At the beginning of this year, two of our ministers set out on a visit to the Church’s mission in Rhodesia. A period of four years had elapsed since the previous visit had taken place and the work of the mission in this time had steadily advanced; it was also felt that the ties with the home church might be strengthened and members of the mission staff labouring in the foreign field might find encouragement in having among them some of their brethren from the home church. We read in the Book of Acts of Paul proposing to Barnabas that they visit again the scenes of their labours in their first great missionary tour. “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord and see how they do” — Acts 15:26. It is interesting to read that the second great missionary journey was highly successful and was particularly notable for the striking incidents in the town of Philippi where Lydia’s heart was opened to receive the Word of life and the Philippian jailor underwent the terrifying experiences which led to his conversion to Christ. It was here also that the call from Macedonia was heard by Paul and the Gospel introduced into Europe. It may be thought that because missionaries today enjoy many of the advantages of civilised life on the mission field they do not suffer the trials and hardships of the early church, but nevertheless mission work abroad today still calls for sacrifices and the exercise of self-denial as in the past. A visit from deputies from the home church may bring the necessary sympathy and fellowship which they sometimes need in order to confirm them in their own faith and to encourage them in their exacting labours. Accordingly, at the end of January this year, Revs. John MacLeod, Stornoway and A. F. MacKay, Inverness, arrived at Bulawayo to begin the first stage of their three months’ visit to our Rhodesian Mission field.
Bulawayo has only recently enjoyed the ministry of a resident minister of the church, for unlike the older mission stations in other parts of the mission field which have developed over the past 60 years, the Bulawayo congregation is of recent growth, made up of young people who have passed out of our mission schools and families of our people who have moved to Bulawayo in search of work and here have made their homes. The congregation, therefore, is at the stage of organising the people under their own office-bearers and building a church in which to worship.
Rev. D. Ross who came out from Scotland about two years ago has settled down in the manse purchased for the congregation and is engaged in erecting his church in an African location from which many of the congregation will be drawn. The site chosen is most suitable and the area large enough to accommodate as well a manse, if thought necessary, with garden and car park. The building should be ready this year, God willing, and the plans provide for a commodious, strongly constructed church, able to seat 200 people.
We accompanied the minister on his pastoral work, assisting him in conducting short gospel services in the open air in the little yard before the open door of the home of some one of our families. Some African houses consist of one large room, opening on to the street, and in many cases kept scrupulously clean and tidy. Little children quickly gathered from the neighbourhood to join their elders, curious to know what was going on but nevertheless surprisingly attentive to hear. After a simple affectionate address on a Gospel subject such as the Prodigal Son, or the visit of Nicodemus to Christ, or the raising of the serpent in the wilderness, conveying the salvation of Christ and its priceless blessings, a few questions were asked. Now and again a youth would give clear and correct answers, perhaps in the very words of scripture, which soon elicited the fact that he had been trained at one of our mission schools — witness to the careful and faithful instruction of our mission teachers. A short leaflet in Zindebele was then handed round and the large pack brought for the purpose soon disappeared.
We were taken around an African market in the African location of the city where fruit, clothing and other stalls displayed their wares, by Mr Jan van Woerden who seemed to be well known among the people who frequented the Market, no doubt from his former visits. We noticed among the others the stall of a witch doctor who had bottles of various mixtures and coloured substances, the stock in trade of his business, on the table before him and a large group of men stood around him. The African loves talk and discussion on almost any subject for which there is always abundance of time, and this man was no exception. He listened to our remarks and tried to offer some defence of his claims and statements, but the belief in ancestral spirits is deep rooted in the people and on the superstitious undefined fears, these shrewd men find fertile soil on which to practice their arts. The men standing around him gave noisy approval to all that he had to say. Superstition is still very strong in these African districts which remain largely untouched by the Gospel.
We moved on to a large piece of ground, set apart for a beer park where men and women sat around in groups and at tables, drinking their vile beer.
