The Presiding Elder, Rev LB Dlamini: The Pastor, PE Rev. Setail called Mini Presiding Elder

The Presiding Elder, Rev LB Dlamini: The Pastor, PE Rev Setail called Mini Presiding Elder. 

By Mxolisi Henry Vilakazi, Columnist

It was in 1992 when the Rev LB Dlamini descended at Masibambisane AME Church as the Pastor of Ms Khoza Ternanacle. 

The Circuit at that time was used to rather older folks as preachers and here came a young Rev LB Dlamini. A preacher of note and transformed almost all lay preachers to adopt his intonation, way of preaching and way of doing his thing. 

His activism left all his Charge and Mission to atlease see him once in four months. Not because he was dodging Church but because he was a man on a mission to expand the Church. He established the Church in areas where it did not exist. This resulted in him have over nine station separated by over 90km. 

He was young, without resources and without a car, but his labour in the circuit and his mission station was marvelous. According to the Church protocol, he was ” maladministrating the Church” because he had to train lay preachers on burial rites and running the Church service and preaching. This to ensure that he can delegate lay preachers when his missions had burials and was unable to attend because of other burial in his ” mini- district” as Presiding Elder Setai used to call him. 

His work in the Church produced young lay preachers like myself, Mduduzi Mavimbela and others across his ” mini-districts”. 

He was so particular in organising the Easter Celebration which was a season of the Mini District meeting together for worship. We always looked forward to seven words on the cross and thise he has fielded. His robing services were always the best filled with a sense of Godly presence and spiritually charged. Who can forget his earlier preachment that ” destroyed” weak pulpit. The Saterday of his Good Friday celebration were always night vigils waiting for the rising of Christ, singing uvukile and asking the newly joined Lay Preachers to lead the morning ” sunrise services”. 

His leadership of the circuit and its mission produced a lot of lay preachers and in his time he produced two Pastors who have both sadly passed on, the Rev Nobela and Rev Mashego. 

The Rev LB Dlamini had a strong interest in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. He led a variety of programmes to educate Church members and community members about the dangers of HIV / AIDS and how this could be prevented and managed. At that time, it was a taboo for the Church to deal with HIV/ AIDS. 

He was also having a great interest in voter Education and voter registration drives. His efforts saw many of our members registered as voters and would actually encourage them to vote as a civic duty to society. 

He had a strong passion for Sunday School and Church schools children’s participation in activities of the Church. 

The Rev LB Dlamini understood ecunemical work and laboring and toiling the Circuit and its mission stations. Without a car, he would from the moon run home visits alone. He would walk the length and breadth of his circuit and mission midweek on  Clerical attire carrying his bag with elements of Holy Communion. He would visit the sick, the elderly and after each visit offer them Holy Communion. 

He was also involved in the Council of Churches, the Moral Regeneration Movement and in our area united the Methodists to have a common Christmas and New Year Celebration. The Rev LB Dlamini was nothing but a true servant who embodied what a pastor of the A.M.E Church should be. 

He spent over 12 years in MS Khoza before he was transfers to RS Thelela. Until to this day, the Community of LaMsogwaba now the Rev LB Dlamini as a Pastor. 

His traveling across the Circuit made him find Rev Mabuza who was in exile in Zimbabwe and returned to Msogwaba but did not know the existence of the A.M.E Church in Msogwaba. His broad labours and travel in the Circuit made him meet the Rev Mabuza. He assigned him task in the Local Church and later integrated him as a super enumerate of the Circuit. 

His journey was not always rosey as at times he was locked out of the Church and Church mission in a dispute financial dispute in Mareka Memorial before it was names MS Khoza Terbanacle. The name MS Khoza Terbanacle came as a settlement of the dispute resolved by Presiding Elder Setai and Bishop Garnet Henning. Even though the stewards withheld his meagre salary, he continued to labour the Circuit as if there was nothing going on. 

He was a true reconciliator having partken in the local version of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He brought so much peace and collaboration between MS Khoza and Masibambisane, two circuits that never saw eye to eye before but brought so much harmony between them. 

By his side, he has Mother TR Dlamini who exhibited true servanhood on the Church. Because of the Nature of the Circuit Mt TR Dlamini was more involved in assisting the Pastor especially with visitation to churches to close the gap of the pastor seeing each church once in four months because of the many mission stations the pastor had to service. 

Here is a servant of the Lord who has dedicated his adulthood to the service of the A.M.E Church. Like all of us fault, his has his own faults and shortcoming but his were on his line of duty meaning well. 

He became a Presiding Elder of Ilanga and his work in the District was evident. During his leadership almost all auxiliaries were strong and full participating in all Conference and Episcopal activities. And members of his district were in various leadership of Conference components and auxiliaries. 

He then moved to Highveld and later to DS Modisapodi Presiding Elder District. 

I thought I.must take a moment and celebrate a giant of salvation, a soldier of the cross, a servant of the Lord who served and continue to serve the Church with aplomb and distinction. 

Goodmorning Presiding Elder Dlamini.