Reformed Church in Zimbabwe

Masvingo

The beginnings of the indigenous Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) date back to the founding of a “Synod for the Shona Reformed Church” in 1952 with an initial 20,0000 communicant members. The name was later changed to “African Reformed Church (AFC).”

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) withdrew the majority of its missionary staff from Southern Rhodesia in the late 1970’s because of security concerns during the “War of Liberation”/”Bush war.” On 4 May 1977, after the signing of a Deed of Agreement, all the DRC’s mission work and properties were officially handed over to the African Reformed Church (ARC), which had grown into a full-fledged autonomous indigenous church.

The name was changed to the “Reformed Church in Zimbabwe” following Zimbabwean independence in April 1980. Today the RCZ consists of 18 presbyteries, more than 49 congregations and approximately 100,000 communicants.

References

A History of the Dutch Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (dissertation) – Shirley Frances Pretorius
African intermediaries: African evangelists, the Dutch Reformed Church, and the Evangelisation of the southern Shona in the late 19^th century” – Joseph Mujere
Lay Leadership Development in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (dissertation) – Rangarirai Rutoro,
The Binga Outreach: The Contextualisation of Mission in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (dissertation) – Christopher Munikwa.

Contributors

James Gavin
Mark Loomis