Pastor G: “Pastor G: A new rhythmic journey to health and wholeness
Patience Musa
For over two decades, Pastor G—born Stanley Gwanzura—has been a defining voice in Zimbabwean gospel music. His songs have lifted spirits and stirred souls, echoing a life devoted to worship and purpose. But behind the microphone, another journey has quietly taken shape—a personal transformation marked not just by melodies, but by movement. Now, as he celebrates 25 years in music and a powerful health journey, Pastor G is stepping into a new rhythm—one that aligns body, spirit, and calling in perfect harmony.
Now on the cusp of releasing his 15th album, Pastor G is walking boldly in another kind of testimony: a weight loss journey that began in pain but is anchored in love and legacy.
The year 2020 was a turning point. After losing both his parents to COVID-19 within seven months—his father in 2020, and his mother in early 2021—Pastor G found himself facing his own mortality. Three days after his father passed, he contracted the virus himself.
“COVID was taking people with underlying issues—obesity, hypertension—and I was one of them,” he says candidly. “I realized I had to make some serious changes if I was going to be around for my wife, my sons… my future grandchildren. That became my ‘why’.”
From casual walks in the neighbourhood to a dedicated and disciplined lifestyle overhaul, Pastor G’s weight loss journey officially began in March 2022 when he weighed around 200 kilograms. But for him, the real battle wasn’t just on the scale—it was in the mind.
“It took 35 years for me to become obese,” he says. “And now at 55, I’m trying to undo all of that. It’s a fight with habits, with cravings, with myths we believed growing up. The biggest challenge is mindset—letting go of what you thought was normal and embracing a new way of living.”
But even in the struggle, Pastor G sees God’s grace at work. “This journey has taught me that God gives us sufficient grace to change. And that anyone can build new habits and a new identity. I’m living proof.”
While his music output slowed slightly during the early part of the journey, it wasn’t due to a lack of creativity. “I’ve been consumed with my personal transformation,” he shares. “But this year, as I celebrate 25 years as an artist, I’m putting together a song writing bootcamp with young artists and producers. I want to stay fresh, relevant, and pour this message of transformation into the music.”
That message, he explains, isn’t just about weight—it’s about renewal, about taking responsibility for your life, your health, and your purpose. “I communicate God’s truth through worship, music, teaching, and media,” he says. “And transformation is what’s on my heart right now.”
For others facing similar battles with health or body image, Pastor G offers both encouragement and practical wisdom.
“Love yourself enough to change. No one can do it for you. Start with small steps—they become big steps, then leaps, then quantum leaps. But you have to get the knowledge, apply it, and believe that change is possible.”
With 15 albums, a ministry that spans continents, and a body and spirit renewed by grace and grit, Pastor G’s story is one of resilience and obedience. “I’ve learned that you can transform if you allow God to strengthen you—and if you’re willing to do the work.”
His journey is a reminder that transformation isn’t just a physical process—it’s an act of worship, a declaration of faith, and a gift to those we love.
