Dare reCastle: Harare fellowship mixes prayer, beer and friendship

By Southerton Business Times | Harare, Zimbabwe | August 9, 2026

A Harare-based Christian fellowship that combines prayer, Bible teaching and social interaction over beer is attracting growing interest, as its founder seeks to reach people who may feel disconnected from conventional church gatherings.

Known as Dare reCastle, the fellowship was founded by Victor Mupoperi, popularly known online as the “Castle Man”, a content creator who promotes what he describes as responsible beer consumption while engaging with people from different backgrounds. The unusual fellowship combines Christian worship with a relaxed social environment, with participants gathering to pray, read Scripture, listen to a sermon and later socialise over drinks. Mupoperi, a professional Class 1 journeyman in refrigeration and air-conditioning and a livestock farmer, said the initiative was not about putting alcohol at the centre of Christianity.

Instead, he said, Dare reCastle was created to demonstrate that people could maintain their relationship with God regardless of their lifestyle choices.

“The concept is a movement which aims to encourage people that regardless of them drinking or not, God is still the centre of our lives,” Mupoperi said.

He said the fellowship had received a positive response, with participants appreciating what he described as its relaxed and open atmosphere.

“The people are accepting the word of God, and they really want more of these sessions as they are more relaxed and open than traditional church gatherings,” he said.

How Dare reCastle started

Mupoperi said the idea emerged unexpectedly after a church service. He said he was walking home when he passed a place where people were drinking and decided to engage them in a conversation about Christianity.

“I enjoy drinking a Castle Lager occasionally. The name ‘Castle Man’ was initially given to me when I was walking home from church one day and passed a place where people were drinking and enjoying themselves,” he said.

“After some thought, I joined them and decided to share the word of God with them. I told them that the following week, we would meet at the same place to talk about the word of God because you never know who might need it.”

According to Mupoperi, only about five people attended the first gathering.

The fellowship has since grown, with new people reportedly joining the weekly Sunday sessions.

“We’ve even had people travelling from different parts of Zimbabwe to attend our weekly gatherings,” he said.

Prayer before socialising

Dare reCastle follows a structure similar to a conventional Christian gathering. The meetings begin with praise and worship, followed by Bible readings and a sermon delivered by a pastor. The social element comes afterwards, when participants share drinks, hold conversations and build friendships. For Mupoperi, this is what makes the fellowship different from traditional church settings. He argues that Christian outreach should not necessarily be confined to conventional places of worship and believes people can encounter faith in everyday social environments.

The concept nevertheless sits at an unusual intersection of Christian fellowship and alcohol consumption, a combination likely to attract both interest and debate among Zimbabwean Christians. Mupoperi insists that alcohol is not the focus of the gatherings. Instead, he says, Dare reCastle is about creating a space where people can discuss faith openly while maintaining social connections. As the fellowship continues to attract new participants, its unconventional approach raises a broader question about how churches and Christian movements can engage people who may not feel comfortable in traditional religious spaces. For Mupoperi, the answer is simple: meet people where they are, build relationships and keep God at the centre of the conversation.

Dare reCastle