Difference between revisions of "Grace Community Church, South Africa"

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|Box title    = Meserete Kristos Church
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|Box title    = Grace Community Church
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|image        = Image:Sf-map.gif
 
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|caption      = Ethiopia: World Factbook, 2009<ref name="cia">"Ethiopia," ''CIA World Factbook''. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html (accessed 7 June 2009).</ref>
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|caption      = South Africa: World Factbook, 2009<ref name="cia">"South Africa," ''CIA World Factbook''. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html</ref>
 
|Row 1 title = Location
 
|Row 1 title = Location
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|Row 1 info = <center>Ethiopia</center>
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|Row 1 info = <center>Philipstown, South Africa</center>
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|Row 2 title = Contact Information
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|Row 2 title = Date Established
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|Row 2 info = ''Group's Contact Information''
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|Row 2 info = <center>1990's</center>
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|Row 3 title = Date Established
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|Row 3 title = Presiding Officer
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|Row 3 info = <center>1948</center>
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|Row 3 info = <center>Leon Pula</center>
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|Row 4 title = Presiding Officer
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|Row 4 title = [[Mennonite World Conference|MWC]] Affiliated?
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|Row 4 info = <center>Group's presiding officer''</center>
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|Row 4 info = <center>Yes</center>
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|Row 5 title = [[Mennonite World Conference|MWC]] Affiliated?
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|Row 5 title = Number of Congregations
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|Row 5 info = <center>Yes</center>
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|Row 5 info = <center>7</center>
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|Row 6 title = Number of Congregations
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|Row 6 title = Membership
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|Row 6 info = <center>484 (2009)<ref>"2009 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership: Africa Summary," ''[[Mennonite World Conference]]''. http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 7 June 2010).</ref></center>
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|Row 6 info = <center>1,023</center>
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|Row 7 title = Membership
 
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|Row 7 info = <center>172,299 (2009)<ref>"2009 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership: Africa Summary," ''[[Mennonite World Conference]]''. http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 7 June 2010).</ref></center>
 
 
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The '''Meserete Kristos Church (MKC)''' is the primary Anabaptist-related group in [[Ethiopia]]. In 2009 MKC had 172,299 members in 484 congregations scattered across all 18 Administrative Regions of Ethiopia.<ref>"2009 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership: Africa Summary," ''[[Mennonite World Conference]]''. http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 7 June 2010).</ref> In addition to the 484 official Meserete Kristos Church congregations, there are also 834 congregation planting centers. <ref>Meserete Kristos College. "Why Meserete Kristos College." http://www.mkcollege.org/Why-Mk-College.html. web (accessed July 8,2010)</ref> As of 2009, Meserete Kristos Church is the largest national Anabaptist conference in the world.<ref name="name">Sandra Joireman, ''Church, State and Citizen'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 86.</ref>
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The '''Brethren in Christ Church (BIC)''' is the primary Anabaptist-related group in South Africa. The Brethren in Christ congregation was established in South Africa in 1988 near the capital city of Pretoria. Currently the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa has over 764 members in thirteen different congregations.
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== Stories  ==
  
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== Stories ==
 
 
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|PageName=Meserete Kristos Church
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|PageName=Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa
 
