I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith 2 Timothy 4:7

The contributions of Apostle Ezekiel Handinawangu Guti in the History of the church remain unique even by use of diverse measures. As Society of Zambezi psychology we are of the view that the departed general of faith and church pioneer contributed to the psychology of the church in Zimbabwe. The concepts of self-efficacy and diligence are amongst the chief things which the astute Christian imparted to the Christian community.

The Psychology of Diligence

The Christian leader taught his followers to work hard with their hands at the same time believing God to bless the works of their hands. This was a great shift from the missionary approach were congregants would just attend church which was built by donations from other persons elsewhere including the benches. Apostle Guti taught his congregants to work and build their own churches and they managed to do it through out this nation and nations beyond. The self-efficacy amongst the Zaoga Forward in Faith believers is very high as in every area they congregate they are able to build a church.

From partriachial dependency to self-dependency psychology

Apostle Guti managed to equip and empower especially women, in his book on the church history(History of ZAOGA Forward in Faith: The book of remembrance how it began and where it is going) he worked with a group of women who supported the work through proceeds from their work and this became the model of the church were congregants were to work for themselves by starting small projects which were aimed at supporting the work of God, the work would be also enough to support the very individual family doing this, indirectly women were liberated from partriachial dependency to self-dependency. In such a work, empowerment was done even as early as before 1980.

Psychomotor skills for Women

In the same mode the church leader built training centres with the same models as Vocational Training Centres built in Zimbabwe as state institutions. Zaoga Forward in Faith training centres are still run using private funds and are still functional to this date, an example is the one in Masvingo which has stood its ground and standing providing relevant skills in this evolving technological era.  

Health Psychology

The contributions of the departed Apostle also made an immense contribution also on the health of the nation. Mbuya Dorcas Hospital officially opened in September 2012 was born as a result of the giving of his church members and the hospital has provided vital health services were local council and state hospital had been failing to provide. Hence the contribution of a hospital showed how his vision was all encompassing the socio-economic needs of the general public beyond the community which he directly lead as the hospital gives direct and indirect services to those who contact it.

Systemic thinking: University for everyone

As a church with indigenous roots the departed Leader made sure that Zaoga Forward in Faith becomes a local church with local roots and funding to own and operate a University as the one they have in Bindura named after him Ezekiel Guti University. It is this vision which he pioneered in May of 2012 that makes him and the church being distinct and fulfilling the vision in Matthew chapter 5 of being a salt of the earth, via pragmatic works which touches diverse people in this world by giving them access to institutions which transforms their lives and also their world. In these efforts we view them from a psychological point as systemic effects which had effects both proximal and distal to various social groupings.

Intellectual property and the Psychology of keeping History

The late Apostle Professor Ezekiel helped in the behaviour of protection of intellectual property and storing of knowledge via his book writing in various Christian topics which include topics on leadership, marriage, Christian living among other topics. The late Apostle has also been instrumental in recording and preserving the history of the church through his book on the church history (History of ZAOGA Forward in Faith: The book of remembrance how it began and where it is going)

In doing so he made sure that there is protection from history mutation which often result via oral passing of information. This was an important shift from our forefathers who viewed themselves as moving libraries, hence his shift to documentation in books was a shift from “Vana Sorojena” who at times who die with their knowledges without passing it on to other generations.

Conclusion

The greatest of all times of his contributions is making the gospel accessible even to the remotest parts especially in the context of Zimbabwe in fulfilment of the great commission. Hence the great late apostle contributed to this world in that the church he lead kept inline with a Kingdom Psychology for the glory of Jesus Christ.

I think that his funeral would be the best attended of all events in remembrance of his work. As psychologists we will remember how he positively and deliberately changed the psychology of the local church which sorely relied in foreign assistance, the church kept thinking on how they could do things on their own with the blessing God has endowed them with.   

Prosper K Mushauri

Coordinator

Society of Zambezi Psychology