ARTICLES/OPINIONS

Township Life and Schools Need Reinventing to Empower Kids, Youths —

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

 

By TheSightNews .July 8, 2023Updated:July 8, 2023 5 Mins Read

 

Cape Town: One of the saddest experiences of growing up in a South African township is that of the level of violence that sometimes leads to injury or even loss of lives. That was the experience we were accustomed to growing up in the 1980s, those of my generation born in the 1970s and later 70s.

This violence came from political insurrection or gangsterism or down right thuggery. But of course, there’s the brighter side to the township life. Sport, recreation and the arts top the chart in my book.

By all accounts, children and the youth have the most fun when engaging in these three activities.During my township schools days in the 1980s and early 1990s these disciplines were the norm in the township, including township schools. Somewhere, somehow along the way as the 1994 post apartheid democratic order came into effect, steadily the cracks started showing.

The all popular sport athletics days for primary and high schools in the townships, and district athletics meetings would become something of the past, this would see other sporting codes, including drama, arts and many recreational activities going under the bus. Of course, the problems didn’t all start after 1994, even before 1994 and mostly during school holidays, the lack of activities for what seems to be the majority of the township kids and youths was and still is a living reality.

Back in those days, we ended up creating our own activities like street soccer, cricket, tennis and other popular games in the townships. Another sector that showed promise especially from the 1980s to the early 1990s was that of township youth structures, such as youth clubs, boy cups, scouts, brownies (for girls) and girl guides formed part of popular township kids and youth culture.

When Kwaito music emerged in the early 1990s, it looked as if all that was for the youth in the township would just blossom and blossom, regrettably that has not been the case. Although Kwaito music has continued to enjoy an amount of success, even breaking into the international fold. The reality is that youth and children in South Africa are experiencing a serious neglect as most are not just unemployed, but have been failed by a system that doesn’t pass the test when it comes to nurturing them in activities that they are entitled to in terms of national and international laws.

In the post 1994 dispensation, some programmes for children and youths have been available to mostly a few, while some others have been grossly neglected. In this chronicle, I’m not even planning to mention the government sector’s role or lack thereof, possibly, part of the problem has been too much dependence on the government for almost every development that is needed. Closer attention to this possibility has to materialize to fix what needs to be fixed.

The challenges facing townships are multifaceted, as some have suggested, this is probably the case that also needs closer scrutiny. That’s why the process of fixing these township challenges has to be owned by all sectors and become a daily priority for all to find what has gone wrong and how we can go about fixing what is wrong.

Committed and dedicated people in leadership roles like school Principals, sport forums and other sectors should be entrusted to get things going in reviving activities in schools and in township communities. In partnership with the Department of Education, SABC drama series in the late 1990s, Yizo-Yizo did a sterling job in exposing and highlighting what is wrong within township schools and township life in general. From corrupt teachers with a negative influence on the learners to unscrupulous members of the community corrupting the schools and learners, for self interest;  to good members of society, including school governing bodies (SGB) who would go the extra mile in ensuring that things run accordingly in the townships and learners and youth get the best education and support they need, the SABC drama series kick-started a process that allowed the nation to zoom in on what is happening in the townships.

These stories cannot be lost in the nation’s consciousness if we hope to turn our situation around and create a winning nation.Most probably, a possible winning formula to turn things around lies somewhere else in the world.

If countries like the USA, Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, China to name a few, have had a remarkable record when it comes to global sporting events like the Olympics, winning the most medals to date, then it would make perfect sense to study how they run their development programmes for their children and youths in their communities and schools.

Under Apartheid, things were not perfect, but the township situation for children and youth participation in sport, arts and recreation has dilapidated since the dawn of the democratic dispensation in 1994. By the looks of things, things are likely to get worse if no urgent intervention is made to reverse the situation. Even the new programmes like cluster leagues, where teams comprising players from schools mixed up with players from the community, have in many cases collapsed or never started at all.

Even other programmes like the Siyadlala Community Mass Participation Programme; Spur Masidlale Soccer Programme, CAF African Schools Football Championship and other mass sports programmes need serious acceleration to broaden their base and reach all of the township kids and youths.

