Harare — The 4th Graduation Ceremony of the International Chaplaincy Academy (ICA) in Harare on Saturday turned into a powerful call to service as Guest of Honour, Bishop Dr Aderino Nyabanga, challenged graduates to become “spiritual responders” in a world increasingly burdened by emotional, social, and psychological crises.
Bishop Nyabanga described the ceremony not merely as an academic milestone, but as a “historic commissioning” of men and women into spaces where “humanity is bleeding emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and socially.”
The ceremony, held under the theme “Chaplaincy: Ministry at the Point of Human Needs,” highlighted the growing relevance of chaplaincy in modern society. The academy operates under the Global Fellowship of Christian Chaplains (GFCC), whose leadership and academic staff were commended for shaping what Nyabanga called “competent, compassionate, and Christ-centered professionals.”
Drawing from biblical teachings, the bishop emphasized that chaplaincy reflects the ministry of Jesus Christ, who served people in their deepest moments of need — among the sick, the poor, prisoners, and grieving families.
“Chaplaincy is ministry beyond pulpits. It is theology in action. It is compassion institutionalized,” he said.
Bishop Nyabanga traced the roots of chaplaincy to the 4th century, noting its evolution from military settings to hospitals, prisons, schools, and disaster response units worldwide. Today, he said, the profession has become indispensable amid rising global challenges such as mental health disorders, substance abuse, family breakdowns, and increasing suicide rates.
He painted a sobering picture of current realities, pointing to widespread depression, drug abuse among youth, and trauma affecting communities and security forces alike.
“Chaplains are no longer optional; they are essential,” he declared.
Turning to the local context, Bishop Nyabanga underscored Zimbabwe’s urgent need for trained chaplains to address issues such as drug abuse, domestic violence, and economic stress. He acknowledged national efforts led by Zimbabwe’s First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in tackling substance abuse through rehabilitation programs, noting that chaplaincy complements such initiatives by offering emotional and spiritual support.
Graduates were reminded that their qualifications represent more than academic achievement. “You are not receiving diplomas; you are receiving assignments,” he said, urging them to embrace roles as counselors, crisis responders, and ethical leaders.
He outlined key principles for effective chaplaincy, including confidentiality, integrity, continuous learning, and emotional intelligence, while encouraging graduates to pursue impact over recognition.
In a stirring commissioning declaration, Nyabanga proclaimed that the graduates would “heal broken communities, restore dignity, and transform institutions,” urging them to carry their calling into every sector of society — from hospitals and prisons to schools and corporate spaces.
Speaking at the same event, Academy and the Global Fellowship of Christian Chaplaincy (GFCC) director, Dr George Mapiki said his organization is among other things, equipping chaplains and pastors with practical skills to address drug and substance abuse which is on the rise across the country.
“We are training our chaplains and pastors to complement government efforts in reducing drug and substance abuse. This issue has become widespread, and there is an urgent need for well-prepared counselors who can effectively engage affected individuals and communities,” said Dr Mapiki.
The academy, said Dr Mapiki emphasizes professional counseling skills, ensuring that its graduates are not only spiritually grounded, but also competent in handling complex social challenges with the aim of producing chaplains who can provide meaningful guidance and rehabilitation support.
In addition to traditional counseling methods, he said the institution is embracing technology as a key tool in its outreach strategy with students being trained in the use of digital platforms to expand their impact beyond physical spaces.
“We are also teaching our students ICT skills—what we call digital platforms. We encourage them to create online spaces where they can invite people and begin conversations around drug abuse and its effects,” he said.
Chaplain Rev. Brian Macala, GFCC administrator said their mandate is not to make profit, but to train people.
“We will go into the society and impart the word of God for behavioral change. In today’s world, you see people, young people are getting into drugs, some are doing what they call ‘manjuzu’, but we believe through training these men and women who have devoted themselves to the word of God, the world will be diluted with the word of God and they will make a difference in the society where they are coming from. So we really thank God so much and we are calling upon more people in Zimbabwe, even internationally, to come and enrol with International Chaplains Academy and be trained,”said Chaplain Rev Macala.
A Zambian national, Bernard Nawamusha who was one of the graduands pledged to use his training to confront the growing crisis of youth drug abuse across communities in southern Africa and beyond.
He pointed to youth drug abuse as a “common cancer” affecting not only Zimbabwe, but countries across the region and the world.
“Even in the diaspora, in Western countries, everyone is crying about it,” he noted, emphasizing the global scale of the problem.
Through his chaplaincy training, Nawamusha says he has gained practical knowledge and pastoral skills that he intends to apply widely.
His vision extends beyond church settings into schools, communities, and corporate environments, where he believes structured emotional and spiritual support is increasingly necessary.
“There is a lot of need,” he said. “The knowledge I’ve gained, I will use it in the community, in the school, and in the corporate world.”
Pastor Plaxcedes Chiota, another graduand from Zimbabwe said she learnt a lot in chaplaincy during the training.
“One thing that this course has helped me is to be compassionate. It has shown me the importance of compassion. Because many times as a pastor we just do the work without considering maybe the feelings of the people we are ministering to or the people in our community.
“We’re used to a situation where you used to be, I’m a pastor for a certain church but in chaplaincy we know no bounds,” she said.
She said as chaplains they are there to serve not only Christians, but people with different beliefs, adding that the course has helped her not to look down upon other religions.
“It has also given me wisdom on how to interact with people of different beliefs and be useful in their lives. It has also equipped me on how to deal with people dealing with trauma, people dealing with drug issues, because most of the times it’s very easy to just judge people because they are taking drugs,” said Pastor Chiota.-New Ziana
