Missions are money and money is missions : Methodist ecclesiology in South Africa, 1872-2004
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Authors
Kumalo, Simangaliso Raymond
Issue Date
2011
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Mission money , Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) , Methodist Church , Black leadership , Native ministers , Secessions , White leadership , Prosperity gospel , Unzondelelo in the 1874 , African Methodist Episcopal in 1892 , Ethiopian Church in 1892 , Methodist Church in Africa in 1930 , United Methodist Church of South Africa in 1978
Alternative Title
Abstract
This article examines the close relationship between the church
and money, as manifested in the breakaway churches from the
Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) from the 19th to
the 20th century. The Methodist Church has had more secessions
than any other mainline denomination in South Africa.1
One of the key factors leading to these secessions was the disagreement
about money. This is because the leadership of the
Methodist Church, most of whom were white and privileged,
often did not practise equality and transparency when it came
to money. The article also argues that the disagreements about
money were a manifestation of racism and mistrust of black
leadership by their white counterparts. The author uses five
case studies of secession in the life of the MCSA to show how
money became a bone of contention that led to breakaways.
The case studies are (1) the formation of Unzondelelo in the
1874; (2) the formation of the African Methodist Episcopal in
1892; (3) the formation of the Ethiopian Church in 1892; (4)
the formation of the Methodist Church in Africa in 1930; and
(5) the formation of the United Methodist Church of South
Africa in 1978.
Description
Peer reviewed
Citation
Kumalo, S 2011,'
Missions are money and money is missions : Methodist ecclesiology in South Africa, 1872-2004,'
Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 115-131.
Publisher
Church History Society of Southern Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
10170499