Yesteryear sports people, men and women, and other people in the arts and recreation sectors can rescue another generation from a tragedy of wasted talents. Let’s do it for the past, current and future generations. Let’s all play our part.

Can you imagine if all our private and public organizations, institutions, industries, sectors and businesses ran children and youth programmes of all kinds as part of their Corporate Social investment (CSI), how much difference could that make?

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Mgudlwa is a freelance journalist

LINK:  https://thesightnews.com/2023/07/08/township-life-and-schools-need-reinventing-to-empower-kids-youths-by-thandisizwe-mgudlwa/

OPINION

Is South Africa On The Margins Of Collapsing? 

 

(OPINION) By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

• Ndokwa Reporters
• 15 May 2023
• News, Opinion, World News

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian President Vladimir Putin

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is the unluckiest president since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy in 1994, confided one ANC activist recently during a brief chat the other day.

Just less than two years into the highest job on land, in March 2020 South Africa, like most nations across the globe, was affected by Covid-19 lockdowns, added the activist.

For sure, this global pandemic by far was unprecedented, in the last millennia or so.

More businesses collapsed, job loss went up, the death rate; and a variety of other factors negatively befell the human species during this period.

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True to form, South Africa turns to get a lot of media attention, quite a dramatic country others would say.

For instance, South Africa recorded the highest number of Covid infections in Africa during the pandemic.

As reportedly the most unequal country on earth, South Africa, finds itself constantly on the news for mostly the wrong reasons.

The country also gets a lot of media attention for many positive activities from sports, the arts, and in other fields.

This time around, the rolling blackouts are doing just the same damage to the nation’s fabric just as witnessed during the Covid lockdowns.

Could Ramaphosa be asking himself why he took the job in the first place judging by the myriad of hurdles his presidency has encountered up until now.

The 2021 July unrest saw more than 350 lives lost. R50 billion worth of damages to property to mention a few.

The torching of parliament and other private, public, and government institutions that have come under attack right across the land, could signal a president overwhelmed by the wills of power.

Ascending to the ANC presidency propels the leader of the governing ANC to become the president of the country, as the governing party has enjoyed landslide victories in every national election since 1994.

The Ramaphosa presidency has already been termed in certain quarters and including by some media groups as the worst administration to date.

Maybe, or maybe not, the issue at hand now should be whether South Africans can continue to place their trust in the hands of Ramaphosa and his party.

And that the anti-Ramaphosa sentiments within the ANC, are also drumming up the noise for the president’s exit from office, which could very much lead to a situation where the ANC goes into next year’s national election further weakened from the factional battles that have become the everyday reality of Africa’s oldest liberation movement.

As if Ramaphosa and the ANC problems were not a lot. Then there’s the headache that faces South Africa as it prepares to host this year’s BRICS Summit

The bone of contention is whether or not Pretoria will arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he attend the summit, scheduled for August 2023.

The charge for Putin’s arrest is led mostly by Russia’s erstwhile enemies the Western Powers including Britain and the US, this of course follows Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier in 2022.

Notably, the Russian-Ukraine Conflict has already had devastating effects on the whole economically and otherwise.

These two energy giants fighting has contributed greatly to the rise if costs globally and the escalation of the high prices of petrol for example.

For South Africa this and ramifications of great proportions when you consider that both Britain and the US are one of SA’s biggest trading partners, worth hundreds of billions of investments annually and millions of jobs could be lost.

On the other hand, should Pretoria succumb to its Western Allies, then the ANC-led South Africa will be breaking a century-old relationship with Russia, much of it existed during the liberation struggle.

Not forgetting that many African countries usually side with Russia during such crises, as they also were beneficiaries of support from the USSR during the anti-colonial era. And many if not all have kept close ties with Russia.

A tough one indeed for Ramaphosa, whichever way you look at it.

The Putin matter has the serious potential to divide the ANC even more. In the worst-case scenario, it could divide the country along ideological lines.

On the international stage, it could lead to further cracks in global unity and strengthening tensions between countries across ideological and economic lines, historical alliances, and relations.

Although it may sound extreme and even far-fetched to suggest that this global disunity and unstable environment, can create conditions of a world war, it won’t help the world not to seek to prevent such a possibility.

Few to none saw the coming of World War 1 and World War 2. Few to none saw the coming of many other conflicts and market crashes and economic disasters.

