Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

Reformed in Doctrine, Worship, and Practice

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” Psalm 60:4

  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • What We Contend For
    • What We Believe
    • How We Worship
    • How We Are Organised
    • Important Documents
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Articles
  • Publications
    • Free Presbyterian Magazine
    • Young People’s Magazine
    • Gaelic Supplement – An Earrann Ghàidhlig
    • Synod Reports
    • Religion and Morals Committee Reports
  • Audio
    • Sermons
    • Theological Conferences
    • Youth Conferences
  • Congregations
    • Places of Worship
    • Current Ministers
    • Galleries of FP Churches
  • International
    • Zimbabwe Mission
    • Other International Congregations
    • Translation Work
    • Metrical Psalms in Various Languages
  • History
    • History of the FP Church
    • Congregational Histories
    • Deceased Ministers and Probationers
    • Obituaries and Synod Tributes
    • Moderators of Synod etc.
  • Spiritual Help
    • How to Find Spiritual Help
    • How may a sinner be saved?
    • How may someone know if they are truly saved?
    • Spiritual Mindedness
    • Scripture and Catechism Exercises 2020-21
  • Bookshop
Home / History / Obituaries and Synod Tributes / Rev Zororai Mazvabo (1941-2012) – Obituary

Rev Zororai Mazvabo (1941-2012) – Obituary

Rev Zororai Mazvabo

Mr Mazvabo was born on 6 July 1941 in Mashonaland, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia, as it then was) and subsequently became a pupil at the John Tallach Secondary School at Ingwenya. While there the preaching of the Word and the teaching of Scripture were blessed to him, in so far as to bring him under spiritual concern for his soul. He returned to Mashonaland and in time found work as a Government teacher in a school near his home. He kept up family worship regularly in his home and, on one such occasion, he was reading Matthew 5.20: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven”. He told Mr J van Woerden, for whom he worked for some time thereafter, that these words brought light to his soul and that he got, as it were, a whole sermon on the righteousness of Christ in a flash. He rose from his knees after the final prayer of that worship a new creature in Christ Jesus.

Mr Mazvabo moved to Bulawayo and into full-time employment in Mr van Woerden’s organisation, Ebenezer Scripture Mission (ESM), where he was initially involved in translating English tracts into Shona. Later he worked in adult literacy and Scripture correspondence lessons. The adult literacy course followed a scheme of Dr Laubach (1884-1970), who used Scripture as the basis of his course and thus conveyed the main facts of the gospel while teaching adults to read. ESM organised Scripture correspondence lessons among children in different parts of the country and the tests set for these children were corrected by Mr and Mrs Mazvabo.

Thoughts of setting up a children’s home in Bulawayo were raised when ESM found a little Tonga girl of about 6 years of age who had TB, was far from her people and had no relative to take responsibility for her. Probably her relatives were afraid that she had been possessed by an evil spirit and wanted nothing more to do with her. Mr Mazvabo was among the small group who began the work, which eventuated in the building of Thembiso Home for children in Bulawayo in the late 1960s. Subsequently Mr Mazvabo became a social worker in that city and an elder in the Free Presbyterian congregation in Bulawayo, while Rev D A Ross was missionary there.

Mr Mazvabo was received as a student for the ministry by the Zimbabwe Presbytery in 1980, along with Mr Alfred Mpofu. “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Tim 3:1). Mr Mpofu and Mr Mazvabo were sent to Scotland for tuition under Rev D MacLean, Glasgow. Mr Z Mazvabo was ordained and inducted to the mission station in Zvishavane in August 1981. He began work at New Canaan. As years went by, the Lord was pleased to bless the work, and more preaching stations were opened – of which, to date, there are 10.

By God’s grace, Mr Mazvabo’s duties were carried on despite a progressive eye condition which rendered him almost blind and, latterly, diabetes and hypertension. The Lord assisted him in carrying out his duties, though at times he was laid aside because of failing health. The abiding impression was that here was a worker who loved the Word for himself, before preaching it to others. He laboured tirelessly, with the help of his elders, to sow the good seed. His contributions in the Presbytery, Session and in both Field and Sub Committee meetings were consistently valuable. Mr Mazvabo was a competent man in his work, sound in his teaching, open to truth, having a welcoming spirit to all.

His end came quickly and he passed away in a hospital in Harare on 17 April 2012 and was laid to rest at his home, Mberengwa, Chiedza. His passing from time to eternity is not only a loss to his family and to the congregations in which he served, but to our Church as a whole. Our loss is his gain. He will be sadly missed, and we commend his widow, a help-meet through many difficulties, and his children to the God of all grace and the Father of all mercy. It is our sincere hope and prayer that the Lord in His kindness will raise up other men to fill such vacant places and to continue that blessed work of sowing the good seed of the Word. His funeral from the church in Chiedza was attended by a large gathering, which was a reflection of how highly he was thought of as a person. He has entered the eternal rest of the Lord’s people. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps 116:15).

