Key points:
- Lunchtime services at St. Peter’s Inner City United Methodist in Zimbabwe offer time for prayer and worship.
- Those who attend have access to pastors for individual prayer and attention as well as counseling for spiritual needs.
- The United Methodist-led sessions have spawned back-to-school events and monthly, all-night prayers.
From all directions, people begin to trickle into St. Peter’s Inner City United Methodist Church sanctuary shortly before 1 p.m. At the top of the hour, the church is almost filled as hundreds gather for the lunch-hour service.
This is a typical scene on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons as United Methodists from churches in Mutare, along with members of other denominations, devote their lunch hour to prayer and worship.
“Attendees come seeking spiritual growth. We teach how to live a life of prayer in the face of obstacles, trials and tribulations,” said the Rev. Togara Bobo, St. Peter’s pastor in charge.
The popular services, which often draw 500 or more people, are the brainchild of Bobo. He introduced the concept in 2010, while serving at Chakohwa United Methodist Church.
“The people used to earn a comfortable living from diamonds,” Bobo said. “When they could no longer find the precious stones, they were struck by reality and had to start earning a meager living from farming. I couldn’t leave them without hope. That is why I started the lunch worship service.”
When Bobo was appointed to St. John’s Chikanga United Methodist in Mutare, he realized most people were unemployed and feared that idle minds would result in them engaging in social vices. He began the lunch-hour prayer. Some members drove about 15 miles to the service and then returned to work.
“The sessions became so popular that minibus operators cashed in on the large numbers coming from town,” he said. The buses developed the “lunch hour” route to transport people to the church and back to town.
The lunch service, open to everyone regardless of denomination, has evolved and given rise to other programs. These include a back-to-school service for students and all-night prayer on the last Friday of each month.
In 2023, the lunch-hour service brought 100 new souls to Christ, 60 in 2024 and 70 through September 2025.
The informal program features popular choruses that appeal to church seekers and members of other denominations.
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Sarudzayi Barara, a Roman Catholic, has attended the lunch sessions since last year. “I am contemplating joining The United Methodist Church,” she said, “because I have witnessed God’s grace in this church.”
Jennifer Nkomo, a member of St. John’s Chikanga, regularly goes to the lunch service. “The prayers have spiritually uplifted me,” she said. “I am blessed by the program.”
Monalisa Muchazoreka, also of Chikanga United Methodist, is self-employed. She cherishes the prayers, especially the back-to-school sessions, which she believes protect her children.
Dorcas Chowa of Dangamvura East United Methodist Church has attended the services since last year. “These are powerful prayers,” she said. “They help us overcome challenges.”
St. Peter’s associate pastor, the Rev. Cecilia Matengambiri, said participants come from as far as Harare, almost 185 miles away.
“Those who are heavy laden are getting spiritual help here,” she said. “We cannot give individual attention to members on Sundays, but this service allows us to pray for each person. Usually, we serve way beyond the hour allocated for the program.”
Matengambiri said most who attend are United Methodists, but members of other Protestant denominations and Pentecostal churches also come.
“The testimonies of those who witness changes after prayers uplift others and attract more people,” she said.
Solomon Mutende has attended prayer sessions for over a year. He is a member of Evangelical Assembly Church International. “I come to the service to hear God speak to my life,” he explained.
His son, Philip Mutende, recently began accompanying him to the service. Philip said he has benefited from the prayers as he is in the process of reintegrating into society after serving a short stint in prison.
Bobo said the lunch-hour service has produced pastors, including Vincent Gutukunhuwa, Gift Kufazvineyi and Zondai Chifamba.
“I used to attend the lunch session at St. John’s Chikanga and King David (2014-2020),” said Chifamba. “My ministry is a product of the lunch prayers where I was groomed to be a preacher.”
Gutukunhuwa said he became part of the lunch-hour services from 2019 to 2022. “I had already received and accepted my call into ministry. However, God allowed me to pass through the lunch-hour family, which nurtured me to be committed to serving.”
The lunch worship session has gained recognition for its impact on the community, resulting in the church’s Mutare District awarding it two trophies.
Chikwanah is a UM News correspondent based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
