by Siyabulela Zalabe | Oct 14, 2026 | General
I suspect Naledi might tell this story differently. So, perhaps you should take my version with a pinch of salt. We were courting, and I had already made up my mind that I wanted to marry this girl. She had introduced me to her family, and that had gone well. They...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Oct 7, 2026 | General
A few days ago, Naledi found an old letter. It was written about five years ago, just before Alu was born. I had almost forgotten about it. But when Naledi showed it to me, it brought back memories of a particular season in our marriage. And as I read it, I found...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Oct 5, 2026 | General
Every now and then, Naledi asks me a question: “Why did you choose me?” Sometimes she asks it with genuine surprise. There is something about the way she says it that makes me think she really believes she is the fortunate one. As though, out of all the women I could...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Sep 28, 2026 | General
We came from different churches, cultures and contexts. What made our fellowship possible was not that we were all the same, but that we recognised the same authority. From 24–26 September, I had the privilege of attending a Great Commission Collective (GCC) vision...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Aug 8, 2026 | Culture, Ecclesiology, Evangelism, Mission
After writing about the idea of a robustly South African church, I began thinking about a pastor serving in one of our townships in the Eastern Cape. Perhaps he reads the article and looks at his congregation. Almost everyone is Xhosa-speaking. Most people in the...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Aug 3, 2026 | Ecclesiology, Evangelism, General, Mission
Recently, I coined a phrase: “a robustly South African church.” It has stayed with me ever since. People sometimes assume I am speaking about music styles, local languages, or cultural expressions. I am not. By a robustly South African church, I mean a...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Dec 9, 2025 | Pastoral Ministry
The good news of Jesus Christ — the One who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) — shapes everything in the church, including how we think about leadership and relationships. Because the church belongs to the...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Dec 8, 2025 | Pastoral Ministry
Many faithful pastors carry a quiet pain. They laboured, prayed, preached, visited, wept, hoped — and still the church did not change. Or the revitalization effort did not move. Or the conflict deepened. Some were voted out. Some resigned for the sake of peace. Some...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Dec 4, 2025 | Ecclesiology
In many parts of Africa, our churches carry long histories. Some congregations are more than a century old. Families have served, sacrificed, and stayed through seasons of joy and struggle. Their stories are woven into the life of the church, and we thank God for such...
by Siyabulela Zalabe | Dec 3, 2025 | Pastoral Ministry
Many Christians—and especially many pastors—carry an unspoken expectation: if we are faithful to God, then God will surely bless our work in the way we hope. We often do not say it out loud, but the thought hides inside us: “If I preach faithfully, if I shepherd well,...
