Archbishop Professor Ezekiel Guti

About Archbishop Professor Ezekiel Guti

Archbishop Professor Ezekiel Handinawangu Guti (5 May 1923 – 5 July 2023) was one of Africa's most towering Pentecostal figures — the founder and lifelong president of Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA), known internationally as Forward In Faith Ministries International (FIFMI). He preached the gospel without interruption for 75 years and became one of the very few church founders in history to reach the age of 100 while still actively ministering. Born in Ngaone village, near Chipinge, in the Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe, Guti's encounter with God began in the 1930s when, as a young boy in the forest near his home, he experienced a supernatural visitation in which God spoke the words: "Fear not, sin not." That encounter became the compass of his entire life and ministry. In 1948, Guti traveled to Salisbury (present-day Harare), where he experienced a powerful spiritual awakening — receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues. He began preaching immediately, winning souls and planting churches across Harare's townships of Mbare and Highfield. On 12 May 1960, responding to an unmistakable divine call, he gathered a small band of believers under a eucalyptus tree in Bindura, Zimbabwe — and ZAOGA was born. In 1963, while fasting and praying in caves, Guti received divine instruction to learn English Bible preaching so that the gospel could reach international audiences. He obeyed, and within decades the ministry had crossed every ocean. By the time of his passing, FIFMI had expanded into more than 168 nations and states across Africa, 40+ United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, the UAE, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He trained over 10,000 pastors who went on to serve in FIFMI churches and other ministries around the world, and oversaw more than 5,000 pastors and evangelists in active service. The ministry's 50th anniversary in 2010 drew a crowd of over 50,000 believers to Zimbabwe's National Sports Stadium in Harare. Beyond church planting, Archbishop Guti built a remarkable array of institutions to serve humanity. He founded Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University in Bindura — one of the few universities in Africa established by a church leader — as well as Africa Multination for Christ College (AMFCC), which opened for pastoral training on 6 July 1977 with campuses across Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, and Ghana; Christ for Zimbabwe College; and over 120 dressmaking schools that equipped women with vocational skills. He also established Mbuya Dorcas Hospital, Forward in Faith Children's Home and orphanage centres, a Disabled and Helping Hands Association, and a Blind and Sighted Integration Ministry — demonstrating a conviction that the gospel must address the whole person. He authored over 113 books addressing Christian theology, leadership, marriage, worship, prayer, and spiritual development, and his teaching was heard across continents through crusades, conferences, and broadcast media. Archbishop Guti held advanced academic qualifications including a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Christian Education, Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Ministry, and a PhD in Religion, with credentials from Northgate Graduate School and Zoe College in the United States. He was married to Apostle Dr. Eunor Guti for five decades, and together they led the ministry as a united team. On 5 July 2023, Archbishop Ezekiel Guti went to be with the Lord at the age of 100. The Government of Zimbabwe declared him a national hero — an honour reserved for those who have made exceptional contributions to the nation. His legacy endures in the millions of lives transformed, the hundreds of institutions he built, and the global family of FIFMI churches that continue to preach the gospel he devoted his century of life to proclaiming.