Experiencing the Methodist Church Across South Africa

I just got back from a few days exploring other parts of South Africa, and what a joy to be received by Methodist Churches across the country! In Johannesburg, I met up with Shirley, who I became friends with during our first few days at Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary (see my first post for more about that.) Shirley was preaching on the Sunday I was in town, so, I got to hear her preach a wonderful sermon on Naboth’s vineyard in her home church of Pimville Methodist in Soweto. Preaching in English and Sesotho, with translation into Xhosa, she shared a message of the need for Christians to say “We are not for sale.” She reminded us not to give in to greed, but to remember we are made in God’s image. Shirley and Vuyikaso, another seminarian from SMMS, also showed us some of the historic places in Soweto, including a memorial museum to the 16 June 1976 youth protests. (me, Vuyikaso, Shirley and Ryan and I are pictured there at right) And Shirley’s mom cooked us one of the best meals I’ve had here in South Africa!

I also spent a couple days in Cape Town, where I visited Central Methodist Mission, where Alan Storey is pastor. Although he was away, I met Ivan Millwood (see picture above) who shared about the history and current mission projects of CMM as well as of Buitenkant Methodist. Buitenkant, just a few blocks away in the famous District 6 (whose museum it now houses), was the church for the people who were categorized as “coloured.” Ivan was a member there before moving to CMM when the two churches merged a few years ago and spoke about some of the tense times and various protests and demonstrations in which he and other church members had participated. Throughout both of these visits, it was a great privilege to hear about events I’ve read about from people who lived through them. I’ve also been re-reading With God in The Crucible (by Peter Storey) which has sermons that speak about each of these places, and it has been powerful to experience these places and to think of his powerful words of hope spoken during some of their more grim history. What a prophetic witness he offered—I am amazed at the truth of the Gospel that rang through and the way God’s kingdom is continuing to unfold, just as he said.