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=== Origins  ===
 
=== Origins  ===
  
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In 1945, before Meserete Kristos Church even existed, Mennonite missionaries entered [[Ethiopia]] in association with [[Mennonite Central Committee]] and Mennonite Relief Committee looking to bring relief to the country a few years after the Italian occupation of 1936-1941. <ref name="bop">Nathan B. Hege, ''Beyond Our Prayers'' (Scottdale: Herald Press, 1998)</ref> Since the missionaries weren't granted missionary status by the Ethiopian government, the early Mennonites in Ethiopia focused all of their energy and resources into relief work. They brought a shipment of relief goods and acquired access to an old cotton gin building which they then converted into a local hospital. <ref name="bop" /> It wasn't until June 7th 1948 that Dorsa Mishler and Daniel Sensening, two mission representatives, obtained permission for permanent mission status from the government, a helpful addition and complement to their previous relief work.<ref name="mciea">Alemu Checole, "Mennonite Churches in Eastern Africa," in ''A Global Mennonite History: Volume One, Africa.'' ed. John A. Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder (Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2003)</ref> By 1950, the transfer of the mission from Mennonite Relief Committee to Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions was complete.<ref name="bop" /> Under their new status, mission work could expand into education and evangelism which they immediately took advantage of when, in that same year, they built the first of their many schools in Deder.<ref name="mciea"/>
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In 1897 the first Brethren in Christ missionaries left New York for Zimbabwe in late November. Since they arrived just two years after the end of the second war of resistance to white colonial rule, the missionaries were viewed by the nationals as having the same ideals and culture as the colonists. The missionaries soon proved themselves and eventually the Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church spread to Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa.&nbsp; <br>The Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa was established in 1988 near the capital city of Pretoria. The original congregation consisted of four different tribal groups that evangelized by hosting tent revival meetings and ministering in prisons and hospitals. <br>The pastor and organizer of this first church was Rev. Hamilton Madlabane. Anna Engle, who was a missionary working to translate scriptures, first introduced Madlabane to the Brethren in Christ Church. Madlabane then left for the United States and attended Messiah College. At college Madlabane met some Brethren in Christ friends who persuaded him to establish the BIC Church in South Africa. Until recently, Madlabane had been the leader of the Soshanguve Brethren in Christ Church for its entire existence. He has since died. <br>The second church created was the Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church, which is currently located in the Johannesburg area. This group was originally formed by expatriate Zimbabweans living in South Africa as refugees that wanted a support group for one another. This small support group eventually created the church, as early leaders, David Masuku and Patrick Sibanda, made efforts to gather everyone together to worship. Their efforts eventually were successful when on January 22, 1991 their first BIC service was held in the home of Buhle Ndlovu. More people began attending, and the church became a uniting of both South Africans and Zimbabweans. This church did not have an official pastor for the first two years of its existence, but eventually the first pastors of this church were Simon Sibanda and Francis Moyo. <br>Three months after the Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church began, Rev. Ndlovu, who was on the Zimbabwe NIC Executive Board, travelled to South Africa to introduce the two newly founded groups. This effort was unsuccessful, as their relationship did not work out well.<br>
  
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One Saturday night on June 16, 1951 a group of ten Ethiopian nationals planned to be the first group of believers baptized by Mennonite missionaries in the country.<ref name="bop" /> These ten men and women lived in the "closed" area of Nazareth where missionaries were banned from proselytizing. Therefore, the missionaries brought them to Addis Ababa, the capital of [[Ethiopia]], which was an "open" area where missionaries could operate. The missionaries believed they could take the Nazareans to the capital in order to skirt the restrictions. The ten Ethiopians were baptized and returned to Nazareth, however, the Nazareth governor found out about their trip and scolded the missionaries for their actions. There weren't any serious repercussions, but the missionaries were made to promise never to baptize people from any "closed" area ever again. The Meserete Kristos Church today marks this date as the day when the church officially began, as they celebrated their fifty year Jubilee in 2001.<ref name="bop" /><br>
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[[Image:Hillbrow.jpg|418x278px]]<references />
  
 
=== Growth  ===
 
=== Growth  ===
  
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From January 17-19, 1959 the first meeting between national lay leaders and Mennonite missionaries took place at a general council meeting in Nazareth. This date signified the first in a series of steps to transfer church authority from the Mennonite missionaries to Ethiopian lay leaders. Throughout the meetings, lay leaders and missionaries discussed and developed a structure for the various congregations meeting on the missions.<ref name="gameomkc"> Hege, Nathan and Richard D. Thiessen. "Ethiopia." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2010. Web. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/E84.html (accessed June 8, 2010)</ref> The Ethiopian lay leaders eventually took over the missions entirely from [[Mennonite Central Committee]] and Eastern Mennonite Mission including the schools and hospitals in three stages.<ref name="EvangelicalsAA">Johannes Launhardt, ''Evangelicals in Addis Ababa (1919-1991)'' (New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2004), 151</ref> The first stage, implemented in 1962, allowed Ethiopian nationals to minister their local congregations in conjunction with the missionaries. Missionaries couldn't interfere with the administration unless they were elected by the congregations. The second phase began in 1964 to substitute nationals into different posts in mission run projects. Another event that marked a major transition point in the history of MKC occurred in 1964 when the former mission-directed organization was dissolved and the first church constitution was approved. Finally, the third phase in 1965 declared that Ethiopians who had been serving as assistants be appointed to the executive committee, while the missionaries themselves become assistants. It was also during these meetings that the title Meserete Kristos Church was proposed. The term "Mennonite" was not included within the name of the church because it was decided that the term "Mennonite" had no significant local meaning and might connote a cult following since it was named after a man.<ref name="gameomkc" />
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After the church began in 1988, Bishop Jack Shenk and his wife Nancy played a vital role in providing the church structures that have helped the church to grow both numerically and administratively. Bishop Shenk is an individual that has been tasked by the Board of Missions in North American Brethren in Christ Church, and has a job to help the BIC Churches in the Southern African region as the Regional Administrator.<br>Like many other African churches, the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa expresses and values their culture by singing and dancing during worship services. Through song and dance this group is able to connect with others to build a larger community, which is a factor in why they are so diverse. <br>The youth make up a vast majority of the growth of the church. However, these youth have not made a logical connection to the Anabaptist faith, however, and so this creates questions of what the church’s identity will be in the future.
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==== Heavenly Sunshine  ====
 
