It is not a common thing to find a young man who is determined to preach God’s Word for the rest of his life in this generation. The glory bestowed upon material success drives people away from the pulpit. However, ACC has produced a young man who has his eyes firmly fixed on preaching Jesus, and him crucified. Read this inspiring reflection of Kholwani Mvelase about his transformation from 2015 to present.
I never saw myself preaching God’s Word, ever in my life. I wanted to pursue careers that were ultimately going to drive me completely away from God’s presence. When I finished my high school in 2010, my dad advised me to further my studies at African Christian College. I thought that his idea was the most foolish thing that I had ever heard. Fast-forward four years from that time, I had reached the lowest point of my life. All of my hopes and dreams were shattered by the immoral lifestyle that I chose to live. But just like the prodigal son, I came to my senses when I had lost virtually everything, and I had no one to turn to but God. I remembered my father’s advice and every hint which showed me that God wants me to preach the Gospel. I decided to follow Christ, and my journey would begin in Swaziland, at a small but God-ordained college called African Christian College.
It is at African Christian College where God gave me a second chance at life. Even when I had reached this place, I wasn’t fully convinced about my calling. I think part of the reason why I was like that is the fact that I still had a lot of “baggage” inside my heart. Sin is what had blinded me to my calling in the first place. I came here as a legalistic church of Christ member who also had a hidden agenda: I wanted to gain more validation for the assumption that we are the only true church in all the world. I was not prepared for what God had in store for me. After listening to, reading about, and seeing different experiences where God was actively working in the lives of people who are from other churches, it was like I also had my Damascus road experience – scales fell off my eyes. I had to come here at African Christian College for God to show me the light. Amongst a lot of things, ACC has been the place where I came to know the truth. Now I understand why is it that I never even considered any other place subsequent to my decision to study God’s Word.
There are so many other things that I thought were right, but actually found out that they were simply biased traditions that derived from incorrect hermeneutics. I can’t thank God enough for ACC! Though I am in no way perfect, but I am so much better than who I was before coming here. I came here as a lazy guy who knew nothing about hard work; now I know that without hard work I am going to subject myself and others to poverty. I came here with the mentality that women are second-class citizens; now I know that they are not only created in God’s own image, a truth that is at the heart of their worth, but they are co-heirs with the Lord Jesus, therefore, they are capable to do whatever God tasks them to do in God’s Kingdom.
There are so many things that I want to say about ACC, but in a nutshell, God sent me here so that I can become a vessel of noble purpose. Although it has its own shortcomings, ACC is a place in which God is mysteriously at work. He called me so that I could be prepared for a great and high purpose of reconciling women and men to Himself. This is the greatest privilege I will ever have! ACC was part of God’s plan for my life long before I was born, and I believe this with all my heart! This college will always be a part of me. As a result of being here, and after finally surrendering my will to God’s, I want to preach the Word of God for the rest of my life!
