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The Birth of the IPM
The birth of the IPM goes back to 1880 when Yosefa Mhalamhala went to Mozambique in search of his family members who had been scattered by the war between Mawewe and Muzila. While in Maputo, he invited all those he met to listen to the gospel and to pray (Junod 1933: 103; Butselaar 1987: 36; Cruz e Silva 2001: 40; Harries 2007: 69).
The stories of the Bible impressed his listeners to such an extent that when he returned to Spelonken, South Africa, he shared his experiences in his Sunday worship. This experience greatly impressed the missionary Ernest Creux, who was present at the above worship (Junod 1933: 104; Butselaar 1987: 36- 38) Ernest Creux and Paul Berthoud are acknowledged as being the pioneers of Swiss missionary work in South Africa and Mozambique (Junod 1933: 52; BMS 1886/87: 4-7; Shimati 1954: 5; Butselaar 1987: 23, 31; Biber 1987: 19-20; Maluleke 1995: 19; Harries 2007: 21; Gil 2008: 45) According to Nwandula, in 1869 Creux and Berthoud offered themselves to their church, the Free Church of the Canton de Vaud in Switzerland, to establish a foreign mission. After due consideration, the Synod of their church accepted their offer and the Mission of the Church of Vaud (Mission Vaudoise) was inaugurated (Nwandula 1998: 44).
In 1872, Creux and Berthoud departed to Lesotho under the auspices of the PEMS (Paris Evangelical Missionary Society) where they spent three years. In 1875 they left Lesotho for the North Eastern Transvaal. They arrived in the Zoutpansberg, at an area that the local Afrikaners referred to as Spelonken (caves), they began their mission work. They called the new station „Valdezia‟ in honor to their country Vaud (Ibid: 44; Shimati 1954:6) Therefore, people from four countries with different cultures, (Switzerland, Lesotho, South Africa and Mozambique) came together for the sake of evangelization.
Yosefa Mhalamhala who started the evangelization of the Mozambicans in Delagoa Bay (later Maputo), was converted by a Sotho evangelist named Bethuel. He joined Valdezia in 1878, and was immediately baptized and married. As already mentioned, in 1880 he went to Mozambique. When he returned to Spelonken, he shared the news concerning the conversions made in Delagoa Bay. His report impressed the missionary Ernest Creux.
CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER FOUR AUTONOMY OF THE IPM – DREAM OR REALITY?
CHAPTER FIVE THERAPEUTIC MODEL OF HEALING
CHAPTER SIX FINAL REFLECTION ON THE STUDY
