The church in mission
Subtitle: a short history of the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, 1897-1997
By: John Wesley Z. Kurewa.
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Nashville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 192
Subjects: United Methodist Church (U.S.). Zimbabwe Conference -- History.; Methodist Church -- Zimbabwe -- History.; Zimbabwe -- Church history.
Description: December 1997, marks the centennial anniversary of Methodism in Zimbabwe. The celebration of this event suggests that The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe is becoming more aware of its distinctive history and traditions. This book is intended to assist that process by describing the origin, development, and current status of The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe and its growing involvement in God's mission in Africa.

The book is organized in three parts. Part I, "The Church in Missionary Thrust (1897-1921)," traces the origins of Methodism in Zimbabwe through the work of Western missionaries, particularly Bishop Joseph Hartzell, who arrived in Old Mutare in 1897. Part II, "The Church as an Institution (1921-1945)," shows how the predecessor bodies of The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe reached a point of institutional maturity, beginning with the ordination of the first African, David Mandisodza, in 1921.

Part III, "The Church in Mission (1945-1997)," describes the development of a new self-consciousness in The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, as it grew from its origins as a mission church to become a church in mission with other churches throughout the newly independent countries of Africa.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-189) and index.