Inauguration of the Cathedral in Soweto

After 13 years of sweat, tears and hard work, the members of the Universal Church finally have a reason to rejoice.

On the 22 nd of April, the largest Cathedral was inaugurated in Diepkloof, and it was sincerely a momentous occasion. No one could hide the joy they felt when they walked into the Cathedral for the very first time. Not only is it massive but the architecture is truly something exquisite.

Approaching the site from Old Potch Road, one cannot help but gasp at the sheer genius of the design, and its central location causes one’s curiosity to rise every time you drive past it. So, naturally, thousands of people were interested in knowing exactly what was going on.

From as early as 5 a.m. people were waiting outside the gates, eager to be the first to set foot in this magnificent building; even though the first service would be at 10 a.m. For many people, this was not just a matter of seeing the building, but it was about the realization of a dream come true… an answer to a prayer. Anyone who has ever been to the old Church building can testify to the fact that this is a welcome change.

For the residents as well, this was a moment they had all been waiting for, as they had seen the building literally come up from its foundations before their eyes, thy bore testament to every brick that was lain and every pillar that was set in place, thus on this day, they too could not wait to see what the final result looked like.

As there were many people who were expected to come on this day, there were four services held so as to accommodate those who were coming from far off places. Even though this was the arrangement, thousands of people turned up for the first service and as a result many had to watch the service from screens outside, as there was not enough room within the building.

However, no one went home disappointed as what they received on this day, were not only words of encouragement, but life from the source - our Lord Jesus Christ.

While the people waited for the service to begin, they all took the time to just explore this new Cathedral, from the tiles to the stained glass windows with beautiful designs on either side of the altar, and the grand stained glass shield which is above the altar- all was taken in before the service began.

Although there are still some more final touches that need to be concluded, from what we all saw, what is to come can only be greater!


The Service finally begins:


By 10 a.m. the hall of the cathedral was already packed and those who came on time for the service had to sit outside in an overflow area that had been prepared for such an occurrence.

Bishops Renato, Macedo, Goncalves as well as Bishop Bira all walked onto the altar to begin the first service. A little known fact is that when the Universal Church first began, back in 1992, it was Bishop Goncalves who came to open the first church in a small Portuguese speaking community in Berea. From then on well… the rest is history!

Bishop Macedo, who is the founder of the Universal Church, made the opening prayer, in which he thanked God that this moment had finally come, and he declared that with the inauguration of this new Church, the lives of those who were present would also be inaugurated.

After this prayer, Bishop Renato who has also worked in South Africa, told all those who were present that “God is honouring our faith today because, we started off in a small overcrowded basement, as a venue for the church, but today we have our very own place, because we did not give up.” He also added that, ‘When we first came to South Africa, we were told not to come to Soweto as it was considered a dangerous place,” “however, we were deaf to those voices and we only listened to the voice of God in our hearts, and this is the secret to overcome in life.” The Bishop continued saying that; “in life, if you want to conquer you have to be deaf to all the negative voices.”

When he had concluded his part of the opening ceremony, Bishop Macedo read from John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” He then told the people that “the Spirit of God wants to use you as his temple to spread the good news to the poor.” “He wants to use you to build up people’s lives, not just buildings.” he continued. “God wants you to have a great vision, because when the spirit of God comes upon you he gives you a great vision.”

The Bishop told the people that today they see a great Cathedral has been opened and it is a beautiful building, and many may think that this is a great thing, however, he told the people, “God has greater things to give to you, He wants to give you a life with quality.”

He went on to explain that, “This great vision starts inside of you, not in your heart, but in your mind, not with emotions but with faith.” he added, “this faith you have is the Holy Spirit working in your life, he wants to use you just as he used Abraham.”

Bishop Macedo told the people that “when Abraham was inside his tent, God brought him out and showed him the stars; this is when God revealed that His vision for Abraham, was greater than he could imagine. And this is the same vision God wants to reveal to us.”

He added that “before God, there is no man or woman, no black or white, but we are all equal before God, we are all one people, because we have received one name, one word and one spirit.”

“And these are the three tools God has given to us, so that wherever we go and in whatever we do, we do not need anyone else, because these represent the Power of God.” He continued to say; “This power from God drives your mind, so that you may achieve dreams, by giving you wisdom and a vision.”

When he had said this, he called those who wished to have this vision, to come before the altar. With that many people came forward as they realized that the only way to achieve what they desire is if God is in control of their lives.

After this prayer, there was great singing and rejoicing; the Universal Choir sang their hearts out as the people danced along to their rhythmic tunes. There was joy all around and everyone truly appreciated being a part of this historic event.

To conclude what he had been saying, Bishop Macedo added; “In order to please God, you just have to give your entire life to Him. Because when you give your life to Jesus, he holds you in his hands. And when you read your Bible, you get the Spirit of God and he tells you what you have to do, and nothing will be impossible for you.”