Word of Truth church truly ministers to the needy in Malvern and surrounds

Churches are the backbone of many communities – they do not only feed and nurture the soul but also look after the community’s wellbeing.

One example is Word of Truth, a Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malvern, which is looking after the needs of the community in Malvern and surrounding areas.

Reverend Ndabezinhle Mvelase said, “You cannot be preaching about God and salvation to a hungry person. You need to attend to all their needs. This includes feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and also nurturing their souls.” The church has identified a high level of poverty and unemployment in the community and decided they have to help.

The church started a soup kitchen last year in the Denver informal settlement that was held once a month on a Sunday. But after seeing the need to do more, they also decided to start supplying vegetables every Monday to the less fortunate in the settlement. The vegetables are sponsored by Fresh to Go.

“We are grateful for our sponsor because we are able to feed families in the community. We also donate to schools in the area and to child-headed households,” said Mvelase.

EFF councillor Shaun Dlanjwa said, “We need more churches like this in our communities. Malvern is a community that is full of challenges and to have a church that cares about the wellbeing of the people brings hope.”

He said he has been working closely with the church in helping those in need in the area. “We need to come together as leaders, whether political or religious, in order to address the challenges of our areas. In doing so we also encourage the community to work together to build a better future,” he said.

Mhlambi Mfakazi (61) is one of the residents who receives vegetables from the church. He thanked the church for doing such amazing work. “We live in difficult times and most of us are not working. Having a church looking after our wellbeing means a lot,” said Mfakazi.

The church is planning to supply the needy with a meal every day. “We are busy working on supplying those in need with a meal every day because some go to bed with an empty stomach. Knowing that there is a place where they can get a meal every day will make a difference,” said Mvelase.

The church also plans on buying a property to open a community centre but has challenges financially. “We have identified a building in the area and we would like to buy it. We want to open a community centre where the youth and everyone who needs help, can come and seek help. We are planning to offer training in different programmes to help the youth of Malvern and surrounding areas,” he explained.

The church will be hosting a series of events to raise money to buy the property and invites anyone who would like to help to contact them.

Details: PR councillor Shaun Dlanjwa 082 211 9994.

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