HISTORY OF THE U.B.C.C (HARARE) CHURCH
“THE ROAD TO 18833 STL, BELVEDERE TOWNSHIP, HARARE”
1. Mbare- City Congregation(as it was called at first) meets for its first Sunday Service at the Catholic Centre Cnr Livingstone Avenue and Fourth Street, Harare) on the 9th of February 1992.The service was led by Reverend Quickson Ndlovu who was the then Resident Pastor at Glen Norah which was the “mother church” to this new church. This congregation was originally a group which was born out of Glen Norah Church. It consisted of those members who had earlier traveled long distances to attend service at Glen Norah Church. In a way the setting up of the Mbare -City Church was meant to alleviate transport problems that some members faced in trying to attend service at Glen Norah each Sunday. Secondly the setting up of this church was also a church expansion drive. The United Baptist needed to penetrate into the heart of the City of Harare.
2. On the 16 February 1992 Bishop J. Dhube led the second church service and immediately started a Study Class on EVANGELISM during the Sunday School Hour aimed at equipping the congregation with knowledge and skills in Soul Winning. This exercise was to be targeted firstly at the Harare City Centre and Avenues Area by organized groups of two people each.
3. The name of the church was changed from being U.B.C Mbare-City Church to United Baptist City Church (Harare) or as an acronym U.B.C.C(Harare) at a Midweek Prayer Meeting held at the then David Dhube (Son of Bishop J and Mrs. Dhube) residence in Vainona on the 1st of April 1992.
4. The congregation started in earnest praying for a church stand of their own and a Resident Pastor at the church service of 26 April 1992.
5. The U.B.C.C (Harare) was officially organized on the 14th of March 1993 with a full complement of Elders and Deacons.
6. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first Welcome Sunday of new members were welcomed into the congregation on the 6th of June 1993.
7. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first Dedication of Children Sunday on the 11th July 1993.
8. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first service at the Harare Polytechnic after they had been evicted from the Catholic Centre on the 5th March 1995.Apparently some of the clergymen who resided at the centre had complained of noise during services as other Denominations had also started using the centre.
9. Subsequently in November 1995, on the 12th of that month, the first group of believers from the congregation was baptized.
10. For about two weeks the congregation held their services at Domboshawa House in January 1996 after having again been evicted from the Harare Polytechnic Campus. This was only temporary as the church returned to the Harare Polytechnic Campus for their normal services.
11. The official start to the search for a church stand was led by the then Resident Pastor, Reverend Chingovo, and Bishop J Dhube who visited the City Of Harare Municipality Offices on the 17th June 1996.
12. At its first Harvest Sunday on the 6th December 1997 they managed to raise an amount of $39 175, 53.This was the highest for the combined Harare District(inclusive of what today are Harare North and South Districts) although there were no targets set.
13. On the 27th May 1997, The Ministry of Education offers (by letter) a secondary school stand that would also accommodate a church building, situated in the Belvedere Area. However this was subject to City Of Harare approval. Later that year the City Of Harare put to tender church stands in the Belvedere Area (strictly church stands).The U.B.C.C (Harare) submitted their bid for one of the stands. The highest bidder would get the stand.
14. In the month of July 2003 with $ 1,6 million (Old Currency System),$ 1600 in today’s’ currency system, the U.B.C.C (Harare) won the bid ahead of several established churches for STAND 18833 STL measuring 3000 m2. However the stand area was reduced by 131m2 to the current area of 2869 m2 after the final survey of the site was done by the Council Officials.
15. Between 2003 and September 2005 the congregation was based at the Harare Polytechnic and in that period managed to service the stand and erect a perimeter fence (Durawall) and a Temporary Functions Hall which they would use temporarily for their services when they finally moved.
16. Finally the last church service of the U.B.C.C (Harare) at the Harare Polytechnic was held on the 25th September 2005 with the local Youth Fellowship holding the service as it was the National Youth Day Sunday.
17. The first service at the new church site, STAND 18833 STL was held on Sunday 9 October 2005 and the service was led by the local Vakweyi Fellowship as it was also a National Vakweyi Sunday. The congregation was full of praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty for the stand.
18. Sunday, 16 October 2005, was the official Thanksgiving Sunday for the Stand and, like the previous Sunday, the congregation was full of thanksgiving to the Lord.
19. To date the congregation has managed to furnish the Temporary Functions Hall and are nearly completing the building of their Ablution Block and electrification of the site. The congregation has taken on board the biblical working strategy of Nehemiah of allocating specific tasks to specific groups and individuals in the building exercise. (As we read in the book of Nehemiah especially in the 3rd Chapter).
