Delegation sees hope in Zimbabwe crisis

Robert Mugabe’s hold on Zimbabwe has led to overwhelming shortages of food, water, and fuel, power outages, inflation from 5,000–7,000 percent, record unemployment, and low salaries.

Despite the crisis, Zimbabwe’s Brethren in Christ Church (BIC) is alive and strong, an international Mennonite World Conference (MWC) delegation observed Aug. 17–26.

The eight-member “Koinonia delegation” described BIC as resilient, wise, hard-working, joyful, and full of patience and grace. “We are surviving,” they said.

Zimbabwe: how long of a wait? Photo: Barbara Kaercher

“There is a sense that all of life is in suspension, but still there is hope,” said delegate Yvonne Snider Nighswander.

The visitors saw long lines of people waiting their turn to get water and buy food staples, with no guarantee there would be anything available at the end of their wait. Many store shelves were bare or had only a few items for sale, but owners kept doors open so they wouldn’t lose their vendor’s licenses. Some families hadn’t eaten for three days.

The church’s annual conference – attended by some 3,600 people Aug. 22–26, was a model of hope in a land where many choose between paying for transportation or buying food for the family.

“I have seen small changes in the past,” said delegation leader Pakisa Tshimika, “but the socio-economic consequences of government decisions in the past few months were worse than any of us anticipated.”

Delegation members visited the Mtshabezi mission, one of the largest BIC missions in Zimbabwe. It has a hospital, teen mission, Bible school for about 45 adults, a 600-student primary school, and 1,000 secondary school students, 900 of whom are boarding from all over the country. Schools were scheduled to open the first week of September, but parents and teachers didn’t know how they would feed the students.

“In the oppression we are in, where our dreams for our children have crumbled and families are lost, we must vow to draw closer to God who is our hope and our peace,” said MWC president-elect and BIC bishop, Danisa Ndlovu.

The resilience of the people generated much discussion among delegation members, who also saw a nagging fear among some. The 1980s killing of 23,000 Zimbabweans by the government remains fresh in the people’s collective memory.

“We are overwhelmed by your coming,” said one pastor. “It strengthens our resolve to minister.” The Koinonia delegation presented the church with a gift of $15,000.

“MWC is determined to provide channels for the global church to respond to the Zimbabwean church in specific and concrete ways and will give further information as soon as possibilities are in place,” said MWC general secretary Larry Miller.

—Ferne Burkhardt for MWC