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In 1962, a group of young high school students from the Orthodox Church came to Dr. Rohrer Eshelman looking for a teacher to teach them english.<ref name="bop" /> The doctor agreed to teach them english so long as they used the Gospel of John as their textbook. The students agreed and pretty soon became more interested in the gospel than the english lessons. Even though they recognized the scripture as possessing ultimate authority, these students wanted to stay within the Orthodox church because at the time evangelicals were negatively associated with foreign missionaries. With this in mind, the students didn't join MKC but rather formed their own church which they called Semay Birhan or "Heavenly Sunshine". MKC still maintained ties with these students and helped them whenever they could. For instance, MKC sent some of their own members to assist with Semay Birhan worship services and eventually helped bail Semay Birhan members from jail when they were arrested by the government for "unorthodox" worshiping practices. Semay Birhan became a very charismatic group; members would join in mass prayer, cast out demons and speak in tongues. As the original members graduated from high school and pursued higher education, interest spread rapidly among university students and the group continued to grow. In 1966, the university group and Ethiopian members from the Finnish Mission Church began to meet together. These two groups resolved to be united in one group and eventually settled on Mulu Wengel (Full Gospel) as the name for their new church. In 1972 the communist government banned the Mulu Wengel church and outlawed meetings of any kind. Looking for a new group to call home, many members from the former Mulu Wengel church joined the Meserete Kristos church in 1974. As a result, the present-day Meserete Kristos church is more pentecostal than many of its sister Mennonite churches.<ref name="gameomkc" />
 
  
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==== Communist Influence ====
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== Contemporary Trends ==
  
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On the day of September 12, 1974, Haile Selassie I, emperor of [[Ethiopia]] since 1930, saw his power instantly disappear as the military managed to successfully take over the government.<ref name="bop" /> This coup represented a significant transition from the previous monarchical system utilized for centuries toward a communist oriented government. In general, it looked as if the government would produce positive reforms as they enacted drastic land reform policies and deprived landlords of their oppressive power; however, the outcome for religious organizations looked bleaker. As the communist government gained more power and espoused atheist Marxist values, resistance against religious organizations increased. Study materials that contained anything other than Marxist doctrine were suspect and eligible for confiscation. Therefore, all church study materials MKC produced had to be hidden and smuggled from place to place. The communist government instituted a program in which everybody had to attend meetings numerous times a week presenting Marxist philosophy. These party indoctrination classes were in large part an effort to "re-educate" citizens and provide a deterrent from any other services deemed counter-revolutionary. Beginning in 1977, the government issued a law decreeing that no person under the age of thirty would be allowed to attend church.<ref name="bop" /> Some young people defied and circumvented this law by dressing up in older style clothes to prevent themselves from being caught. It was also during this time that the government began to enact physical barriers against religious organizations around the country, including MKC. These acts of aggression against the church included arresting church leaders, forbidding church meetings and encouraging thugs to beat up MKC members.<ref name="bop" />
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Currently the BIC church has branches in the following places: Freedom Park, Eersterus, Johannesburg South, Yeoville, Krugersdorp, Tembisa, Cosmo City, Ivory Park, Tsakane, Cape Town, and Pretoria. These branches have recently been given a General Conference status by the international Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA). <br>Lately, Zimbabweans have been making efforts to nurture the Hillbrow group. The Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church sent Pastor Benedict Macebo to help strengthen their newly formed sister church. <br>Recently, efforts have been made to build relations with other Anabaptist churches, including Grace Community Church in Philipstown, South Africa.
  
