Rev. R.T.G. Machaea & Mrs F. Machaea
Background History of Ibandla LaseMthini Evangelical Movement
Ibandla LaseMthini Evangelical Movement was established by the visionary man, Rev. Tshepo Machaea in 2025. It started under the tree at the Town hall grounds of Mthatha, King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality, at O.R. Tambo District Municipality. People from different denominations were praying and sharing the Word of God under a tree during their lunch time led by Rev. Machaea every day. The reason for choosing to pray under the tree is that they wanted to humble themselves before God. They wanted to get the shadow of the tree where they will pray comfortably without any judgement from anyone. A tree is the symbol of hope, that’s why they chose to use this tree to be their Fellowship place.
Rev. Machaea has a vision of taking care of the less fortunate and needy people of the Society. Many destitute people came to him to seek for assistance. A delegation from the Timakwe family, whose child was found dead with his neck cut off and being raped, with her School bag on her back as she was from school, come to seek assistance to bury their child as they come from humble beginnings. There was no house where all the funeral preparations would be made just like other families. Rev. Machaea started by assisting on building a flat and then prepared all funeral arrangements. The child was given a dignified funeral just like anyone.
He again noticed an alarming rate of the children who were residing on the streets of Mthatha, as young as from the age of seven years. Due to different challenges they had from their homes, they decided to leave their homes and stay on the Streets. He started a Soup kitchen for these kids and for those people who came to Mthatha to seek for jobs without any place to stay. They were taken care of their health, their welfare, some were taken back to school as a result some of them are Professionals and they are working now. Some were reconciled with their families, some were taken to the Initiation school and they are men today.
After noticing that people’s challenges are increasing each day, and the people who were worshipping under the tree are increasing in numbers, and then it started to be a Congregation not just a place of fellowship, and the Movement started. It was given the name IBANDLA LASEMTHINI EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT(ILEM). It was called a Movement because it has to service many people across the country, spiritually, emotionally, psycho-socially and physically so. And a tree is a place to relax and pray and humble yourself before God, and it’s an area for new beginnings. Hence why we kept the word “EMTHINI”.
We are a Movement that is taking care of the less fortunate and we are the movement that reaches the unreachable people in our country. That is why our slogan says “CARING FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE”