By Rikie Lai
Mluleki Raymond Ndabeni, also known as Reverend Mr Ndabeni, is a man of faith who has dedicated his life towards his devotion to religion and faith, as well as educating others and enlightening them on the word of God. Ndabeni would, in 1959, bebaptisedd at Livingstone Memorial Church by then Reverend McMaster, and this would start his lifelong journey around the country, but back to Makhanda, which he calls home, and after retirement, continued his ministry at the Livingstone Memorial Church.
Reverend Ndabeni was born on 19 May 1959 in Makhanda, being brought up and going to Fikizolo Bantu Community School and then Archie Mbokelwa Higher Primary School. He would later go on to matriculate from Nathaniel Nyaluza High School. After leaving school, he would work at Oxford Furniture as a sales advisor until moving to begin studying a Bachelor of Theology at Rhodes University when white students were only admitted. This would lead to his expulsion in April of 1980, and black students were only admitted to study qualifications which were not available at universities which admitted black students. He credits Dr Henderson, Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes at this stage in time, for their admission at Rhodes and for pushing the boundaries of Apartheid in education. After leaving Rhodes, Ndabeni attended the Seminary to obtain a three-year Diploma in Theology at the Theological Seminary located in Pietermaritzburg, graduating in 1983.
Ndabeni explains to Grocott’s Mail that he was drawn to ministry through extra-readings he had done in the early stages of his life with inspirations from “Jungle Doctor’s Case Book” authored by Paul White, “The Pilgrims Progress” by John Bunyan, which also had an isiXhosa translation as well as “Let My People Go” authoured by Martin Luther King Jr. were all the initial driving force which drew him towards ministry and he recalled: “So my call to the ordained ministry was more like an answering to a personal question around human suffering especially of Black people who served the same God that created all of us in His image. Therefore, I took my pilgrimage, and that led me to a deeper understanding of my God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ndabeni would go on to serve as a minister on internship/probationer for two years at Daveyton in the Benoni Circuit before serving for a year at the Bongolethu United Congregational Church in Oudtshoorn. He returned to Rhodes University for further studies in 1988 with his admission filling a quota system in which a required number of Black students were admissible for certain degrees and recalled his studies: “I then attained Bachelor of Theology with Honours (B.Thhons), HDE (PG) with Distinction in Religious Education, B.Ed (PG), Post Graduate Diploma in Management (with Distinction), a Certificate in Integrated Heritage Resources Management Practice NQF Level 6 (32 credits) and it was when I was beginning with Masters in Theology that I also taught Ecclesiastical History at the Divinity Department for two years, just prior to the closing down of the Divinity Department.”
In 1993 he began teaching, supervising heads of departments, being a subject head as well as deputy principal at Nombulelo Senior Secondary School in Makhanda for 16 years until 2009. From 2009 to 2015, Ndabeni took a position as principal at Ikamva Lesizwe Combined School located at Kenton-on-Sea. He would go on to attain the position of Circuit Manager within the Department of Basic Education and serve the Makhanda District.
Ndabeni has 40 years of experience in ministry, and throughout this time, he served four churches, all constituents under The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. His longest-standing service is towards the Livingstone Memorial Church in Makhanda. He described his service at Livingstone as “serving as a Self-Supporting Minister where Christ emptied himself into our life together”. The church and its members chose to cement Ndabeni’s legacy and history at the church by surprising him with the disguise of a Gala dinner to unveil the honour of their events hall being named the “Mluleki Raymond Ndabeni Hall” and revealing a plaquerecognisingg and honouring the decades of service that he has invested within Livingstone Church and the lives he has changed throughout his time there.
Ndabeni explains that he is sure the achievements and milestones his wife, Nosipho Ndabeni and himself have reached have left footprints with the different generations of leadership both within the faith or church development, and although he demonstrates profound appreciation and surprise to the church honouring himself, however, humbly concludes he is sure the work is a thorough sacrifice in the altar of the God.
In closing remarks, Ndabeni recalls his most memorable moments throughout his service to Livingstone: “The building of our church hall, the renovation of our church from inside out, including securing new church pews in the early 1990s, were our milestones in church development. But most importantly the acquisition of our church title deed was a huge achievement for our local church. Today, 1991 seems like yesterday when I assumed my responsibilities as an Acting Minister at Livingstone Congregational Church, but God journeyed with us until now.”
