Ezakheni Attracts Hundreds Visiting New Chapel

Most remembered Saturday, 9 June 2013, when members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in Ezakheni Township, South Africa, to pick up a shovel and turn over the soil to officially announce the lot where their new chapel would be built.  

With heartfelt love for the people of Ezakheni, Branch President Titus Egwuatu, expressed his desire for all in the community to come and fellowship with them in the newly constructed chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Heavenly Father has given us a grand new chapel to help do His work and move the gospel forward,” said the Branch President, “We alone cannot enjoy this beautiful chapel, we must find others and bring them to the Lord.”

Through their faithfulness and commitment to tithes and offerings and as the congregation began to out grow their previous rented location the branch leadership set in motion a plan to build their own chapel.  When purchasing the land, branch leaders were given the site location and told to look behind the shopping mall past the football field.  They were unable to locate the exact location and surveyors were brought in to find the property.  With much joy, the location was actually a beautiful large corner lot on a main road with easy access and transportation.  “Nowhere in Ezakheni will they say we are hidden.  The people will know where we are and what this building represents,” exclaimed President Egwuatu.

The new building has a chapel that can seat over 200 people, five classrooms, kitchen, library, offices, and baptismal font.  The building was also built to be expanded as attendance increases.  

Several members led the tours while others helped in various ways such as preparing refreshments and giving instructions in each of the classrooms. Guests also had an opportunity to visit with Relief Society sisters and the Young Women. With big smiles on their faces the primary children enjoyed entertaining guests by singing, “I am a Child of God”.

Visitors expressed appreciation for the opportunity to tour the building and for having such a nice building in the community. 

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, July 20, 2014, over 200 members and guest attended the dedication of the newly constructed Ezakheni building.  The Invocation was given by the first branch president of Ezakheni, President Amos Moloi, now of the Kwa Mashu 2 Branch. He was followed by the forty member choir singing “This House We Dedicate to Thee.”  Remarks were then given by Branch President Titus Egwuatu, President John A. Zackrison, South Africa Durban Mission, and Elder Kevin S. Hamilton of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.

President Zackrison reminded the congregation that although the outside of the building is beautiful, “what is going on inside the building is what matters.” Where Saints (members of Christ's Church) come together - that is where the heart of the Lord is. “Make the inside of the building a place where His light will shine.”  

Elder Hamilton expressed his gratitude to the congregation for their love and commitment to the gospel and reminded them that chapels are built from tithing money donated by the members of the church throughout the world. “This building belongs to every member of the church who pays tithing funds.”

Elder Hamilton remarked to the Saints that as beautiful as the chapel is and as grateful as we are to have it “this is not the Church.”  As we live Christ centered lives, the Spirit of the Lord is in our homes and hearts, and that is where the Church is. He encouraged members to let their light shine, to invite their friends and neighbors to “come see what we have, to understand us” to see how we practice and live our religion, “how it makes a difference in our lives and impacts our families.”

During the Dedicatory Prayer Elder Hamilton blessed the newly constructed chapel for the purposes of teaching the gospel and for purposes of the Lord, that it would be a house of worship, learning, and faith. The building would be a place of safety and refuge from the storms of life. He also blessed all those who would enter the chapel that they may feel the Holy Spirit and they would live in a manner pleasing for a disciple of Jesus Christ.