The Paramount King of Bakoena ba Mopeli, Moremoholo Motebang Mopeli, of Qwaqwa in the Eastern Free State and the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM of SA) church have one thing in common. They share birth month, which is May.
It is for this reason that AFM of SA Phuthaditjhaba Assembly hosted a birthday celebration last Sunday the 28th of May 2023 for both King Mopeli and the church itself as it marked 115th anniversary.
The Paramount King’s birthday is on the 10th of May while that of the AFM of SA is the 25th May. For the Phuthaditjhaba Assembly it was well benefitting to celebrate the church and the Paramount Chief, particularly on the Pentecost Sunday.
Phuthaditjhaba Assembly is under the leadership of Pastor Tsiu Tamme and his wife, Dimakatso Tamme.
The Paramount Chief said he felt honoured to be part of the church’s celebrations and was also humbled by the assembly’s good gesture of celebrating with him as well. He asked for the reading of the Scriptures in Romans 13: 1-2. He said he strongly believed that it was God’s plan and purpose that he became the Chief.
“Because it was God who crowned me the King, I cannot therefore fail to join His faithful people when they gather together to praise and worship the Lord. I am here knowing exactly that my title comes from God. Therefore I use it for God’s purposes,” said Mopeli.
The Paramount King wished Phuthaditjhaba AFM Assembly all the best, growth and abundance.
He further urged the assembly leaders to work hard in ensuring that there is always unity, peace and harmony. He warned them of feuds that leads to the disintegration of many churches.
Delivering the sermon, Pastor Tamme read from 1 Corinthians 2:2 and John 12:21 and the message of the day was “share Christ with one another.”
“Our assembly wishes Morena a happy birthday and have proposed that every year during the month of May he joins us to celebrate his birthday together with that of our church,” said the Pastor.
As part of the celebrations, Tamme cloaked the King with the AFM of SA branded blanket, and he was then asked to cut a birthday cake designed like the Basotho hut.
The AFM of SA started as spiritual gatherings in a small hall in Doornfontein, Johannesburg on 25 May 1908. It grew rapidly to a point that it now has 1,733 registered assemblies and 2,532 ordained Pastors in South Africa. Growing from the southern tip of Africa, the church is also present in 29 countries across the world. Phuthaditjhaba is one of its registered assembly.