And as for South Africa, it is hard to hear some of the citizens hurt at the rolling blackouts and their pessimism on overcoming this ‘power curse’.

But again, every challenge is accompanied by an opportunity.

What could be the solution?

The solution could come from all sectors of society, locally and internationally finding one another on pressing matters affecting all of us.

Be it rolling blackout, foreign policy, service delivery and effective leadership of our nations and the world.

When those bestowed to lead are not giving the masses any reason to trust that they can turn things around and create an equal and winning society for all its people.

Mgudlwa is an award-winning journalist

LINK:  https://www.ndokwareporters.com/is-south-africa-on-the-margins-of-collapsing-opinion-by-thandisizwe-mgudlwa/

God Time

HomeNews Christians Must Unite And Create A New Government In South Africa And...

News

Christians Must Unite And Create A New Government In South Africa And In Other Countries

By Opene Maryanne

July 21, 2023

41

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By, THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA

ALMOST 30 years since South Africa became a democracy with equal status, rights and laws for everyone, at least as far as the statute books are concerned, the story of South Africa today lives many at odds to say the least.

Disturbingly, the country which is among Africa’s three biggest economies and often described as the most advanced economy on the continent, remains the world’s most unequal nation.

From a stubborn high crime rate, to corruption, to violence leading to injury and loss of lives including billions worth of destruction to property, the world has become accustomed to the negative vibes that have become the everyday culture that wrongly defines this once most
promising nation with the brightest future in the world.

And at some stage, especially during the Nelson Mandela years the country was declared by many across the globe as a ‘beacon of hope’ for the rest of the world to emulate.

The infighting in the governing party, the African National Congress or ANC, who others now call the ‘African Notorious Criminals’, has led the country to a downward spiral with record unemployment figures surpassing 40% in a country with 60 plus million people.

The ongoing ‘blackouts’ that have devastating effects in job loss, businesses collapsing and loss of lives form part of the failures that the would be ‘free country’ had promised.

For many years now, one has been looking deeper as to what other alternatives in the leadership and governing of the country could South Africa turn to in order to create the best life for all its people.

Specifically, as a practicing Christian, I’ve always wondered why a country that has the Christian faith as its biggest faith with about 85 percent plus of the population associating with Christianity, is not led by a Christian party.

With the Black Christians forming the bulk of the estimated 85% plus Christian community in South Africa.

Yet Christians in South Africa turn to be in a loss of words when the question of: why is South Africa not governed by Christian party.

Furthermore, the majority of the political parties in South Africa inside or outside Parliament are pro Christianity, they will attest.

Or it can be said they subscribe to the values and principles of the Christian faith, regardless which denomination they fall under.

Suffice to say, that since the first all race elections of 1994, a Christian party like the African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP, has barely enough Members of Parliament to effect any meaningful change.

In-fact, in all the elections, be it local or national elections, the ACDP, can not influence policies that will govern the people. That includes in the coalitions that it has entered into at local
government level.

As records show, the ACDP says it seeks to apply Biblical principles “to build a better South Africa.”

Also, the party notes that its platform is based on “the biblical standard of reconciliation, justice, compassion, tolerance, peace and the sanctity of life, the individual, the family and community.”

Although it is anti-abortion, it supports the death penalty for certain heinous crimes. I personally am against the death penalty and know many others too who don’t want the death penatly to come back.

Now, in a lot of cases these values are shared by Christians and people outside the Christian faith.

Yet, the ACDP shares 0.84% of the vote since the 2019 national elections.

There are probably different explanations for this poor performance in the last national polls and other elections.

One such reason for the poor performance in elections could stem from poor leadership in the organisation’s hierarchy, to lack of resource and/or the it could be that the Christian majority in South Africa are applying double standards.

The former is more common with all organisations inside and outside South Africa.

But the latter could spell out what kind of Christians the country has and the lack of faith of the majority they have in the Christian Faith.

The claim that the governing ANC and other parties are pro Christianity does not hold, as the other parties don’t openly support and promote “Biblical Principles” in the manner that the ACDP does.

The ACDP was formed and exists merely as a Christian movement and only supports Christian values and principles.

