Daveyton, Gauteng — It was a defining moment for Mpume when she took to the pulpit for the first time at the annual Lutheran All Women’s Conference, held in Daveyton on the East Rand. Before an audience of more than 3,000 women from across the province, Mpume delivered a powerful and uncompromising message centered on altars — both the spiritual altars of the Lord and the counterfeit altars often erected through cultural and personal compromise.
Preaching from Isaiah 60:1 (“Arise, shine, for your light has come”) and Romans 12:2 (“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world”), Mpume also drew from Isaiah 59 and Romans 12:1 to provide deeper context. These scriptures led her to speak on themes of sin and iniquity, repentance, and sacrifice — calling the Church to return to holiness and the true worship of God.
One of the central points of her sermon was the importance of building an altar to the Lord, contrasting it with the dangers of engaging with other spiritual altars, including those associated with traditional practices such as sangomas. “Every altar carries a spirit,” she said, “and as children of God, we must make sure our lives are dedicated to the altar of the Lord, not the altars of the world.”
Her message was both convicting and controversial. When she referenced Jesus’ rebuke of the temple being turned into a “den of robbers” instead of a “house of prayer,” the atmosphere in the hall grew tense. While many women were visibly moved and responded in prayer and repentance, some pastors reportedly kept their distance afterward, uneasy about the boldness of her message.
Despite the mixed reactions, Mpume’s sermon left an undeniable mark. It was a courageous reminder of the prophetic role of preaching — to confront sin, call for repentance, and restore the Church to its rightful place as a house of prayer.
As one attendee reflected, “She spoke truth without fear. It was uncomfortable, but necessary.”
