In 1981 in the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, a deacon of the Assembly of God church in Famona, a suburb of that great city, invited all the youth to his house one Wednesday for fellowship and to listen to a cassette tape recording he had received.
We all arrived and had a wonderful time, then he introduced the Cassette message.
It was a message by a christian comedian, Mike Warnke, who gave the testimony, of his conversion to Christianity in the vietnam war, the message was a real blessing, and God touched a number of lives that night.
It was such a hit, that it was decided that the following Wednesday we would have another tape to listen to. The Deacon, God Bless him was Ian Leith, he ensured that there were plenty of snacks and refreshments, everyone loved the meetings.
With each meeting the messages on the tapes were more exciting, Jimmy Swaggart was a favorite. Phil Botha was exciting as he was the Ex-Satanist high priest of South Africa, and his testimony was amazing. After a year or so it became clear that the Gospel shared on tape was becoming popular, There was no Video machines in Zimbabwe in those days, We had not even heard of video then, so We formed GospeLife Recordings, with a motto, “Sending His Word through the World”, and went from Church to church taping messages, also collecting as many message tapes from other sources and other speakers to share with the Christian Community. The Weekly tape meetings were by now hugely popular with at least 50 - 60 youth attending, bringing friends, sharing the Gospel each Wednesday night at 7-00pm.
It wasn’t until early 1983 that we became aware of the wonder of Video, and decided that the tape ministry would be even more blessed if you could not only hear the sermon, but see the speaker as well. Much research was done as we knew nothing of the subject, and finally decided on the equipment we needed, the greatest problem was it was not available at all in Zimbabwe, God would find a way....
in June of 1983, GospeLife Recordings moved to Cape Town South Africa, God had ordained that we move to fulfill his Mission he had begun with us. The first night in cape Town we were taken to a Video recording session by a fellow Saint who also had a vision for the Video Ministry, Brits Van Wyk, he took us to meet a singer whom he recorded that night, the singer was Allan Bird, who had just released a gospel LP “Jesus was a teenager too” that shot to number 1 on the Gospel Charts in South Africa in June 1983. this meeting was indeed Prophetical, as Allan is still working closely with us today whilst running his own Ministry, “Raine Studios”
GospeLife recordings acquired the equipment needed to fulfill the video Ministry God had called us to, and proceeded to begin Taping in Cape Town South Africa at 16 Saxon Road Rondebosch Cape Town, our Headquarters for the next 12 months.
I previously mentioned a testimony tape we had listened to in Bulawayo, of Phil Botha, the Ex satanist high priest, well Allan Bird not only knew him personally but was his best friend, and with a short introduction and prayerful meeting with Phil, GospeLife Taped the full testimony of Phil Botha and sent the programmes back to the Zimbabwe people, as well as to Australia to Dereck Marshall who shared them there.
Allan then came on board with his weekly Bible Study Programme, “The ChALLENge Bible One Hour” which was very popular in Zimbabwe. Allen was a Huge part of the GospeLife team, he just didn’t know it.
in 1984 GospeLife returned to Zimbabwe, 6 months later Allan bird visited for a Promotional tour and to release “Jesus was a teenager too” In Zimbabwe, Allan bird in conjunction with us recorded another single “Princess”
In 1984, GospeLife approached the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, and invited them to come to Zimbabwe to have their telecast broadcast on Zimbabwe Television, having done the groundwork, Zimbabwe television were pleased to broadcast it, and in a meeting with Jim Woolsey the international Ministries Director for the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and the head of ZTV Mr. Job Jonero, the programme was on, and GospeLife recordings became the Television Agents for the Swaggart Ministries. which today we still vigorously promote.
GospeLife Recordings then set up a Radio station in Bulawayo called “Station GLRZW Radio 99”, (GospeLife Recordings Zimbabwe Radio 99) which broadcast the gospel to old age homes in Bulawayo.
Starvision Television was also commissioned by GospeLife Recordings, as a commercial and Gospel organization, Allan Bird joined Starvision as a sound engineer and assisted in 90% of the camera work for them, Starvision Promoted both the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries and Local Pastors in Mission works. On a Safari shoot Allan was once charged by an elephant. The Lord watches over his servants indeed, I once thought , “That’s quite a difference from singing Al”.
In 2007 we began COM TV, (Church on the Move Television) which produced programmes for broadcast on DSTV through Maranatha Television, Afriview John 3;16 TV as well as faith Vision network USA for Church on the Move in Durban South Africa.
Now GospeLife Broadcasting has arrived, culminating in the complete Vision of “Sending HIS WORD through the World” via, internet Television, FaceBook and YouTube.
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