The official Opposition party of South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is advocating for other parties to form a coalition to remove the ANC from power in the 2024 general elections.

Note, the problem with this approach is that it lacks or has no set goals and targets of what needs to be achieved in a form of an alternative ‘New Developmental Programme’ for South Africa, but seeks to focus on removing the ANC from power as the basis of the mission.

Just like I asserted in certain circles when Opposition parties formed a coalition to remove former president Jacob Zuma from power during his tenure, when the mission was accomplished the coalition will die a natural death, as the parties concerned will discover they have little to nothing in common.

This has been seen also in coalitions at local government level, when parties turn against each other due to a various differences in what they stand for once in power.

This is why a Christian movement and coalition needs to step in.

South Africa has some of the biggest Church in Africa and elsewhere.

Some of the churches in South Africa have national footprints with millions of members.

What could be stopping this Church groups from joining forces with a Christian movement like the ACDP and take over power with the numbers they enjoy and lead South Africa to a new and truly Godly led nation for the first time.

South Africa just like many African countries and others in the world from colonialism to democracy today, has had governments influenced by foreign ideologies like fascism, communism, Marxism and other ideologies that have brought many countries in Africa, South America and Eastern Europe to their economic knees with growing poverty and
underdevelopment.

Not that capitalism has been a solution either in many cases.

In all, these ideologies have not worked for various reasons. At the core is the possibility that these ideologies are controlled by people with ulterior motives and self serving agendas than to serve the people.

The question remains for the Christian community and leadership in South Africa, in Christian dominated countries in Africa and the world, as to why do Christians continue to vote and put in power non-Christian parties and parties not prioritizing Biblical principles and values to lead their countries.

As South Africa approaches the 2024 National Elections, will Christians in this country choose God or parties of the flesh.

It remains to be seen if the Christian community globally will ‘walk the talk’.

Or will we continue to talk right.  And walk left.

Mgudlwa is a freelance journalist

 Read more at:https://hobnobnews.com/2023/07/21/christians-must-unite-and-create-a-new-government-in-south-africa-and-in-other-countries/

 

GOD POWER

News Religion

• /July 4, 2023
• /Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

Dieunedort Ministries Holds Second Leadership Training In Langa

Cape Town – The globally recognised Dieunedort Ministries International held its second Leadership training in Langa, Cape Town at the weekend.

Hosted by Phandulwazi Educational & Development Centre, the workshop was conducted by the esteemed leader, Pastor David Long of the Friend of God Church.

A former prison warder, Pastor Long, was the guest speaker who focused his lesson on defining “The Life-giving Leader”.

Pastor Long started with the message that his passion is the home/family.

Pastor Long said the Church as we know it today, came from the family.

During the 1-on-1 session, Pastor Long said: “Covid-19 presented an opportunity for the ‘Family Church’ to grow.”

On the Life-Giving Leader, Pastor Long said that life was not smooth as a leader. It has ups and downs.

“In your life as a leader, there are many voices like fear, but you

always have to turn to God for help,” said Pastor Long.

During the engagement, participants came up with various qualities they believed the Life-Giving Leader has including:

• The Life-giving Leader is a King, and here a Queen can be added as well,
• The Life-giving Leader is a Healer.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Helper.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Protector.
• The Life-giving Leader Unites.
• The Life-giving Leader is prepared to lay down his/her own life for his sheep.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Provider.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Coach/Mentor.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Teacher.
• The Life-giving Leader is a Peace Maker.

Pastor Long also preached that the success of a tree was to produce fruit and seeds, to cause other trees to multiply.

“God is a tree and we are branches of the tree,” explained Pastor Long.

“We as branches depend on the tree. The tree is Christ. Just like branches, we must depend on Christ.”

In another session with Pastor Long, participants looked at different types of leaders and their various roles.

“There are different leaders, some lead people the wrong way, others lead people the right way,” added Pastor Long.

The participants pointed out leaders in communities that included:

• Parents; 
• Uncles/Aunts; 
• Prison Wardens, 
• Cashier/Staff at Shops,
• Employee/Employer; 
• Neighbours, 
• Family, 
• Co-Workers among others

It’s all about love. Pastor Long added: “You can’t love people, you don’t love God. To love people is to do good works.”