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In January 1982, the Marxist government confiscated all of Meserete Kristos' offices, worship buildings, bank accounts and physical property. In addition to the confiscation of property, six of MKCs leaders were arrested and held in detention for 50 months.<ref name="bop" /> They were kept in cramped conditions, knowing that at any moment they could be executed. These six MKC leaders included: Kelifa Ali, Kiros Bihon, Shamsudin Abdo, Negash Kebede, Abebe Gorfe and Tilahun Beyene. While these church leaders were in jail and with no buildings to congregate in, church members took it upon themselves to hold church services in private. A law was in place at the time stating that nobody could meet in groups larger than five people except on holidays. Recognizing the magnitude of this law, MKC members organized a network of "cells" in which members would meet at each others houses in groups of five. A majority of these cells did not include any form of leaders or trained pastors because there weren't enough leaders to go around, but rather were comprised of ordinary church-goers. There was always the constant risk of police raids, so members communicated by word of mouth and attendees entered and left the house individually.<ref>Wilbert Shenk, "New Wineskins for New Wine: Toward a Post-Christendom Ecclesiology," ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research''. http://prodigal.typepad.com/files/wilbert-shenk---new-wineskins-for-new-wine---toward-a-post-christendom-ecclesiology.pdf.</ref> This cell organization allowed the underground MKC to flourish as people intimately shared their personal faith in small groups of trusted friends. Attendance grew exponentially as people became disillusioned with the communist system and were searching for meaning in life other than Marxist doctrine. The Meserete Kristos Church officially ceased to exist; however, the democratization process in 1992 initiated by the newly founded government allowed the church to reemerge and obtain some of its lost property.<ref name="NonformalTheologicalEducation">Bedru H. Muktar, "Non-formal Theological Education: The Meserete Kristos Church Experience," ''Mission Focus''. http://ambs.edu/files/documents/news-and-publications/publications/mf/Mission_Focus_Vol_5.pdf#page=24. </ref> This ten year period of underground activity didn't serve the communist government's intended purpose of decreasing church attendance. Rather, it signified a drastic explosion in church membership as numbers rose from 5,000 to 34,000 members.<ref name="NonformalTheologicalEducation" /><br>
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=== Identifying as Anabaptist  ===
  
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==== Meserete Kristos College  ====
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The church has committed itself to a message of compassion, peace, and reconciliation. Members in the Brethren in Christ church do not participate in wars. Learning to lead a separate lifestyle from that of the world is encouraged and necessary as an Anabaptist in this church. The church also puts a lot of emphasis on living simply, and forgiveness is a core part of their teaching.
  
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In 1983, throughout the years Meserete Kristos Church was operating underground, Yeshitila Mengistu, Kedir Dolchume, Tadesse Negawo, Siyum Gebretsadik and Shemelis Rega began to give informal leadership training.<ref name="mkcbeginnings">Meserete Kristos College. "Meserete Kristos College: Beginnings." http://www.mkcollege.org/Beginnings.html. web (accessed July 8,2010)</ref> This informal training allowed various congregations to train elders and evangelists. In 1994, the Meserete Kristos Church Bible Institute (MKCBI) was founded in order to provide biblical training to pastors, evangelists and leaders within [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="mkcbeginnings" /> In 1997, MKCBI was reorganized as the Meserete Kristos College.<ref name="mkcbeginnings" /> Today, Meserete Kristos College has been fundamental in addressing the constant need for church leadership as church membership continues to rapidly expand. According to the Meserete Kristos College website, they currently offer three programs: "A two-year Diploma in Bible and Christian Ministries in the Amharic Language, a two-year Advanced Diploma in Bible and Christian Ministries, and a four-year Baccalaureate Degree in Bible and Christian Ministries in the English Language."
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=== Important Individuals  ===
  
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=== Contemporary Trends  ===
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*Pastor Benedict Macebo - He is currently the pastor at Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church in South Johannesburg. Pastor Macebo has done a lot of work with the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA). He is an influential leader within the Anabaptist community, and has had success in creating connections within the different branches.
  
