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Walter Mswazie Correspondent
While some people spend their lifetime in self-pity because of disability, believer and preacher Mary Chipoka-Zenda is dedicated to bring salvation to others. Chipoka-Zenda, a Reformed Church of Zimbabwe preacher, has become a light of encouragement and inspiration for those living with disability. She has made history by becoming the first deaf person to ever work as a pastor in Masvingo, bringing hope to the deaf population, one of the largest groups of people not yet reached by the gospel in the world.

What makes Rev Chipoka-Zenda’s achievements unique is her ability to woo crowds and deliver the word in sign language.

This has made her a revelation.

“I am elated for defying a lot of barriers and become a first deaf pastor for my church,” she said in an interview recently.

“I nearly dropped my studies during training because of some challenges, but my lecturers encouraged me to soldier on.”

She persevered, becoming one of the lecturers’ “darlings” and successfully completed her pastoral training.

Rev Chipoka-Zenda’s achievements have demystified misconceptions associated with people living with disability.

Besides her extraordinary achievements, she was among top students during pastoral training in Cape Town, South Africa.

Living above societal myths, her sermons have had congregates singing her praises for the astute preacher she is.

She has since been appointed resident Chaplin for the Henry Murray School of the Deaf at Morgenster in Masvingo.

Rev Chipoka-Zenda said she derives inspiration from her husband who has stood by her during the time of her studies.

“When I nearly dropped my studies in South Africa, my husband kept on encouraging me,” she said.

“My sponsors also made life easier for me as I was left to concentrate on my books than thinking of paying fees.

“Our church moderator Reverend Dr Rangarirai Rutoro also played a big role in my studies which helped me to become a reverend and chaplain at the same time.”

Rev Chipoka-Zenda easily mixes with people and attracts a huge following during her sermons and this motivates her a lot.

Dr Rutoro said Rev Chipoka-Zenda was an amazing woman of God whose preaching has turned the hearts of many, despite the perceived language barrier.

He said the gifted preacher, who uses sign language with the assistance of an interpreter, has seen many church-goers learning “unique” preaching that “the church will not need an interpreter” at the end of the sermon.

“We are the first church in Zimbabwe and beyond the region to have a preacher who is deaf,” said Dr Rutoro.

“This is a milestone achievement as Rev Chipoka-Zenda has gone through rigorous and painstaking pastoral training up to the diploma level like any of our pastors.

“She was enrolled at our pastoral college in Cape Town in South Africa where her lecturers are also singing praises about her character and work ethics.”

Dr Rutoro is also Chancellor at the Reformed Church University.

This feat, he said, will put the Reformed Church in a position where the deaf community will have a chance to understand the word of God in its raw form coming from one of their peers.

He said the church had a well ingrained reputation of nurturing the disabled, including those with hearing and speech impairment.

“We are known as champions in assisting children with disability through Henry Murray School of the Deaf at Morgenster and Copota School for the Blind in Zimuto Communal Lands,” he said.

“We have provided this community which is an integral part of society with an opportunity to learn and venture into their preferred disciplines or careers with the special emphasis on the word of God, since we are Christians.

“This has seen a number of talented children emerging as role models in their own right because we have presented them with a conducive platform to unleash their God given talents.”

Dr Rutoro said the disabled have had an opportunity to learn skills, becoming a marvel to a society which inadvertently “stigmatised” them.

“We have, however, scored our first for ordaining Rev Chipoka-Zenda as a pastor despite her condition and this is a milestone achievement for us as a church,” he said.

“This would go straight to the enviable annals of the church.”

Rev Chipoka-Zenda’s teacher at Emerald Hill School for the Deaf Mr Lincoln Matongo was ecstatic about her achievements.

“I am on cloud nine after learning that Mary, my product, is now a qualified pastor,” he said. “God has done her great favour and to the hearing impaired community at large.

“Let this be a challenge and motivation for others in the same situation. I am really happy to be associated with such achievement and it gives us the zeal to keep producing children with skills that can see them excelling in society.”

Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) special needs expert Professor David Chakuchichi said Rev Chipoka-Zenda’s achievements should be an eye-opener to the society and country at large.

He said this was a lesson that people perceived to be disabled have the potential to do great achievements in life if provided with an enabling environment.

“What we have witnessed are the works of special needs education and I would want to commend the schools that she attended together with her teachers,” he said.

“The teachers were able to identify Mary’s passion, strength and skill after which they nurtured it.”

Prof Chakuchichi said there were many things that people living with disability could do for the community and even change the lives of the able bodied for the better.

“I would also want to thank RCZ for being at the forefront in assisting children with disability. They are doing a great job,” he said.

“We have seen the hand of God on Mary who has defied all odds and became a pastor with a Diploma in pastoral training for that matter.

“The Copota School of the Blind, which is also under the control of RCZ, has been an inspiration to this country. Through Mary, a number of deaf people who could not attend church due to the language barrier will now be encouraged to attend as there is one of their own.”

RCU Vice chancellor Professor Wiseman Magwa encouraged Rev Chipoka-Zenda to enrol for a degree in theology as she has demonstrated the zeal and ability to withstand the academic heat.

“We have seen her pedigree and I think she won’t face any hurdles in pursuing a degree programme with a Christian university like ours. We will readily accept her without any problem,” he said.

Born in 1985, Rev Chipoka-Zenda, originally from Nangwi Village, under Chief Zimuto, is the third daughter of Mr and Mrs Jonathan and Egneta Chipoka.

She did her primary education at Henry Murray before she went to Emerald Hill for her secondary education and then moved to the National Institute of the Deaf in Cape Town, South Africa.

At the institute, Rev Chipoka-Zenda first did a Certificate in Theology before proceeding to do the Diploma given her enthusiasm in evangelism.

A visit at her workplace revealed that Rev Chipoka-Zenda, who recently went down the aisle with her love, Mr Trevor Zenda, who is also deaf and from Mutare, commands respect and demonstrates a high degree of assertiveness and astuteness.

Before anyone gets to know that she is hard of hearing, one cannot tell from her attentiveness to detail.

She possesses rare work ethics of a leader, manager and woman of God.

Members of the clergy in her church say her professionalism bears testimony to the old adage, “disability does not mean inability”.

Rev Chipoka-Zenda lacks none of the characteristics of a chaplain with the responsibility of overseeing a school with more than 200 pupils and 20 staff members under her command.

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