(Rev) J R Tallach

[This obituary was originally printed in the September 2013 issue of the Free Presbyterian Magazine.]

History

  • History of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
  • Congregational histories
    • Aberdeen history
    • Aberfeldy history
    • Clydebank history
    • Edinburgh history
    • Glasgow history
    • Inverness history
    • Kames history
    • London history
    • Northampton history
    • North Uist history
    • Stirling history
    • Stoer history
    • Stornoway history
    • Sydney history
    • Ullapool & Lochinver History
  • Deceased Ministers and Probationers
  • Obituaries and Synod Tributes
    • Rev Alexander Macaskill (1895-1982) – Obituary
    • Rev Johannes A T van Dorp (1931-2013) – Obituary
    • Rev Petros Mzamo (1918-2012) – Obituary
    • Rev Fraser Macdonald (1924-2013) – Obituary
    • Rev Zororai Mazvabo (1941-2012) – Obituary
    • Rev Hugh M Cartwright (1943-2011) – Obituary
    • Rev Aaron B Ndebele (1925-2004) – Obituary
    • Rev Donald MacLean (1915-2010) – Obituary
    • Rev Lachlan MacLeod (1918-1998) – Obituary
    • Rev Alexander Morrison (1925-1999) – Obituary
    • Rev Angus MacKay (1919-1998) – Obituary
    • Rev John MacDonald (1925-2000) – Obituary
    • Rev John MacDonald (1925-2000) – Obituary
    • Rev John MacDonald (1925-2000) – Obituary
    • Miss Bella Murray, North Tolsta (1907-1998)- Obituary
    • Mrs Catherine MacKenzie, Stornoway (1906-1999) – Obituary
    • Mrs Annie MacIver, North Tolsta (1908-2000) – Obituary
    • Miss Jean Nicolson ( 1908-2000) – Obituary
    • Donald Mackenzie (Domhnuill Tailear) North Tolsta (1833-1922) – Obituary
    • Murdoch Nicolson (Edinburgh) 1921-1997 – Obituary
    • Rev Alexander McPherson (1915-2000) – Obituary
    • Mr Ian Munro MacLeod, Dingwall (1923-2001) – Obituary
    • Edward Arthur Christensen, Auckland (1915-2002) – Obituary
    • Robert Ross, Foindle (1920-2004)
    • William MacBeth Applecross (1835-1917) – Obituary
  • Moderators of Synod etc.

Calendar

  1. 9 Mar - Meeting of Presbyteries: Western and Northern
  2. 16 Mar - 17 Mar - Synod Committee meetings
  3. 23 Mar - Meeting of Presbytery: Outer Isles

View All Events

Latest Articles

  • Approaching Judgments – Part 6
  • Youth Conference 2021
  • Special Offers on New Books for March

Recently Added Audio

  • Our responses to what Christ says 11 Oct 2020
  • Nehemiah and the fear of God 11 Oct 2020
  • Who is worthy to open the book? 20 Sep 2009
  • Lazarus at the table with Christ 20 Sep 2009
  • Sons of God 27 Dec 2020
  • Mine eyes have seen thy salvation 27 Dec 2020
  • Direction for Joshua 4 Oct 2020
  • God pleased to use preaching 4 Oct 2020
  • Enduring by faith 27 Dec 2020
  • I was brought low 3 Jan 2021

View All Sermons

Download Latest Issues:
The Free Presbyterian Magazine
Young People’s Magazine

Free Presbyterian Places of Worship

Browse the Church Bookshop

Messages from Captivity: Sermons from Ezekiel 1-24 by Allan W MacColl, £6.79
A Day’s March Nearer Home: Autobiography of J Graham Miller edited by Iain H Murray £12.79
The Quest for Full Assurance: The Legacy of Calvin and His Successors Joel R Beeke, £9.59
The World Conquered by the Faithful Christian by Richard Alleine, £9.59
Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots by J C Ryle,  £11.99

Back to top

Website Contact

Rev Keith M Watkins
[email protected]

Moderator of Synod

Rev J Bruce Jardine
FP Manse, Tarbert
Isle of Harris, HS3 3DF
UK

Clerk of Synod

Rev Keith M Watkins
Free Presbyterian Manse, Ferry Road, Leverburgh, Isle of Harris, HS5 3UA, UK.
[email protected]

General Treasurer

Mr William Campbell
133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow,
G3 6LE, UK.
[email protected]

Copyright © 2021 Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland · Log in · Subscribe via RSS · Privacy Notice

This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read more.