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In the last few years, Meserete Kristos Church has made some fundamental decisions centered around social issues. On October 6-7, 2006, the Meserete Kristos Church General Assembly voted in favor of allowing polygamous converts to become members within the church and to allow women to hold leadership positions.<ref name="ldie">Holly Blosser Yoder, "Landmark Decisions in Ethiopia,"''Mennonite Weekly Review 84,'' no. 46 (November 2006)</ref>
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=== Current Challenges  ===
  
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The first vote, a decision to allow polygamous converts to join MKC, marks a definitive stance for the church, as it seeks to find a representative standpoint on a continent where polygamous marriage is common. The Assembly came to the decision after discussion about the effects polygamous marriage would have on the church. Defending their stance, Assembly members stated that denying polygamous converts outright would place the divorced wives and children at risk.<ref name="ldie" /> It has been shown that divorcing multiple wives and children causes them suffering and increased susceptibility. Once a polygamous convert enters the church they are no longer allowed to marry additional wives. Monogamy still constitutes the underlying principle within MKC and any member who practices polygamous practices will have their membership revoked. After this decision, MKC hopes they will be able to improve their witness among polygamous sections of the populace, especially in Muslim areas.<ref name="ldie" />
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Probably the biggest problem of the Brethren in Christ Church is the capacity to finance all of the church programs. While the church continues to grow at a very good pace, many of the members are unemployed and do not help the church financially. While the church desires to plant 60 churches by 2014, they do not have enough money to develop a strong leadership program. Another issue within the church is the continued affects of apartheid. In this way, xenophobia within the church is sometimes a serious challenge. Some problems to mention would also be that tribalism is also felt in the church. Poverty is a constant frustration among members. The church is still at an infant stage, which is a challenge in itself. Crime is very prevalent in the South African society. Faith Healers also challenge the church as members are leaving the church in large numbers. One of the challenges facing the BIC Church in South Africa today is the growing numbers of youth in the church. While many churches would feel blessed to have such a young church, it can pose as a problem if the youth have not completely latched on to the Anabaptist ideals. This has come as a concern since the youth are the future of the church. A further challenge within the BIC branches is that there is a lack of knowledge about Anabaptism. The Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA) is an organization that is working to fix this, but hopefully the problem is not too big at this point.
  
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The second vote taken by the Meserete Kristos Church General Assembly marked the first time women were allowed to hold congressional office.<ref name="ldie" /> Before this point, women were discouraged from participating in leadership positions. There weren't any specific policies stating that leadership positions be filled by males, but tradition and order played a strong role in keeping females from attaining higher office within the church. The Assembly came to this decision after recognizing that women played a fundamental role and occupied leadership roles when the church operated underground during the 1970s and 80s. Women can now hold offices such as evangelist, teacher, pastor, deacon and elder.<ref name="ldie" />
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<br>
  
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== Important Individuals  ==
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<br>
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== MWC Global Gift Sharing Report (2005)  ==
 
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=== General Comments on the Workshop  ===
 
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This workshop, held on 20 January 2000 in Addis Ababa, overlapped with the church’s national conference. A group of 19 participants discussed at length the role of the church in helping members identify, develop and share their gifts. There was also considerable discussion about how the church can respond to the expansion of Islam in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian church is particularly gifted with a strong core of well-trained church and professional people.<ref name="ggsr">Pakisa Tshimika and Tim Lind, "Mennonite World Conference Global Gift Sharing Report" (Mennonite World Conference, 2005), 29-30.</ref>
 
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=== Highlights of the Inventory Process  ===
 
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The workshop noted that the MKC has choirs, writers, editors, evangelists and mission workers whose gifts could be shared. The MK College would welcome exchanges of students and teachers with other institutions. The church’s “One Year for Christ” program is a model for evangelism that can be shared.<ref name="ggsr" />
 
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== Electronic Resources  ==
 
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*Bedru, Hussein. "Contextualization of the Gospel Among the Oromo Tribe of the Eastern Wollega Region - The Meserete Kristos Church Experience" Mission Focus 10 (2002): 61-80.
 
