will follow.
They are false prophets, for a true prophet
will always lead one to the Word and bind the
people to Jesus Christ and he won’t tell the
people to fear him or what he says, but to fear
what the Word says. Notice how these people
like Judas are out for money.”
No wonder why Gumbura elbowed
Branham and his teachings out of his
church, unlike the rest of End Time Message
churches across the globe. It is a fact is there
is no easy method of evaluating religions as
dangerous cults. There are, however, a variety
of issues one can look out for in a religion.
If a movement displays many of these traits,
particularly in extreme forms, the more likely
it can be fairly classified as a dangerous cult.
Gumbura was the supreme authority in his
church, telling members of his church in a
video that like Paul in the epistles, he can say
“I myself, not the Lord,” says this. Leaders of
dangerous cults are so highly respected that
members are willing to die for them or to kill
themselves if the leader deems it necessary.
The list made available to The Observer
by some members includes the