However, Pastor Long noted: “In the life of a ‘Worldly’ leader the centre is the ‘Self'”. 

But with the Life-giving Leader, the centre of his/her life is God and serving the people, said Pastor Long.

Pastor Long continued, he said the reason there are so many prisoners is because of broken families.

Founder of Dieunedort Ministries International, Bishop Dieunedort explained: “We are organising the Leadership training and inviting the leaders (Guest Speakers) to help people to unlock the gifts God has given them.”

Furthermore, Dieunedort Ministries International runs classes from Mondays to Fridays at Phandulwazi Centre in Langa, Cape Town 5 pm – 7 pm.

Mondays are for Foundation classes; Tuesdays for Business and Finance, Wednesdays for Marriages, Thursdays for Deliverance and Fridays for Prophesy.

Every first Saturday of the month is for Leadership training from 10 am. 

Sunday is reserved for normal church service from 2 pm to 5 pm all hosted at Phandulwazi Centre, in Langa, Cape Town.

LINK:  https://www.thebulrushes.com/2023/07/04/dieunedort-ministries-holds-second-leadership-training-in-langa/

GOD WORKING IN LANGA

Dieunedort Ministries International Empowers Leaders in Langa, Cape Town

• Ndokwa Reporters
• 5 July 2023
• News, World News

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

CAPE TOWN/South Africa: Dieunedort Ministries International, a globally recognized organization, successfully held its second Leadership training in Langa, Cape Town.

The workshop, held on Saturday, July 1, 2023 was hosted by the Phandulwazi Educational & Development Centre, featured esteemed leader Pastor David Long of the Friend of God Church as the guest speaker.

With a background as a former Prison Warder, Pastor Long captivated the audience with his lesson on “The Life-giving Leader.” He emphasized the significance of the family, stating that the Church, as we know it today, originated from the family. Reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pastor Long remarked that it provided an opportunity for the “Family Church” to flourish.

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In his breakdown of what it means to be a life-giving leader, Pastor Long highlighted the inevitable challenges that leaders face. He stressed the importance of turning to God amidst the various voices and fears that arise. “In your life as a leader, there are many voices like fear, but you always have to turn to God for help,” Pastor Long expressed during the 1-on-1 session.

The class actively engaged with Pastor Long, contributing diverse perspectives on the characteristics of a life-giving leader. Some of the views included seeing a life-giving leader as a King or Queen, a Healer, a Helper, a Protector, a Unifier, someone willing to sacrifice for their followers, a Provider, a Coach/Mentor, a Teacher, and a Peace Maker.

Pastor Long also drew attention to the analogy of a tree, emphasizing that a tree’s success lies in producing fruit and facilitating the multiplication of other trees. “God is a tree, and we are branches of the tree,” he emphasized. “We, as branches, depend on the tree. The tree is Christ. Just like branches, we must depend on Christ.”

The class then embarked on a discussion to define who qualifies as a leader. Pastor Long and the participants acknowledged the existence of leaders with different roles and highlighted the significance of leading people in the right direction. They identified leaders in various aspects of life, such as parents, uncles/aunts, prison wardens, cashier/staff at shops, employees/employers, neighbors, family members, co-workers, and more.

Pastor Long further stressed the importance of love and its connection to leadership. “You can’t love people if you don’t love God. To love people is to do good works,” he affirmed. Furthermore, he contrasted a “Worldly” leader, whose focus revolves around the self, with a life-giving leader, whose center is God and serving the people.

Bishop Dieunedort, the founder of Dieunedort Ministries International, explained the purpose of organizing these Leadership trainings, stating, “We are inviting leaders (Guest Speakers) to help people unlock the gifts God has given them.”

Dieunedort Ministries International conducts classes at the Phandulwazi Centre in Langa, Cape Town from Monday to Friday, from 5 pm to 7 pm. The classes cover Foundation topics on Mondays, Business and Finance on Tuesdays, Marriages on Wednesdays, Deliverance on Thursdays, and Prophesy on Fridays. Additionally, the organization holds Leadership training on the first Saturday of every month from 10 am, with regular church services taking place on Sundays from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Phandulwazi Centre in Langa, Cape Town.

