A Century of Methodism in Zimbabwe

1891–1991

Canaan Banana

Methodist Church in Zimbabwe
Harare
1991
English
Paperback
234 pages

The book is out of print.

Synopsis

A Century of Methodism in Zimbabwe is a welcome addition to our somewhat slow-growing literature on the church in Zimbabwe. It aims at documenting 'the contribution of the Methodist Church to the spiritual and the material development of the people of God in Zimbabwe.' Short as it is, this history of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe covers a wide range of topics including the church's confrontation with Ndebele and Shona traditional culture, its leading personalities from the missionary era to the present, its efforts at educating Africans, some of its dilemmas during the turmoil of the liberation struggle, its theology, and its vision for the future

Review

This book contains a tremendous amount of information on the Methodist Church's official policies regarding the provision of education and health services to the African population of Zimbabwe, its view of African culture, its organizations and evangelist movements, its role in colonial politics and in the liberation struggle, its future programmes, and so on. - Ngwabi Bhebe, Zambezia

Author

Rev Canaan Sodindo Banana was the first President of the Republic of Zimbabwe (1980 - 87). He trained as a teacher and was also ordained a Methodist minister in 1966. He died in 2003.