Conference formalizes ties to Zimbabwe East

6/4/2010

By Lisa Elliott Diehl
Communications director
SALINA—Members of the 2010 Kansas West Annual Conference adopted resolutions to enter into a covenant with the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference and to establish a conference advance special to fund expenses for the partnership.

The votes followed a report from the 14-member team from Kansas West who visited Zimbabwe earlier in the year and remarks from Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, bishop of the Zimbabwe Area of the United Methodist Church.

 “People often ask what my favorite experience was,” said Lea Ann Reber, a lay person from Newton First UMC and a member of the exploration team. “It’s a natural question, but how do you single out one thing from 14 days of spiritual awakening?

 “One thing I am sure of, though, is there is a lot we can learn from the Zimbabwean example of hospitality, the uninhibited way they worship God, and the great distance they are willing to go to attend worship,” Reber said.

Linda Budde, also a lay person from Newton First UMC, said she was struck by the extreme generosity the people displayed toward the team and toward their communities. The church is where those who are hurting have not only their spiritual needs met but also many of their more basic daily needs met. The church provides medical care, skills training and food.

The team’s trip is not the first or the only connection between the two annual conferences. Two Kansas West pastors were born in Zimbabwe, a Wichita woman inspired the Bethany and College Hill United Methodist churches to help fund the creation of a maternity ward in the Mutambara Hospital, and a men’s choir from what is now Zimbabwe toured Kansas in the 1950s.

That was Rev. Mark Conard’s first connection with Zimbabwe.

“I had never seen such men,” Conard said. “I had never heard such music. I didn’t know you could do that in church. There was a power there that I’ve never forgotten.”

That connection has stayed with Conard throughout his life. As a member of the General Commission on Communication, Conard traveled to Zimbabwe, and his heart was touched. The experience inspired him to share his passion with the Hutchinson District clergy.

“God put these two conferences together,” he said. “We are already connected at the heart; may we now be connected at the head and the hands,” Conard said.

The proposed covenant describes a type of partnership known as “chabadza” in Zimbabwe.

“I grew up in Zimbabwe, and I know what chabadza is,” said Rev. Kennedy Mukwindidza, pastor at Quinter and Grinnell UMCs. “It is an expression of love, caring and compassionate friendship. It is spontaneous and voluntary, community-building as well as a show of radical hospitality.”

Mukwindidza pointed to two examples of chabadza in the Book of Mark. The first is the story of the young boy who brought five loaves and two fishes to hear Jesus speak. Jesus used those loaves and fishes to feed thousands. The second is when four brothers took a sick man to be healed by Jesus.

Nhiwatiwa gave a short geography and demographic lesson on Zimbabwe, which is located just north of South Africa.

“The spread of the United Methodist Church—the concentration is in the East,” Nhiwatiwa said. “We’re still getting into the West.”

One challenge is that there are two main tribes in Zimbabwe. The Shona live mostly in the eastern portion of the country, and the Ndebele live in the western part of the country. The two speak different languages, and there is a shortage of trained pastors who speak the language of the Ndebele.

When he was elected bishop, Nhiwatiwa said he was inspired to use chabadza as a rallying point for the two annual conferences. Chabadza is a Shona term that comes from the word, “badza,” or hoe.

“Chabadza is relational; that’s why it works well in the church. You can’t talk of chabadza when people don’t live in community,” Nhiwatiwa said.

The concept is demonstrated through “ubuntu,” a word that means we are only human through the humanity of others.

The practical implication is that chabadza is not given to someone who isn’t working. Chabadza is empowering. And lastly, chabadza is connectional. Nhiwatiwa said his hopes and dreams for the partnership between conferences evolve around the concept of chabadza.

Rev. Dennis Wallace, team member and pastor of Asbury UMC in Wichita, presented the resolution.

“Before us is more than legislation; it’s more than a vote; it’s an opportunity. It’s an adventure,” Wallace said. “By ourselves, we are not as powerful, but together, we can make a difference. That’s the mandate of the church; that’s why we exist.”

There are other annual conferences that have partnerships with the Zimbabwe area. Some have long-standing relationships, and others are trying to iron out the details of their partnerships. No one else is considering a partnership like the one Kansas West adopted.

“I think our conference will be remarkably enriched by the spiritual depth and experience of the people of the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference,” Conard said. “The two times I’ve been there, I’ve met brothers and sisters who really do believe in God. Sometimes I wonder if we only believe about God. We cannot transform a nation, but I think together we can transform the lives of two conferences.”

Rev. Larry Greenwood, pastor at Calvary UMC in Wichita, pushed Wallace and Conard for more specific details about what the covenant would do and mean for conference churches.

“Some of those details cannot be articulated in the way you would like,” Wallace said. “We hope that some of these ideas bubble up from the churches. We want to see it formed and fashioned by local churches and districts that participate.”

Some ideas are outlined in the resolution, including partnerships between congregations in the two conferences, specific projects to develop skills or build a church campsite.

“My experience in the Hutchinson District is that there is an increased energy level from churches on up,” said Rev. Rick Saylor, district superintendent. “It’s not simply a program.”

Rev. Charles Grant, pastor at Hillsboro UMC, said his congregation’s partnership with the Fern Valley UMC in Zimbabwe has been an energizing relationship. It began as a prayer bear relationship between the children in Hillsboro and the children at Fern Valley, but it quickly spread because there are more children in the Fern Valley church.

The Hillsboro church treasurer said the church is having its finest hour because of this relationship.

“Our church has raised about $12,000, not because we had to, but because the people caught sight of the vision,” Grant said. “This is the vision that is before us in this motion. This is what I pray.”

Cards were handed out for congregations to express interest in becoming partner churches or obtaining more information. Nhiwatiwa will travel the Kansas West Conference through June 9. Dates are listed on the conference and district Web site calendars.

The conference structure committee also brought legislation establishing clear paths of accountability for the covenant implementation team. The team will be closely tied to the Connectional Ministries Council and the Focus Team. Team membership will consider categories of diversity including geography, age and ethnicity. This resolution also passed.