Church is alive and growing in Zimbabwe

Key points:

• About 20,000 members convened for 2024 Jubilee conventions celebrating United Methodism in the country.
• Organizers say the events were designed to spiritually uplift church members and to celebrate the leadership of Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa, who is set to retire.
• Within the context of challenges experienced in other parts of Africa following General Conference, including in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, the bishop said Zimbabwe can be a model for what is possible on the continent.
• The bishop highlighted the women’s uniform as one area that demonstrates the “unique brand of Zimbabwean United Methodism.”

“The best of all is, God is with us,” said Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa, echoing the reported last words of Methodism founder John Wesley as he reflected on the life of The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe following this year’s historic General Conference.

With close to 20,000 United Methodists converging for two 2024 jubilee conventions, the bishop declared, “The UMC in Zimbabwe is alive. We are in the season of an extraordinary jubilee.”

Seven districts from the Zimbabwe East Conference and six from the Zimbabwe West  Conference gathered at Mufusire and Darwendale, respectively, from Aug. 8 to 11.

“What we have witnessed at the conventions is a church that is alive, active and full of life …,” said the Rev. Vienna Mutezo, Zimbabwe West Conference connectional ministries director.

“The ecstatic response to the preaching of the Gospel and the numbers that thronged Mufusire and Darwendale tell a story that UMC in Zimbabwe has a bright future ahead,” she added.

The Rev. Sophirina Sign, connectional ministries director for the Zimbabwe East Conference, echoed those sentiments.

“The joy which members demonstrated is enough for anyone anywhere to appreciate that the church is vibrant. In fact, it is here to stay,” she said.

Zimbabwe East Conference lay leader Maxwell Mironga noted the call to rise up as the laity quadrennium theme from 2 Timothy 1:1-14.

“The church has risen up and retained the gift of good and beautiful things placed in our trust by the Holy Spirit. We pray that the church remains stable and continues to grow stronger than before as we all pursue righteousness in the spirit of the jubilee,” he said.

Evangelism committee member Brian Manyukwe, one of the Zimbabwe East convention organizers, said the event was designed to spiritually uplift church members and to celebrate the achievements under the leadership of Bishop Nhiwatiwa, who is set to retire. 

“It was not easy coming from the background of COVID-19, which disrupted our lives, and some General Conference decisions, which were not favorable to Africans,” Manyukwe said. “We would want to thank the Lord for a convention, which delivered a message of hope to the congregation — that the Lord is in control and the church is still alive and going strong.” 

Meeting earlier this year in Charlotte, North Carolina, General Conference delegates passed regionalization legislation and removed denomination-wide restrictionsaimed at LGBTQ people. Under regionalization, the U.S. and each central conference — church regions in Africa, Europe and the Philippines — would become regional conferences with the same authority to adapt the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s policy book, for more missional effectiveness.

Among other local decisions, regional conferences would be able to set their own rules regarding marriage and ordination standards. To be ratified, the amendment to the denomination’s constitution also will need at least a two-thirds total vote of annual conference lay and clergy voters. 

Within the context of challenges experienced in other parts of Africa following General Conference, including in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, Nhiwatiwa said Zimbabwe can be a model for what is possible on the continent.

“Zimbabwe will come out stronger and present to the world a unique brand of United Methodism, where our friends from Africa and beyond will come to learn,” he said.

During the jubilees, Nhiwatiwa spoke about being part of the team of bishops who have been assigned to lead the Nigeria Episcopal Area after former bishop John Wesley Yohanna resigned with his cabinet in July to join the Global Methodist Church. Nhiwatiwa will serve alongside retired Bishops John Schol and Patrick Streiff until a new leader is elected in December at the West Africa Central Conference in Côte d’Ivoire; retired Bishop David Yemba will serve in an advisory role.

“Being entrusted with this appointment is humbling, and I acknowledge it as confirmation that the Zimbabwean church is stable,” Nhiwatiwa said.

He also commended the clergy and lay leadership in his episcopal area.

“Our district superintendents, pastors and lay leadership have remained the anchor that is holding the church together.”

n his 2023 episcopal address, Nhiwatiwa declared 2024 as the “Year of Jubilee,” which would reach its climax with the annual conventions and would end with him passing on the gavel to a newly elected bishop who will lead the area beginning April 1.

“For us in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area, the year 2024 is one of giving thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love for us,” Nhiwatiwa said.

The bishop was received at both conventions by United Methodist Women dressed in their signature blue dresses with red collars, belts and buttons and white head gear. The women made up the majority of attendees, but men, youth and young children also were among the crowds.

The women’s uniform is one area that demonstrates the “unique brand of Zimbabwean United Methodism” that Nhiwatiwa mentioned. The women go through several stages to attain the organization’s full membership. The process is called “badging,” which involves women who are professing members taking vows of commitment, “to know Christ and make Him known.”

Greater Nhiwatiwa described the group’s legacy. The bishop’s wife is president of the women’s organization, which is called Rukwadzano Rwe Wadzimai in the country.

“Since 1929 to this day, we have maintained this long-cherished heritage of this unique brand of women’s ministry in Zimbabwe,” she said. “Not only have we maintained the legacy passed on to us from the era of (the late) Mai Margaret Muzorewa and Mai Edith Jokomo, but every year we see more women joining the organization.” 

This is one treasured heritage that Bishop Nhiwatiwa said he believes should continue and help chart the way forward for the church. The tradition dates back to the historic 1918 downpour of the Holy Spirit at Old Mutare and the founding of the women’s organization in 1929.

The badging of United Methodist women in Zimbabwe is both “unique and a means of contextualizing the ministry of the church,” he said.  

The bishop said the membership process shows “regionalization is not a new concept birthed from the GC2020” but rather a concept that makes African Methodism what it is, and particularly Zimbabwe, which has such membership processes not found elsewhere.

“As United Methodists in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area, we remain committed to the church and its wonderful heritage, which our ancestors bequeathed to us as a sacred legacy,” he said.

The episcopal area also continues to grow. Zimbabwean Shona-speaking congregations have expanded to neighboring countries including Zambia, Botswana and recently Namibia, where about 60 members are now meeting for Sunday services.

The Rev. Edward Mashero, Bulawayo-Midlands District superintendent, said he is currently the pastor for the Windhoek North Namibia church, which has requested the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area to appoint a pastor.

Kudzanai Muchochoma, connectional ministries chairperson, said the members started worshipping in 2016. “We discovered about 10 UMC members from branded clothes which they had and started meeting monthly. Membership has grown steadily and we now need a pastor as we believe there are more UMC members attending other denominations and will join us when we have a shepherd.”

Throughout the Jubilee 2024 season, the church has held a series of events including music festivals, revivals and sporting activities at United Methodist schools in partnership with Rukwadzano Rwe Wadzimai, the men’s Mubvuwi we United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Youth Fellowship and children’s ministries.

“The United Methodist Church remains a dynamic denomination, working to make a positive impact in Zimbabwe and its mission areas,” Mutezo said.

Maforo is director of communications in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area.

News media contact Julie Dwyer at 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.