We distributed gospel leaflets in Zindebele at the gate as the people came out. The two great evils which have always confronted our early missionaries who laboured in Rhodesia have been witchcraft and beer drinking, giving them their greatest problems in dealing with the people. Those in our mission field have been delivered from these gross sins but even after years of religious instruction, and at times even of religious profession, lapses do occur although they are mercifully very few where Christian profession is given up in favour of the heathenish superstitions of their fathers. When the Ephesian believers embraced the Gospel, they burned their books “on curious arts” in the market, “so mightily grew the word and prevailed” — Acts 19:19; and the Apostle reminds the Thessalonians that when the Gospel came among them with power “ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come” — I Thessalonians 1:9 & 10. In the midst of these dark districts, the Gospel is sorely needed to clean out these strongholds of heathenish worship and practice and to deliver the people from their depraved lives to “turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” May the Lord hasten this day of the Gospel in His own time.
Bulawayo with a large African population on its outskirts crowding into steadily widening locations or districts — it is calculated that there are more Africans living in these suburbs than the total population of whites in the whole of Rhodesia — is a modern, sprawling city of broad streets and tree-lined boulevards; Cecil Rhodes, the founder of this country, laid down the condition that the city’s streets should be broad enough for a cart and team of 7 yoke of oxen to turn round in. The appearance of prosperity is everywhere, large well-stocked shops, successful business houses, trading centres such as one might expect to find in a large, bustling modern city. This pleasing aspect which meets the visitor’s eye, however, is belied by the moral and spiritual state of the country. The Sabbath has become a day for sport, the playing fields and bowling greens are thrown open and are packed by thousands who have come to watch well known teams competing with one another. State Lotteries are advertised in prominent places throughout the city and every inducement given to the gambling instinct of the public to take part in this demoralising traffic. Beer drinking is widespread among the Africans who can buy large plastic containers of a cheap type of beer at very low prices. The sad feature of the drink traffic is that it is countenanced and sponsored by the Government who reap a handsome revenue from the drink tax. There is naturally great reluctance to curb the sale of drink which is justified by the authorities on the ground that the income is necessary to provide recreational, social and even educational centres as well as the needed facilities to aid the poorer classes in the community. In face of these social and moral evils, the Churches and ministers of the Gospel exercise little influence since the corrupting and insidious power of infidel Modernism and compromise with Romish superstition have left the professing church powerless. Any hope of reformation must come from some other quarter. How great is the need of this fine city of a true revival of religion which alone can arrest the moral and spiritual declension which is apparent everywhere and bring salvation from sin and its terrible fruits.
The date of our arrival came at an interesting time in the affairs of Rhodesia. The country had just got over its celebration of Independence Day on 11th November, which marks the tenth anniversary of the declaration of Rhodesia’s severance of her ties with Britain, known as U.D.I., the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. The Prime Minister, Mr Ian Smith, delivered a very optimistic speech in which he justified Rhodesia’s action in declaring independence of Britain and recounting the country’s achievements during these ten years which are certainly impressive. The present war in Angola which lies to the north-west of Rhodesia drew from the Prime Minister an important speech which on this occasion took on a serious and sombre tone, in which he warned his countrymen that a fateful and trying time lay ahead of the nation. Russian atheistical communism had come in from the East, and with its heavy armour and tanks had crushed all opposition to the Angolan marxist MPLA party which she has put into power and she has now a foothold in the African Continent. Her aim is to destroy in Africa the countries of the free world and to suppress all religious liberty, the preaching of the Gospel and expression of free opinion.
Rhodesia needs the prayers of the Lord’s people that the Lord would turn this nation in repentance to Christ and revive among the churches throughout the country the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation to the people. That the Prime Minister is fully aware of the solemn position of the country was seen in the conclusion of his broadcast speech when he made reference to the Most High and the nation’s need of divine aid. The intervention of Russia in Angolan affairs ought to awaken an urgent sense of the dangers which now threaten this country. A member of the Rhodesian Government commented recently on the serious position of Rhodesia and the whole African Continent by referring to the words of Lenin that the way to Paris and London lay through the African Continent.
Our people in the home church should pray to the Most High that the Mission work out here would be preserved from interruption and that all would be preserved from danger; that the Lord would bless the labours of the staff and deputies during their visit to Rhodesia, that the knowledge of the Gospel would spread throughout the dark parts of the Continent and that the Redeemer’s Kingdom would spread and be enlarged to embrace the whole earth.
A.F.M.