Methodism in South Africa : the teaching ministry of five native mission agents
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Authors
Kumalo, Simanga
Issue Date
2006
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Methodism native , Native mission agents , Teaching of Christian
Alternative Title
Abstract
Very little is said about the unique contribution of Methodist native
mission agents into teaching of the Christian faith in their
communities. These were people such as Samuel Mathabathe a
native preacher from the Northern Transvaal who, in 1869, began
work within his community and founded the first Methodist Church
there. Robert Mashaba who founded the Methodist Church in
Mozambique, and Daniel Msimang who founded Methodism in
Swaziland.i If it were not for these native mission agents,
Methodism would not have become one of the largest
denominations in South Africa. However books, pamphlets and
records of the church tell of the heroic work that was done by white
missionaries from Europe in planting the church among often
unwilling and very pagan people. If the native mission agent is
mentioned at all it is only in passing or they are seen as
probationers or assistants to the white missionary who were the
“missionaries par excellence”.ii This gives the impression that the
work of evangelisation and teaching of the Christian faith relied
almost exclusively on missionaries. Little or sometimes nothing is
said about the fact that in other communities the missionaries found
thriving churches and schools that had been going on for decades,
after having been initiated by native mission agents. Thus the
history of the missionary enterprise in Africa is one-sided and
wrong – especially when it comes to Christian education. The
purpose of this article is to make a small contribution to the
correction of that history by telling the stories of five of these native
mission agents and their contribution to the teaching of Christian
education in their communities.
Description
Peer reviewed
Citation
Kumalo, Simango 2006,'Methodism in South Africa : the teaching ministry of five native mission agents',Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, vol. XXXII, no. 2, pp. 1-19.
Publisher
Church History Society of Southern Africa
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1017-0499