REFLECTION ON UCCSA’s THEME
REACHING NEW FRONTIERS: HOPE & HEALING 50 YEARS AND BEYOND By Motsilisi Morobe
The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) adopted the theme “Reaching New Frontiers: Hope and Healing” in 2017 ahead of and in celebration of its 50th celebration since the Congregational Union of South Africa, London Missionary Society and the Bantu Congregational Church of the American Board had joined together in 1967 to form the UCCSA. The theme encompasses some sentiments of the past, future and present challenges, opportunities and achievements of the UCCSA. With hope and healing, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the coming together of the UCCSA in 1967 was a direct violation of racial segregation laws of South Africa at that time. All the joining member churches did lose members who were not ready to be in a mixed-race church. It also lost some of those who were xenophobic as the union meant that the so-called “foreigners” would be part of the church. It is my understanding that segregation laws were abolished but scars of the people never healed. It is also my understanding that no African can be a foreigner on African soil; but this view of being “foreigner” was given to us by the scramble for Africa era and nurtured by our colonial masters. It is a view that has outlasted its creators. Racial and xenophobic scars sit upon our members. Not everyone can heal on their own. During apartheid, in South Africa, many local churches have had to give up properties and land. As an institution we have had to walk away from schools such as Tiger Kloof, hospitals such as Livingston and at some point, we were at the brink of losing heritage sites such as Moffat Mission. We later lost Joseph Wing. These are injuries that have hindered our missional heritage and capacity; and also impacted opportunities to make means for mission. In the 80s Zimbabwe went to what we today know as Gukurahundi. It was a terrible time that split the nation as the national army intentionally targeted and brutally killed Ndebele civilians. These are some of the scars that our members in Zimbabwe have. There are those who have healed and those who have not. Those who were directly affected and those who were indirectly affected. One can only assume that it also split the church because to my knowledge there is no Shona-speaking UCCSA. I am also uncertain about the acceptance of Shona-speaking members within our church in Zimbabwe. These make one question the commitment of the church to issues of peace, reconciliation and justice in Zimbabwe. Perhaps there have been attempts to do mission among the Shona-speaking people before Gukurahundi. Perhaps there are reconciliatory programmes that the church as a whole has been involved in. Perhaps the current political and economic state of Zimbabwe is not a result of their past hurts. Perhaps the Zimbabwe synod is not left to fend for themselves in this difficult time. As I type this, Mozambique is going through extreme youth radicalisation which was earlier said to be ISIS operating within the country. But the pattern is different, they are doing a religious cleansing which is not specific to any religion as though they are trying to wipe out religion completely. These are scars that are affecting our members both directly or indirectly. In the 80s when the country had a civil war, it also caused different types of scars that have affected our members. Some people have lost loved ones while others lost their homes. It does not end there; Mozambique is prone to natural disasters. There is so much healing that needs to happen there. The church can do better. We have a heritage of public service and building each other up; we can do definitely better.
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INSiGHT | April 2021