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::[[Hussein, Bedru. Contextualization of the Gospel Among the Oromo Tribe of the Eastern Wollega Region - The Meserete Kristos Church Experience]]
 
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*Bedru, Hussein. "Polygamy-An Ethical Case Study" Mission Focus 10 (2002): 81-92.
 
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::[[Hussein, Bedru. Polygamy-An Ethical Case Study]]
 
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*Muktar, Bedru. "Non-formal Theological Education - The Meserete Kristos Church Experience' Mission Focus 5 (1997): 23-46.
 
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::[[Muktar, Bedru. Non-formal Theological Education - The Meserete Kristos Church Experience]]
 
  
 
== Annotated Bibliography  ==
 
== Annotated Bibliography  ==
  
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*Checole, Alemu. "Mennonite Churches in Eastern Africa." In ''A Global Mennonite History: Volume One, Africa,'' edited by John A. Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder, 191-253. Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2003.
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*"About ANiSA." The Anabaptist Network in South Africa. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. &lt;http://anisa.org.za/about&gt;. <br>
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::This chapter gives an overview of African religion in general and compares the Ethiopian Orthodox Church with a number of Ethiopian Mennonite churches. The Mennonite churches discussed in this book are from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Somalia. For each country, the author examines the history of the various churches within the country and how they have developed over the years.
 
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*Hege, Nathan B. ''Beyond Our Prayers.'' Scottdale: Herald Press, 1998.
 
  
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::This book details the founding and history of Meserete Kristos church, from the arrival of Mennonite missionaries in Ethiopia in 1948 up until the year when the book was written in 1998. Each chapter details a significant period in MKC history and covers such subjects as education, medicine, mission work and persecution, to name a few.
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::This website helps connect the Anabaptist churches in South Africa. The creators’ goal is to help define what it means to be Anabaptist in a South African context, and allows churches all around the country to have a common place to connect. Along with general information on Anabaptists, ANiSA has contact information for a couple Brethren in Christ churches in the country.
  
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*Launhardt, Johannes. ''Evangelicals in Addis Ababa (1919-1991).'' New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2004.
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*"Africa." Africa Summary. Mennonite World Conference, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. &lt;www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/files/Members%202009/Africa%20Summary.doc&gt;.
  
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::This book details the various evangelical institutions within Ethiopia. The section pertaining to Meserete Kristos Church spans pages 149-152. The Meserete Kristos church discusses the history of the church including the preceding period of Mennonite missionary activity.
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::This website directs the reader to a document that lists the different Anabaptist and Mennonite World Conference churches within Africa. The document lists the African countries in alphabetical order, with a list of each church in the pertaining country. Under the church’s name is the number of members and how many congregations exist within each church.
  
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*Muktar, Bedru H. "Non-formal Theological Education: The Meserete Kristos Church Experience." Mission Focus 5 (1997): 23-46.
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*"BICWM | International Flag Processional Script." Brethren in Christ Church. Brethren in Christ World Missions, 2000. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. &lt;http://www.bic-church.org/wm/global-impact/resources/script.asp&gt;.
  
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::This article seeks to illustrate the incredible growth rates Meserete Kristos Church has experienced throughout the last few decades and how they have implemented a non-formal theological education program in order to accommodate this growth and expansion. Not only are their education programs constantly reevaluated, but administrative structures are also reorganized to meet the growing needs of the church.
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::While the need for a processional script is unclear, this website provides a little information on when the Brethren in Christ church began. It also lists a few things that the church has been focusing on.
  
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*Shenk, Wilbert. "New Wineskins for New Wine: Toward a Post-Christendom Ecclesiology." ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research 29,'' no.2 (2005).
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*Checole, Alemu, et al. Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts. Ed. John Allen Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder. 3rd ed. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2006.
  
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::This article argues that Christians should follow the gospels but should not follow a pre-prescribed form of church. Churches should be created with the understanding that local culture should shape the structure and form of the church.
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::This is one of the most thorough books on Anabaptist history within the African context that I used during research. While it focuses on the whole continent, this book pays ample attention to the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Southern Africa. There was even a small section specifically on the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa. This was a primary source.
  
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*Yoder, Holly Blosser. "Landmark Decisions in Ethiopia." ''Mennonite Weekly Review 84,'' no. 46 (November 2006): 1.
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*Macebo, Benedict. "I Want to Know More About Your Church." E-mail interview. 10 Apr. 2011.
  
