The Sound of Victory

Reverend Samuel Mutendi was a prophet who understood the deep secrets of heaven. He knew exactly what he was doing when he introduced the brass instruments, the uniform rhythm, and the holy march into the church. He knew that the African child had been weighed down by oppression, and that the only way to lift their spirits was through the liberating power of heavy praise and worship.

Samuel spent decades grooming his son, Nehemiah, in the center of this tradition. He taught him that the procession is a holy march of triumph. He showed him that when the band plays and the church moves forward as one body, the heavens open and evil forces flee. Samuel laid a solid, unshakeable foundation, teaching a young Nehemiah that a leader must always march at the front of the flock, pulling down walls through worship before trying to win battles with words.

When Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi took on the heavy mantle of leadership in 1976, he did not silenced the instruments or downplay the old ways. He deeply appreciated the foundation laid by his father and chose to expand it with absolute faithfulness and God's sweeping grace.

For 50 glorious years, Bishop Nehemiah has championed the growth of our music and praise. He did not just maintain the band; he transformed it into a world-class, highly disciplined musical army. Under his visionary guidance, thousands of youth have been trained to play instruments, sheet music has been introduced, and the brass band has been multiplied across every province and international border. Because he was loyal to the lesson taught by his father, the small joyful sound of the past has grown into a thunderous anthem that binds millions of believers together in one spirit.

This beautiful practice of marching in holy procession with trumpets perfectly mirrors the greatest victory found in the Holy Bible—the miraculous fall of Jericho:

When the children of Israel faced the massive, locked gates of Jericho, God did not tell Joshua to build weapons of war. Instead, God gave him a strict liturgical blueprint. He commanded the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant, blow the seven trumpets of rams' horns, and lead the entire army in a quiet procession around the city walls once a day for six days.

On the seventh day, Joshua ordered the procession to march around the city seven times. At the final blast of the trumpets, Joshua commanded the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!” (Joshua 6:16). When the sound of the trumpets and the voices of the people rose as one, the staggering, unshakeable walls of Jericho crashed straight into the ground.

Reverend Samuel Mutendi was our Moses, who received the blueprint of praise in the wilderness. Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi is our Joshua, who has spent 50 years leading the holy procession around the modern walls of affliction, ensuring that every barrier confronting maZion is flattened by the sound of victory.

"When the world tells us to be quiet, our trumpets blow louder. When the enemy builds a wall, our procession marches right through it."

Today, whenever an ordinary congregant joins the holy march, sings in the choir, or dances to the beat of the brass band, they are participating in a divine legacy. We do not walk in fear; we march in total victory.

The staggering expansion of our band and procession over the last 50 years is a living testament to Bishop Nehemiah’s incredible contribution to the development of the church. He took the father's lesson, protected the murairo of praise, and through his consistent stewardship, gave us an unshakeable footing. Every trumpet blast we hear today is a reminder that the covenant made with Samuel is alive, well, and marching forward under Nehemiah to conquer new territories for Jesus Christ.