“THE ROAD TO 18833 STL, BELVEDERE TOWNSHIP, HARARE”
1. Mbare- City Congregation(as it was called at first) meets for its first Sunday Service at the Catholic Centre Cnr Livingstone Avenue and Fourth Street, Harare) on the 9th of February 1992.The service was led by Reverend Quickson Ndlovu who was the then Resident Pastor at Glen Norah which was the “mother church” to this new church. This congregation was originally a group which was born out of Glen Norah Church. It consisted of those members who had earlier traveled long distances to attend service at Glen Norah Church. In a way the setting up of the Mbare -City Church was meant to alleviate transport problems that some members faced in trying to attend service at Glen Norah each Sunday. Secondly the setting up of this church was also a church expansion drive. The United Baptist needed to penetrate into the heart of the City of Harare.
2. On the 16 February 1992 Bishop J. Dhube led the second church service and immediately started a Study Class on EVANGELISM during the Sunday School Hour aimed at equipping the congregation with knowledge and skills in Soul Winning. This exercise was to be targeted firstly at the Harare City Centre and Avenues Area by organized groups of two people each.
3. The name of the church was changed from being U.B.C Mbare-City Church to United Baptist City Church (Harare) or as an acronym U.B.C.C(Harare) at a Midweek Prayer Meeting held at the then David Dhube (Son of Bishop J and Mrs. Dhube) residence in Vainona on the 1st of April 1992.
4. The congregation started in earnest praying for a church stand of their own and a Resident Pastor at the church service of 26 April 1992.
5. The U.B.C.C (Harare) was officially organized on the 14th of March 1993 with a full complement of Elders and Deacons.
6. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first Welcome Sunday of new members were welcomed into the congregation on the 6th of June 1993.
7. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first Dedication of Children Sunday on the 11th July 1993.
8. The U.B.C.C (Harare) held their first service at the Harare Polytechnic after they had been evicted from the Catholic Centre on the 5th March 1995.Apparently some of the clergymen who resided at the centre had complained of noise during services as other Denominations had also started using the centre.
9. Subsequently in November 1995, on the 12th of that month, the first group of believers from the congregation was baptized.
10. For about two weeks the congregation held their services at Domboshawa House in January 1996 after having again been evicted from the Harare Polytechnic Campus. This was only temporary as the church returned to the Harare Polytechnic Campus for their normal services.
11. The official start to the search for a church stand was led by the then Resident Pastor, Reverend Chingovo, and Bishop J Dhube who visited the City Of Harare Municipality Offices on the 17th June 1996.
12. At its first Harvest Sunday on the 6th December 1997 they managed to raise an amount of $39 175, 53.This was the highest for the combined Harare District(inclusive of what today are Harare North and South Districts) although there were no targets set.
13. On the 27th May 1997, The Ministry of Education offers (by letter) a secondary school stand that would also accommodate a church building, situated in the Belvedere Area. However this was subject to City Of Harare approval. Later that year the City Of Harare put to tender church stands in the Belvedere Area (strictly church stands).The U.B.C.C (Harare) submitted their bid for one of the stands. The highest bidder would get the stand.
14. In the month of July 2003 with $ 1,6 million (Old Currency System),$ 1600 in today’s’ currency system, the U.B.C.C (Harare) won the bid ahead of several established churches for STAND 18833 STL measuring 3000 m2. However the stand area was reduced by 131m2 to the current area of 2869 m2 after the final survey of the site was done by the Council Officials.
15. Between 2003 and September 2005 the congregation was based at the Harare Polytechnic and in that period managed to service the stand and erect a perimeter fence (Durawall) and a Temporary Functions Hall which they would use temporarily for their services when they finally moved.
16. Finally the last church service of the U.B.C.C (Harare) at the Harare Polytechnic was held on the 25th September 2005 with the local Youth Fellowship holding the service as it was the National Youth Day Sunday.
17. The first service at the new church site, STAND 18833 STL was held on Sunday 9 October 2005 and the service was led by the local Vakweyi Fellowship as it was also a National Vakweyi Sunday. The congregation was full of praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty for the stand.
18. Sunday, 16 October 2005, was the official Thanksgiving Sunday for the Stand and, like the previous Sunday, the congregation was full of thanksgiving to the Lord.
19. To date the congregation has managed to furnish the Temporary Functions Hall and are nearly completing the building of their Ablution Block and electrification of the site. The congregation has taken on board the biblical working strategy of Nehemiah of allocating specific tasks to specific groups and individuals in the building exercise. (As we read in the book of Nehemiah especially in the 3rd Chapter).
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