Father Madoda was baptised in a Lutheran Church in Vryheid, where he recalls his parents being very involved. He fondly remembers how he would sing in church on Sundays alongside his brother. One Sunday he visited an Anglican church in Vryheid, and after seeing the Altar servers (youngsters assisting the member of the clergy during church service) he was excited about the fact that at his age he could become more involved in church service.

Thereafter he was confirmed as Anglican and attended church there ever since. Father Madoda Khumalo was born at the Nquthu Hospital in Vryheid, the third of five children of Richard Khumalo and his wife Fikile. His mother was a nurse at a hospital in Vryheid and his father worked as a salesperson. The word childhood for Father Madoda rings bells of his big family, he has five siblings – four sisters and one deceased brother.

It also made him reminisce on how impatiently he would wait for Sundays just to go to church. “My parents were the strict type, to the point that not a day of school was missed. “They always wanted us to work hard at school and aim for success, failure was not an option,” he recalled their sternness.

Once Father Madoda completed his secondary education at Gudu Senior Secondary School he went on to study Theology at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg. After seven years of studying Father Madoda has his Masters in Theology. Theology is the study of concepts of God and the nature of religious ideas, summed up as the learned profession in religious studies.

Father Madoda said his studies prepared him for ministry and taught him the deeper understanding of Christianity. Once Father Madoda was officially ordained, he was over the moon for his childhood dream was coming to pass. In 2011, mid-May he was sent to Estcourt’s Anglican Church (St Matthews Anglican Church), and his first thought upon arriving was “thank goodness a place bigger than Harding”. Harding is a small town he served at for a while.

“The Anglican congregation was welcoming, other churches and their ministers were welcoming and so were churches in surrounding areas.
“They often invited me to speak at their churches,” said Father Madoda warmly. Father Madoda in the next five years hopes to a family of his own and have the ability to continue teaching the word of God. If it happens that he may be moved to a new church, he hopes that the hearts of the people may be like that of the Estcourt community.

Advice to dads
“Congratulations son, you are a father, and son of his father. To the uncles, coaches, mentors, grandfathers and spiritual fathers, continue to speak words of blessing to your children,” is Father Madoda’s message to fathers and father figures for Father’s Day.

Father Madoda would like to encourage children whose fathers have passed on, to visit their grave-sites or to light a candle and say a prayer for them. He is inspired daily by two verses from the Bible: “The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life,” and “Preach the word in season and out of season.” Father Madoda, as you have noticed is referred to as ‘Father’, when asked how it felt for the congregation to refer to him as ‘Father’ he answered, “The fatherly role I play makes me feel responsible and affirmed.” He advises fathers not to betray their children’s trust, and express the love and not just speak it.

Five facts you didn’t know about Father Madoda:
1. He enjoys browsing through Whatsapp.
2. He reads a lot, mostly spiritual books, newspapers and magazines.
3. He also enjoys listening to Kwaito music.
4. He is shy to eat in public.
5. He loves writing prayers and meditations.