100 Years, ‘NOT OUT’: Evangelist Chaendera Celebrates 100th Birthday
The Methodist Church in Zimbabwe joins Evangelist Ben Tsvangirai Chaendera in celebrating his 100th birthday. Indeed it is a moment of celebration as well as reflecting upon God’s grace on His servant who has impacted many lives in different ways. But who is Evangelist Chaendera?
Evangelist Chaendera was born Ben Tsvangirai Chaendera, on the 22nd of August 1924 in Chaendera Homestead, in Mhondoro. He was born in a family of seven children, i.e. five boys and two girls. His father’s name was Musarurwa and his mother Makuru.
Evangelist Ben Chaendera did his Primary education at Marshall Hartley (Moleli) up to ‘Standard 4’, then went to Waddilove for ‘Standard 5 and 6’. After having completed ‘Standard 6’, he enrolled for teacher training course at Waddilove. The evangelist successfully completed his teacher training course was deployed to teach at Murambwa Primary School where he taught for three years.
He married his first wife and the couple had 4 children. Unfortunately the wife passed on; and all this happened before the war of liberation. He got widowed and had to remarry after independence to Marry and the couple has 2 children. In total he has 6 children, 14 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Evangelistic work
Evangelist Chaendera is a retired Connexional Evangelist. He was a preacher whilst a student at Waddilove Institute. Initially he wanted to be a full time itinerant Methodist minister but he could not manage due to his professional work. He rather opted to become a ‘local minister’, the role which seized when he was transferred to Goromonzi. He was a dedicated cadre who served his master against all odds. Lack of good mode of transport could not deter him from carrying out his duties. All his work was done using a bicycle as a mode of transport. The evangelist was awarded a long service medal in the year 2023 for having served as a preacher and evangelist.
Stations that he served at
From Murambwa (Mhondoro) Evangelist Chaendera was transferred to Marondera (Chihota Circuit) where spent the greater part of his life teaching and doing evangelistic work. He served at Chivizhe School Chakadini, Furamera, Samuriwo and Mahusekwa, and was working with Revd Mapondera and Revd Chihota. He later transferred from Mahusekwa to Goromonzi where he worked as Headmaster, and he would cycle to Harare to do evangelistic work whenever assigned to do so by church authorities then. The evangelist later transferred from Goromonzi to Harare where he was deployed to teach at Shiri Yedenga Primary School in Glen Norah. It was when he was there that he exercised evangelistic work in then greater Highfields Circuit until 1988. He then transferred to Kuwadzana where he retired as a teacher and as an evangelist at.
His vision for the church
‘Leaders should stick to their calling; fear God in the exercise of their duties’.
The Methodist community wishes Evangelist Ben Chaendera many more years full of grace and good health.
By Bruce Gunyere
