Televangelist Pastor Enoch Phiri celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday with friends and vulnerable children in Soweto. Despite the glorious event, Phiri looked back to the past five years with a tinge of sadness.
He said his worst years were marked by his divorce, losing his TV show and losing a lot of friends.
Phiri’s birthday party was held at a home for abandoned children, “to make them feel loved”, he said.
“The past five years were the hardest in my life. It was a time where I can tell you that I have been lonely than ever before. There was a time where when I parked my car anywhere there would be tons of people from all over to come and celebrate.”
Speaking told Sunday World in an interview, Phiri added: “When I went through tough times I realised that this is when I needed friends and my friends where nowhere. I though about these [abandoned] kids. Who celebrates their birthdays with them? Who hugs and kiss them, and wish them a happy birthday on their special days?”
He said these thoughts are the reason why he decided to celebrate with the children.
Inspiration for preacher friends
Phiri said he hoped his birthday will inspire more famous people and more so his pastor colleagues and friends to take time off their lifestyles and give back to the community through their time and presence.
“I really hope that I would find time to do this not only on my birthday but on a monthly basis at other homes like this one. Visit the children and just spending time with them it’s very special.”
Among the friends with him at the Soweto birthday party were media personality and actress Palesa Madisakwane, her daughter and actress Bahumi Mhlongo, and television presenter Mveleli “Dr Love” Gqwede.
Going to the tough five years, Phiri is certain it all began after filing for divorce from his wife of 19 years, Busisiwe Phiri. In the process, he was arrested for vandalising her home in Protea Glen, Soweto, and also battled alcohol abuse as he battled with depression.
“When you are a pastor, you have many pastor friends. So when you go through what I went through you can expect to lose the friends.
“This is what I am talking about in the book that I am writing, that when you go to theology school we are taught about everything else but never about how to handle divorce.”
Phiri said his book will be the conversation with people on divorce, its impact on his life and finding himself again.
