THE famous CHURCH in Durban, the Ethekwini Community Church, will celebrate its 21st anniversary on Easter. The ECC was founded by the KwaZulu-Natal Member of Parliament, Bishop Emmanuel Vusimuzi Dube and a group of pastors who defected from the Durban Christian Church in 2005.
Dube said that it was not easy when he started this call to establish an independent church.
“Leading people requires you to have the heart of God. We have faced challenges but God has stood by us in everything,” he said.
This church, which did not care about the youth and celebrities, started worshiping in a tent that was set up in Gugu Dlamini Park, near the Workshop shops.
Having a wozawoza made it move to Albert Park, before worshiping on Anton Lembede Street. It also gave birth to Sobantu Community Church, Lamontville Community Church and ten other branches. The excitement went down and there were celebrities and pastors who stripped their chairs from it, when it became a branch of the ANC and held worship services, Mr. Jacob Zuma, who was still facing charges.
Even so, it still holds the iron hot. Celebrity churches were opened in Durban but the ECC was not disturbed. These churches include Mthunzi Namba’s church in Greyville Primary, Zanele Mbokazi’s in Nicol Square and Pastor Andile KaMajola’s in Anton Lembede Street.
It’s on the weekend found that the ECC has more than 20 000 members and Dube is a member of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA). This church has invited all the brothers to join them in celebrating this milestone at Centrum Park in Durban, from the 2nd to the 5th of April.
Among the leaders who will be present are the Mayor of Durban, Mr. Cyril Xaba and the Minister of Transport and Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Siboniso Duma. The brothers will also praise the music and stars of various artists.
On April 2nd, there will be Holy Communion, the Seven Words on April 3rd, there will be ECC Heritage Day on April 4th, and then it will wrap up on the 5th, with the Day of Resurrection.