MAKWARELA – Dr Lawrence Nndwammbi Khorommbi, the founder and leader of the Charis Missionary Church, was buried at Makwarela last Saturday afternoon. The funeral was attended by more than 10 000 people.

Numerous religious leaders, including Dr Tshenuwani Farisani, the MEC for transport in the province, Dr Elijah Maswanganyi who is an evangelist from Tzaneen, Dr Kenneth Meshoe, president of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), Rev Mautji Pataki from the South African Council of Churches, and Dr Nico Smith, who promoted Khorommbi during his PhD studies, attended the funeral. Public MEC Collins Chabane also paid his last respects to Dr Khorommbi.

The decision to bury Khorommbi in the churchyard came after members of the church approached the family. The members said they felt that Khorommbi was a symbol to them. They believed that words could not describe how they felt about him, so they considered it the only way to honor a person that was everything in the community.

There is also a plan to erect a statue for him and a monument on his grave. Khorommbi was born on April 20, 1949, at Ha-Rabali in Nzhelele. His primary education was at Nzhelele and he later went to Mphephu Secondary School, where he became a born-again Christian.

He became a qualified teacher after graduating with a Junior Teacher's Diploma at Setotolwane Training College in 1972. In 1975 he completed his BA degree at the University of the North where he worked as a teacher from 1976 until 1981, when he became a pastor.

He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Theology in 1985 and a Master's degree in Missiology in 1997, through the University of South Africa.

He served as the President of the Bold Evangelist Christian Organisation (BECO) from 1976 and continued in the same position after it was transformed into the Evangelical Christian Outreach (ECO).

When he resigned from teaching in 1981, he became an itinerant Evangelist with ECO, while he was also a pastor of the Assemblies of God between 1985 and 1989. He founded Charis in 1989, which presently has seven branches, four in Limpopo, two in Gauteng and one in Zimbabwe.

At the time of his deathm on June 13, he was serving as the president of the New Covenant Life Fellowship (Newcolife).

His ministries touched the lives of many. Amongst others, he was ministering to families, through Family Life Focus, (FLF), meeting the youth through Premarital Christian Counseling and children through Children for Christ. He also wrote a book for the youth, called "Young Once".

His love for Africa and Africanism led him to establish Develop Africa Focus. The ministry seeks to address the material needs of people.

His vision on Africa's development was grounded in the principle of self-reliance. In this ministry, he had established a Health Centre, an orchard and the school. It is through this principle of self-reliance that he encouraged members of his church to build a church worth more than R5 million with an auditorium and offices. It was officially opened on July 20, last year.

His ministries also touched many parts of the world. He visited countries like Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Swaziland, USA, UK, Netherlands, Israel, Philippines, Singapore and many other countries where he addressed churches and conferences.

He is survived by his wife, Pastor Sophia and two adopted daughters, Promise and Ronewa.