I must express my extreme sorrow over the recent sudden death of my dear brother pastor and friend, Rev. Mandla Khumalo from St. Peter’s Confessional Lutheran Church in Middleburg, South Africa. He was a vibrant preacher as he boldly shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. In June of 2019 Rev. Khumalo shared the Good News with the members of my congregation in Michigan while I was teaching at his congregation in South Africa. Mandla had invited Heather and me to teach and counsel his people about God’s way for marriage and family life. We had a wonderful time growing with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ and helping them to discover the riches of life in God’s way. We especially drew close to Mandla’s fellow pastors, Rev. Jeffrey, Rev. Sam and Rev. Mangoba. Sadly, Pastor Jeffrey also died tragically last year. Therefore, I encourage you to pray for Pastors Sam and Mangoba as they are now working to fill the void left by both these dear brothers. Although their deaths are a terrible loss to the church on earth, we rejoice that Pastors Jeffrey and Mandla are with their Lord in paradise and we WILL see them there one day. The Word they so faithfully proclaimed will also lead many more to be with us in heaven. Please join me in honoring these dear brothers by speaking boldly of Jesus and His love, especially as that love flows through our family relationships. Also, please pray for their families and congregations in South Africa as they are deeply hurt by these tremendous losses. If you are interested, you may also like to watch the video of the message that was shared at the funeral service for Rev. Khumalo by the President of the Michigan District of the LCMS, Rev. Dr. David P. E. Maier. Here is the LINK to the YouTube video.
As Pres. Maier expresses so well, the church WILL survive and thrive until Jesus returns. The Gospel WILL be proclaimed. Families WILL thrive. Marriages WILL grow stronger. The world WILL see the love that Jesus has for us as they see husbands and wives loving in Jesus’ way. These dear brother pastors lived and died in such sure faith. Let us do the same!
