The investiture process is a ceremony that is held to invest members with the Holy Armour of God. The Holy Armour is a symbol of the member's commitment to God. After acquiring the membership card a member has a right to choose to be invested in the Holy Amour. Some exercise this right immediately, however others take much longer time. It is a stage in a member’s religious growth when they fulfil this right and the congregation celebrates that. The investiture process is a time of great joy and celebration to the religion and God. It is a time when an individual has chosen to be open about being a member of the Guta RaMwari. 

Investiture Periods

The investiture process can take place during three different times:

• The Promise Festival, which is held in February every year
• The Harvest Festival, which is held from July to September
• The Saturday immediately preceding December 25th

Investiture Requirements

To be eligible for investiture, members must:

1. Have a membership card
2. Have an approval letter (for investiture in Janet's Holy Armour and the Red Sash)
3. Consult with an Elder about the quality and design of their Holy Armour
4. Ensure that their Holy Armour is sanctified by the Holy Messenger on the day of investiture

Investiture Venue

The investiture process takes place at Guta RaMwari branches and agreed venues. Elders will make sure that a clean facility has been prepared in advance, especially for male who would need to invested into the Holy Armour.

Investiture Proceedings

The investiture proceedings are as follows:

1. The investiture is led by Elders and is accompanied by Hymn 1.
2. The investiture takes place immediately after the reading of the Text.
3. Women and girls whose Holy Armour has been sanctified by the Holy Messenger stand in a queue along selected aisles inside the Prayer Hall. They hold their uniforms and will have the uniform donned on them (invested) as they stand in front of the congregation.
4. Only for women and girls is the Holy Armour put on top of the clothes the member(s) wishing to be invested would be wearing.
5. The Elder on duty will put all pieces of the uniform on the members being invested in a similar way as they would to a child or anyone incapable of dressing on their own.
6. For men and boys, the investing will be done in a private place pre-arranged for this.
7. After the investiture, only those invested for the first time stand in front of the congregation until the Evangelist/Elder reading the Holy Charge tells them to sit down.

Conclusion

The investiture process is a time of great joy and celebration. It is a time when members are invested with the Holy Armour of God. If you are interested in being invested with the Holy Armour  please contact the Elders in your branch  for more information. This article is part of a series of articles on the Guta RaMwari Harvest.