LINK:  https://www.ndokwareporters.com/dieunedort-ministries-international-empowers-leaders-in-langa-cape-town/

GOD LEADERSHIP

Leadership training equips participants with empowering content

 

 

 

 

Last updated: 2023/06/22 at 2:33 PM

starconnect 2 weeks ago

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THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA I Thursday, June 22, 2023

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – IN times of crisis great leadership becomes a necessity to resolve obstacles facing society. So much so as individuals, we have to dig deeper to our leadership gifts and talents in the process of building better lives for ourselves and for other people.

This much came up during the recent Leadership Training organized by the Dieunedort Ministries International and hosted by the Phandulwazi Educational & Development Centre in Langa, Cape Town recently.

To touch on some of the points raised on Leadership by the internationally renowned Bishop Dieunedort, participants left the two day training equipped with lessons on what they ought to do and contribute to their lives and in improving the human condition.

Bishop Dieunedort started out, a leader is an influencer be it in the family, community, organisation, institutions and any other sector of society;

A leader is someone that leads in good things. A leader must first lead him/herself before he or she can lead other people. A leader is someone who takes initiative. A leader is someone who thinks for other people situations. A leader opens a way for him/herself and future generations. A leader is a builder. A leader is the pillar of the community. A leader is a shining star. A leader is always ahead of others. A leader must be disciplined. A leader must listen to other people and always learn. A leader must serve society.

The Rev Pastor Jean Paul Bukasa of Hope of Nations Church who was the Guest Speaker during the two day training added that a leader must be teachable.

A leader must be reliable; A leader must be faithful; A leader must be loyal; A leader must be dependable; A leader must have character.

In a one-on-one session on day two Pastor Busaka added that in order to make progress in life you must have boundaries.

In other words, a person must have NO. NOs to certain things. You can’t do as you please and not obey God’s Will.

” You must do good things you have never done before. And become a person you have never been before to make progress in life.”

And other people’s contribution to the issue of Leadership after the training at Phandulwazi added that a leader must show people direction, meaning that a leader has to know the way and show others how to get to the destination.

A leader must have a vision & mission, meaning that leader must have targeted goals and drive to achieve those goals working and leading other people in the process.

A leader must be a problem fixer, a Mr. Fix It or a Miss Fix It. A leader must be an effective communicator and teacher. Of course the are many other definitions of Leadership in the world.

But the above are just a few of what Africa and most of the nations battling with high levels on poverty, unemployment and inequality must strongly pay attention to. In fact , Leadership Training programmes should be integrated into the schooling system.

And for organisations like PHANDULWAZI Educational & Development Centre this must form the basis of the education and training that the organisation is embarking on in the future.

Perhaps, when the question of Leadership development has been addressed, real change and transformation in our society will come to life.

TAGGED: Leadership

 

LINK:  https://starconnectmedia.com/leadership-training-equips-participants-with-empowering-content/

SOUND OF GOD

Living Faith

‘Music & the Spoken Word’ to be broadcast in Spanish beginning later this month

Spanish language ‘Spoken Word’ will premiere June 25; a Portuguese broadcast is coming soon

By Mary Richards 2 June 2023, 9:49 PM CAT

“Music & the Spoken Word” will premiere in Spanish on June 25, 2023, announced The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

Screenshot from thetabernaclechoir.org

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“Music & the Spoken Word” will premiere in Spanish on June 25 — becoming available weekly for Spanish-speaking audiences for the very first time.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square made the announcement on their website on Friday.

Originating in Salt Lake City, the weekly half-hour program of inspirational music and uplifting words first aired on July 15, 1929, making it one of the longest-running continuous network broadcasts in history. 

The new Spanish broadcast will be available on a Spanish YouTube channel, as well as broadcast throughout Mexico on selected radio and TV stations to more than 30 million viewers. More information will be posted on the choir’s Spanish landing page on its website, thetabernaclechoir.org.

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in the historic Salt Lake Tabernacle.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Meanwhile, Bonneville Distribution is continuing its efforts to enlist more stations to broadcast the program throughout South America and the United States, explained a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

A Portuguese broadcast of “Music & the Spoken Word” is coming soon, said the news release.

Choir President Michael O. Leavitt said, “This is a pilot. We are confident it is going to be well received. When we are able to prove it successful in Spanish and Portuguese, we will go to other languages because our goal is to have ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ heard throughout the world.” 