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::This article reports on the decisions Meserete Kristos Church made at their General Assembly concerning polygamous converts and women in leadership. They eventually decided to allow polygamous converts into the church and to allow women to occupy positions of leadership.
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::Benedict Macebo is the pastor at Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church in South Johannesburg. Through this interview Benedict presented his obvious and clear passion for the church, as well as provided some very direct and necessary information about the Brethren in Christ Church. He answered every question in the interview in full detail, delighted that someone was interested about his church. Benedict is a major leader within the South African Anabaptist community, and really knows his history but also where he wants to lead the church in the future. This was a primary source.
  
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== Archives and Libraries  ==
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*Suderman, Andrew. "Tell Me About the BIC Church." E-mail interview. 10 Apr. 2011.
  
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== External Links  ==
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::Andrew is one of the web developers for the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA). He knows a lot about the Anabaptist churches working within the country.
  
 
== Citations  ==
 
== Citations  ==
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== Acknowledgments  ==
 
== Acknowledgments  ==
  
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This information was compiled by Jacob Swartzentruber, working through the Maple Scholars Program at Goshen College in Goshen, IN.
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This information was compiled by Aspen Schmidt, working through the Anabaptist/Mennonite History course at Goshen College in Goshen, IN.

Revision as of 00:38, 19 April 2011

Grace Community Church
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South Africa: World Factbook, 2009[1]

Location

Philipstown, South Africa

Date Established

1990's

Presiding Officer

Leon Pula

MWC Affiliated?

Yes

Number of Congregations

7

Membership

1,023

The Brethren in Christ Church (BIC) is the primary Anabaptist-related group in South Africa. The Brethren in Christ congregation was established in South Africa in 1988 near the capital city of Pretoria. Currently the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa has over 764 members in thirteen different congregations.

Stories

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History

Origins

In 1897 the first Brethren in Christ missionaries left New York for Zimbabwe in late November. Since they arrived just two years after the end of the second war of resistance to white colonial rule, the missionaries were viewed by the nationals as having the same ideals and culture as the colonists. The missionaries soon proved themselves and eventually the Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church spread to Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. 
The Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa was established in 1988 near the capital city of Pretoria. The original congregation consisted of four different tribal groups that evangelized by hosting tent revival meetings and ministering in prisons and hospitals.
The pastor and organizer of this first church was Rev. Hamilton Madlabane. Anna Engle, who was a missionary working to translate scriptures, first introduced Madlabane to the Brethren in Christ Church. Madlabane then left for the United States and attended Messiah College. At college Madlabane met some Brethren in Christ friends who persuaded him to establish the BIC Church in South Africa. Until recently, Madlabane had been the leader of the Soshanguve Brethren in Christ Church for its entire existence. He has since died.
The second church created was the Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church, which is currently located in the Johannesburg area. This group was originally formed by expatriate Zimbabweans living in South Africa as refugees that wanted a support group for one another. This small support group eventually created the church, as early leaders, David Masuku and Patrick Sibanda, made efforts to gather everyone together to worship. Their efforts eventually were successful when on January 22, 1991 their first BIC service was held in the home of Buhle Ndlovu. More people began attending, and the church became a uniting of both South Africans and Zimbabweans. This church did not have an official pastor for the first two years of its existence, but eventually the first pastors of this church were Simon Sibanda and Francis Moyo.
Three months after the Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church began, Rev. Ndlovu, who was on the Zimbabwe NIC Executive Board, travelled to South Africa to introduce the two newly founded groups. This effort was unsuccessful, as their relationship did not work out well.

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  1. ↑ "South Africa," CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

Growth

After the church began in 1988, Bishop Jack Shenk and his wife Nancy played a vital role in providing the church structures that have helped the church to grow both numerically and administratively. Bishop Shenk is an individual that has been tasked by the Board of Missions in North American Brethren in Christ Church, and has a job to help the BIC Churches in the Southern African region as the Regional Administrator.
Like many other African churches, the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa expresses and values their culture by singing and dancing during worship services. Through song and dance this group is able to connect with others to build a larger community, which is a factor in why they are so diverse.
The youth make up a vast majority of the growth of the church. However, these youth have not made a logical connection to the Anabaptist faith, however, and so this creates questions of what the church’s identity will be in the future.

