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I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE – PM TO HIS CHURCH

By SIBONISO NKAMBULE | 2023-11-06

Prime Minister (PM) Russell Dlamini has assured his church, the Nhlambeni Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), that he is not going anywhere.

Dlamini, who is a senior pastor at AFM, said even though he had assumed the PM role, he would continue to worship with the church.

He was speaking during his first church service at the AFM since he was appointed as the new premier by His Majesty King Mswati III on Friday.

The AFM Church was filled to its capacity as members came to worship with the country’s new premier, previously known to them as their senior pastor.

The congregation was hushed, their faces filled with a sense of peace, eagerly waiting to hear the message of hope and love.

The pianist played stirring hymns and the voices of the church choir rose up in joyful praise. As the pastor, Mandla Mamba took to the pulpit, his words resonated with the congregants, offering a message of peace and faith.

Mamba delivered a stirring sermon and he centred his message on the importance of having faith, which he said it translated to peace.

The pastor quoted Romans 5 verse 1: “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Mamba said the verse was a powerful reminder of the power of faith. He reaffirmed that through having faith in Jesus Christ, they were made right with God and they would receive His peace. After Mamba had delivered his sermon, which renewed the church’s sense of purpose, Dlamini got an opportunity to address the congregants for the first time as the PM.

He reminded them that their lives belonged to God.
He said his life had always revolved around God and it would not make sense to move away from Him and later reclaim Him after five years.

The premier assured the church that he was not going anywhere, as he would continue to worship with them despite being in office as the PM.

“All we must do now is to work very hard to finish the new church structure.
“Some might say I don’t frequently come to church but that is due to work commitments. I understand the new job’s demands which may force me not to be present in every church service, but I am not going anywhere,” Dlamini said.

He then thanked the church for their support and further highlighted that he was hopeful that the church would continue praying for him as he assumes the job.
He went on to quote the Bible on Ephesians 10: saying he once thought about this verse in the middle of the night while at his home.

He said the verse was a call to the congregants to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Dlamini urged the congregants to conduct themselves as the Bible has commanded and have strength in His might.Furthermore, the new PM quoted Joshua 1verse 8: ‘the book of law shall not depart from your mouth but shall mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.’

Dlamini called upon the church to follow suit on what the verse said, as he would also use the same verse to gather strength, while coming into terms with the new developments.
“In everything you’re doing do not depart from the word,” he said.

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