The vision of inclusivity

Expanding broadcast to new languages was one of the choir’s new pilot programs announced last year to extend its reach and mission.

Related Story

• Tabernacle Choir announces 3 pilot programs to help reach, inspire people ‘throughout the world’; also a trip to Mexico in June 2023

“The decision to release ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ in Spanish across all of Latin America is a testament to the Tabernacle Choir’s vision of inclusivity and its dedication to reaching more people with the message of Christ’s love,” said the choir’s blog post.

The weekly “Spoken Word” text is available in 16 languages, the choir’s website noted last year. The broadcasts are streamed on the country Facebook pages of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and include language subtitles for the spoken introduction and concluding sign-off, the song titles and the “Spoken Word” message.

Now, in the new Spanish broadcast, while the choir will continue to sing primarily in English, all other components of the broadcast will be in Spanish — including the graphics, text, and even images featuring landscapes and the lifestyles and cultures of Spanish-speaking people throughout the world.

Leavitt said, “We want the visuals which accompany our music to be more relatable to our audience. These changes will also motivate more television and radio stations to carry our program.” 

‘Spoken Word’ Spanish narrators

Alex Melecio, Garna Mejia and Pepe Valle are three of the four narrators who will take part in the initial pilot of “Music & the Spoken Word” in Spanish, beginning June 25, 2023.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The initial pilot of “Music & the Spoken Word” in Spanish will feature a rotation of four narrators: Alex Melecio, Ana Yslas, Pepe Valle and Garna Mejia.

Mejia will narrate the “Spoken Word” in the debut broadcast — also making her the first woman narrator in the program’s history.

“I am thrilled that viewers, like my mother, will soon hear ‘Music & the Spoken Word’s’ inspiring messages in their own language,” Mejia said. “Since its beginning, women have lent their voices to the choir and been a driving force in the program’s success. I feel humbled to know that I am building on their legacy as a female narrator.” 

Melecio is one of the three guest performers who will join the Tabernacle Choir’s concerts in Mexico City in June. Narrated “Spoken Word” segments will be filmed on location in Mexico during the choir’s tour. 

Related Story

• Meet the 3 guest performers at the Tabernacle Choir’s concerts in Mexico City

Choir historian Heidi Swinton said the broadcasts are designed for an international audience.

“Mack Wilberg is a music director that thinks outside the box,” she said. “When he puts together each program, he does not just think about what music will be meaningful in Salt Lake City, he thinks about music that will speak to people in a universal way, whether they are in Mexico, New Zealand, Europe or the Philippines. He chooses music that helps people feel closer to the divine and will enhance the ‘Spoken Word’ portion of the program.” 

Other efforts and objectives

Last year, the choir presidency announced four “high-level” objectives: 

1. Expand the choir’s digital audience.
2. Magnify the choir’s missionary role.
3. Ensure that the choir reflects the Church’s worldwide mission.
4. Increase worldwide visibility.

In one of the choir’s initiatives, 10 international singers joined the choir in April 2023 general conference.

The global participants are pictured with the Tabernacle Choir at the conclusion of the general conference on Sunday, April 2, 2023, in the Conference Center. From left to right, back row: Mack Wilberg, Ryan Murphy, Ronald Baa, Rodrigo Domaredzky, Alvaro Jorge Martins, Jonathan How, Michael O. Leavitt, Tubo-Oreriba Joseph Elisha, Gérald Caussé. Front row: Karmel Newell, Sundae Mae Indino, PeiShang Chung, Denisse Elorza Avalos, Thalita De Carvalho, Georgina Montemayor Wong.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

And the choir and orchestra’s tour June 13-19 to Mexico City is the first of a multiyear, multicountry world tour, with future locations to be announced later.

Related Story

• Want to join the Tabernacle Choir? Applications open June 1

Related Story

• See the Church News’ archive of ‘Spoken Word’ messages

LINK:  https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/6/2/23746854/music-the-spoken-word-spanish-premiere-weekly-broadcast-mexico-latin-america?fbclid=IwAR3_zObtuTHAJe_1MYHJdhJ8i3r0gQOlj-96wYZh32RQl6CXrb3YUPOTW9U

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