Contemporary Trends

Currently the BIC church has branches in the following places: Freedom Park, Eersterus, Johannesburg South, Yeoville, Krugersdorp, Tembisa, Cosmo City, Ivory Park, Tsakane, Cape Town, and Pretoria. These branches have recently been given a General Conference status by the international Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA).
Lately, Zimbabweans have been making efforts to nurture the Hillbrow group. The Zimbabwe Brethren in Christ Church sent Pastor Benedict Macebo to help strengthen their newly formed sister church.
Recently, efforts have been made to build relations with other Anabaptist churches, including Grace Community Church in Philipstown, South Africa.

Identifying as Anabaptist

The church has committed itself to a message of compassion, peace, and reconciliation. Members in the Brethren in Christ church do not participate in wars. Learning to lead a separate lifestyle from that of the world is encouraged and necessary as an Anabaptist in this church. The church also puts a lot of emphasis on living simply, and forgiveness is a core part of their teaching.

Important Individuals

  • Pastor Benedict Macebo - He is currently the pastor at Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church in South Johannesburg. Pastor Macebo has done a lot of work with the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA). He is an influential leader within the Anabaptist community, and has had success in creating connections within the different branches.

Current Challenges

Probably the biggest problem of the Brethren in Christ Church is the capacity to finance all of the church programs. While the church continues to grow at a very good pace, many of the members are unemployed and do not help the church financially. While the church desires to plant 60 churches by 2014, they do not have enough money to develop a strong leadership program. Another issue within the church is the continued affects of apartheid. In this way, xenophobia within the church is sometimes a serious challenge. Some problems to mention would also be that tribalism is also felt in the church. Poverty is a constant frustration among members. The church is still at an infant stage, which is a challenge in itself. Crime is very prevalent in the South African society. Faith Healers also challenge the church as members are leaving the church in large numbers. One of the challenges facing the BIC Church in South Africa today is the growing numbers of youth in the church. While many churches would feel blessed to have such a young church, it can pose as a problem if the youth have not completely latched on to the Anabaptist ideals. This has come as a concern since the youth are the future of the church. A further challenge within the BIC branches is that there is a lack of knowledge about Anabaptism. The Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA) is an organization that is working to fix this, but hopefully the problem is not too big at this point.



Annotated Bibliography

This website helps connect the Anabaptist churches in South Africa. The creators’ goal is to help define what it means to be Anabaptist in a South African context, and allows churches all around the country to have a common place to connect. Along with general information on Anabaptists, ANiSA has contact information for a couple Brethren in Christ churches in the country.
  • "Africa." Africa Summary. Mennonite World Conference, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. <www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/files/Members%202009/Africa%20Summary.doc>.
This website directs the reader to a document that lists the different Anabaptist and Mennonite World Conference churches within Africa. The document lists the African countries in alphabetical order, with a list of each church in the pertaining country. Under the church’s name is the number of members and how many congregations exist within each church.
While the need for a processional script is unclear, this website provides a little information on when the Brethren in Christ church began. It also lists a few things that the church has been focusing on.
  • Checole, Alemu, et al. Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts. Ed. John Allen Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder. 3rd ed. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2006.
This is one of the most thorough books on Anabaptist history within the African context that I used during research. While it focuses on the whole continent, this book pays ample attention to the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Southern Africa. There was even a small section specifically on the Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa. This was a primary source.
  • Macebo, Benedict. "I Want to Know More About Your Church." E-mail interview. 10 Apr. 2011.
Benedict Macebo is the pastor at Hillbrow Brethren in Christ Church in South Johannesburg. Through this interview Benedict presented his obvious and clear passion for the church, as well as provided some very direct and necessary information about the Brethren in Christ Church. He answered every question in the interview in full detail, delighted that someone was interested about his church. Benedict is a major leader within the South African Anabaptist community, and really knows his history but also where he wants to lead the church in the future. This was a primary source.
  • Suderman, Andrew. "Tell Me About the BIC Church." E-mail interview. 10 Apr. 2011.
Andrew is one of the web developers for the Anabaptist Network in South Africa (ANiSA). He knows a lot about the Anabaptist churches working within the country.

Citations


Acknowledgments

This information was compiled by Aspen Schmidt, working through the Anabaptist/Mennonite History course at Goshen College in Goshen, IN.

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