Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini of Eswatini has urged the Methodist Church to play a more significant role in the country's economic transformation. Speaking at St Paul's Methodist Church during the celebrations marking 100 years of the Methodist Church in Eswatini, Dlamini emphasized that the church's role should extend beyond spiritual ministry to economic empowerment. He noted that the church had historically responded to society's needs through education, healthcare, and community development.
Dlamini stressed that education must be repositioned to equip citizens not only to seek employment but to create it and contribute to economic transformation. He called for a change in mindset, arguing that people and nations could not build differently without first believing differently. The premier emphasized that Eswatini needed 'an Eswatini that believes in emaSwati' and urged citizens to take greater responsibility for their economic future.
The Prime Minister stated that the church cannot remain on the periphery of national transformation, as economic development cannot be separated from the moral character of society. He noted that government could build infrastructure, but it could not produce integrity or patriotism. Dlamini emphasized that character was formed in families, communities, and places of worship, making the church an important partner in developing citizens who could contribute positively to national development.
Dlamini called for a new generation of leaders with conviction, competence, and character who feared God, loved their country, and put the welfare of the people above personal interests. He also emphasized that Africa's young and rapidly growing population presented a significant opportunity, but Africans could not claim that future without preparing for and protecting it.
The Prime Minister urged the church to continue investing in a ministry that nurtured the young, strengthened families, cared for vulnerable people, and served the nation. He encouraged businesses and people of goodwill to support the Central Eswatini Circuit 1026 centenary fundraising drive, which sought to mobilise financial and material resources to strengthen the church's capacity to sustain and expand its mission.
Dlamini paid tribute to generations of Methodist worshippers, preachers, teachers, evangelists, and servants who had sustained the church for a century. He noted that the Methodist mission had taken deep root in Eswatini and had become unmistakably a church of the country, led by emaSwati, serving emaSwati, and participating in the spiritual, social, and developmental life of the nation.
The Prime Minister's call to action comes as the church celebrates its 100-year milestone. He encouraged the church to use this milestone as a platform to enter its next century with renewed purpose and greater participation in transforming Eswatini. The church's contribution to education had opened opportunities for generations of children, many of whom later served in public office, the professions, commerce, and community leadership.
Key points
- The Prime Minister of Eswatini, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, has urged the Methodist Church to help drive economic transformation in the country.
- Dlamini emphasized the need for a change in mindset to achieve economic transformation.
- The church's 100-year milestone is being celebrated with a fundraising drive to support its continued mission and expansion.
