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Meet Mpho and Phumla—leaders of the Soweto Region
Vida Li Sik • Sep 30, 2021
They are best friends, partners in life and the gospel.
They’ve been married for almost 16 years, have a 14-year-old son, Gomolemo, and twin daughters Oratile and Ofentse, and started leading the Soweto region in February 2019. Let’s get to know Mpho and Phumla Khalo:
How did you become followers of Jesus?
Phumla: My brother introduced me to the church in 1999, when I was 18 years old. I remember being so amazed by the love and attention I received on my first Sunday service; I started studying the Bible soon after. And I knew right away “this is it”, I was found by God. There were some challenges to overcome—breaking away from my previous church, where my aunt (who was my mother figure) was also a member. A deep fear of her gripped me, and I got a bit of persecution for leaving, but got baptised on 28 February 2000.
Mpho:
I was met in 2000 during my first week on campus. Before that, another campus ministry at RAU (now UJ) reached out to me. I searched all over for them but couldn’t find them. In my despair, I went to the law faculty to fix some things and Zinhle Pondo reached out to me. I studied the Bible and got baptised six months later on 25 August.
What is the Soweto region’s biggest strength?
Worship, the love of fellowship with one another, togetherness, and resilience through various hardships.
What scripture (s) encourages you to persevere and not give up?
Mpho:
Philippians 4:6-8 that talks about not being anxious but praying instead. And Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Phumla:
I love Psalm 94:18-19 “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” I also love 1 Corinthians 9:24, Galatians 6:9, James 1:12, Hebrews 12:11 and many others.
Which person in the Bible would you like to invite over for dinner and why?
Mpho:
Moses. Moses is one of my favourite characters in the Bible. He was bold, fearful and emotional at times. But what I admire the most is he was real. It would be nice to hear him speak about the plagues and the staff, the parting of the sea, the water from the rock, the manna from the sky, and so much more.
Phumla:
the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30. I’ve always been so inspired and amazed by her shameless audacity, even after obvious rejection from Jesus.
What was the biggest challenge for the Soweto region during the pandemic?
Connection with one another. Depending on the virtual space proved a challenge for many as not everyone had compatible devices, especially our elderly, and data remained a constant issue. During the pandemic we lost five sisters. We are a fellowship that loves being there for each other, but the regulations made it difficult for us to the attend the funerals of our dear sisters and we depended on virtual feeds.
Tough and rough winds expose the sailor, the crew and the boat. While that is so, the pandemic asked a lot of questions about one’s relationship with God. Does daily reading stop because of it? Does fellowship stop because of it? Does evangelism stop because of it? I think this was a time to rise up rather than run down. That’s not to undermine the deadly effects of Covid. I mean, I was in hospital for two weeks with Covid pneumonia. However, we all needed to answer tough questions about our own spirituality. Did following Jesus become conditional, or were we determined to nest in with the birds and hole in with the foxes so long as Jesus leads?
Why should other disciples consider visiting the Soweto region?
Soweto boasts of historical landmarks, famous streets and good food. The church in Soweto is a wonderful church with great worship leaders and the song line-up always reaches a point of surrendered reverence to God Almighty. The brothers and sisters are always very encouraging and welcoming.
We thank God for Mpho’s recovery, and look forward to visiting the Soweto region when Covid restrictions are lifted.
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