Visit to Umtwalume, September 14, 2008

From our e-mail to Union Congregational Church, East Walpole, reporting on our visit to Umtwalume Congregational Church, UCCSA::

Sanibona, East Walpole!

As we’ve noted before, we are in a catch-as-catch-can internet access environment for our few weeks here in KZN, so will keep this relatively brief. We’ll provide more in the way of pictures and such after we’re back in the US with better facilities and communications than we’ve established here for this brief visit, but we wanted quickly to report to you that we worshipped at the Umtwalume Circuit’s central branch, the original mission church, on Sunday.

It turned out to be a usually lengthy service for a rural church here, not quite three hours. During this time, we were afforded the opportunity to bring greetings and some words of witness, and to extend greetings from their brothers and sisters at Union. This was not a circuit-wide service, and Rev. Myeza was absent as he was committed to delivering the sermon at an outstation branch, but he was represented by Mrs. Myeza.

Nonhlanhla was most gracious in speaking of her ongoing conversations with Nancy Humphrey, the growth of their knowledge of and interest in their friends in the church overseas, and how she and the members at Umtwalume had through that channel heard of our difficulties over the past year and had prayed for us.

We were given an early opportunity to speak, and we explained that we hadn’t been sure we’d be able to come to Umtwalume during this visit, but when Nancy had passed on to us Nonhlanhla’s hope that we’d be doing so, and Union’s interest as well, we of course needed to try especially. And so beyond the joy of our being permitted to make the trip to KZN this year, we had the special joy of being at Umtwalume – it was truly a celebration of the goodness of God.

Jan read the co-pastors’ letter to the Umtwalume Congregational Church and its members. Printed copies of the letter (to which we’d taken the liberty of adding a photo of the Union church’s building) were handed to Mary Gumede as church Secretary (elected officer position) with the request and recommendation that it be posted for all to see, and passed on to the branch secretaries for the other churches of the circuit with the hope that it would be read out (as is done at each service with announcements and communications) also in those churches. Perhaps this would help spur the interest in extending the awareness of the East Walpole relationship beyond the main branch that has been most involved to date.

We took the opportunity also to present a small gift from us for Nonhlanhla as ‘Mother of the Church,’ an apron with some indication of the part of Massachusetts we were from – apples adorned it. She appeared disproportionately delighted.

As we have done at each of the churches during this visit, we took the opportunity to speak of how the prayers of this and other churches here have given us strength through the recent troubles. We were here, we were so glad to be here, to thank them and with them to celebrate this unexpected moment with friends of the one church.

This Sunday was an Amabutho service, to be led by members of the Soldiers of Christ organization. While it is often spoken of as the primary men’s organization in the Zulu churches of the UCCSA, it is often the case that most of the members and often the leaders of a local chapter of Amabutho are women. And so on this day the khaki uniforms at the front table were those of Mary Gumede and two other women. The service has singing of hymns, scripture readings and reflections by each of the three, and offerings, and choruses. This day there was also special music by a talented male quartet, who sang two numbers. (We also have some video and some audio recordings from the day which we’ll endeavor to put together for you after we’re back in the States.)

Towards the end of the service, there was an item on the agenda which is a bit unique perhaps, though understandable as a necessary element of church life where the minister serves a large circuit. There was a colloquy in isiZulu which, we were told, concerned reaching agreement on who among the deacons would be preaching the next Sunday. Perhaps this sort of negotiation takes place amongst the co-pastors at Union; imagine it taking place in open church, amongst the members of your church council!

After the service, we received a light lunch to help us on our way while the deacons held a business meeting close by, and then we headed back up the dusty sugarcane roads towards the route back to the seaside and northward the hour and a half back to Durban. We were so pleased to have been here at Umtwalume. The singing was, as always, to warm the soul. It penetrates deep, and strengthens. It is good to have come, if only for a short while, to such another church home.

We can extend special greetings from Nonhlanhla Myeza to her good friend Nancy.

And our greetings, and those of your friends at Umtwalume, to all at East Walpole. – Jan and Ruthann.

Ibandla lami linge lakho / My church is your church
Ruthann and Jan Tore Hall