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The Activities of the London Mission Society.
The LMS made efforts to make disciples in the western part of Mashonaland. On the other hand, the mission to the Ndebele people was set up in 1859 by Robert Moffat. He had previously worked among the Botswana people from 1821 to 1830 in addition to the several years spent in Kuruman in South Africa (Musodza A, 2008: 38). Moffat, therefore, was fairly accustomed to people of color and their traditions. He was the one who persuaded his son inlaw David Livingstone to come out to Africa in 1840. Moffat obtained a farm at Inyati from Mzilikazi and he team stayed among the Ndebele people with his team madding frantic efforts to evangelize and convert them, yet their efforts could not bear any fruits. It could appear that the Ndebele people were destined to remain adamant and remain closely soaked in the religion of their ancestors (Ibid, 2008: 38). On the other hand, their King Mzilikazi seemed to have given these missionaries space but without sufficient opportunities to convert his people. He was known to have put in place a mechanism to deal with those people who could give these missionaries an ear to their evangelization efforts (ibid, 2008: 38). It was within this context that Hildebrandt (1981) was right to say that “for thirty years the LMS, labored in Rhodesia without very many people making decisions for Christ,” (Hiderbrandt, 1981: 176). Given this scenario and the warlike nature of the Ndebele King, certainly no meaningful progress could be made in this part of the mission field and so Robert Moffat and his team continued to stay hoping that one day a miracle would happen and a bumper harvest could be realized (Musodza, 2008: 39). Sadly as noted by Isichei, “one of the four pioneers Sykes stayed there until he died in 1887, and never won a single convert”(Isichei E, 1995: 114). Considering the time frame suggested by Hildebrandt above, thirty years is certainly a long time to labor in vain. The stumbling blocks seemed to have been too insurmountable and so one can therefore understand why most missionaries later on welcomed the overthrow of the Ndebele Kingdom (Hilderbrandt, 1981: 176). This Kingdom seemed to have been a serious impediment to the missionary enterprise in Zimbabwe as a whole and in Matabeleland in particular. Whereas the LMS was laboring in vain in the western part of the country the Anglican Church from the CPSA, was also beginning to take interest in the land north of the Limpopo River, particularly the eastern part (Musodza, 2008: 39). This interest was shown through the religious ‘trek’ to the north which was initiated by Rev. William Greenstock, a priest from the Diocese of Grahamstown in South Africa. He made plans to travel to Mashonaland in 1874. According to records kept in the Cory Library at Rhodes University, Rev. William Greenstock was working in the Diocese of Grahamstown, where he had founded St Matthew’s Mission at Keiskammahoek close to King William’s Town, with twenty five years’ experience as a missionary, and knowledge of the Zulu language (Greenstock W, undated letter, MS16727/1). The background to this pioneering visit by Rev William Greenstock was that he had worked hard and deserved to go on furlough. Instead of sailing back to England which was done by his contemporaries he opted to spend that time in that land north of the Limpopo, and utilize it in establishing the possibility of opening a mission there. He therefore, resolved on this undertaking although he did not have the means and resources to do so. Since this was a missionary journey, aimed at spreading the Gospel, he turned to SPG for assistance (Musodza A, 2008: 39).
Martyrdom and Identity.
According to Latourette (2000: 81), the Christian church experienced persecution under the hands of Roman authorities, in its first three centuries. The experience of suffering and deaths resulted in making martyrs and apologists, would have significant historical and theological consequences for the development of the Christian faith. The persecution of Christians created the canonization of the cult of the saints and martyrs. It facilitated the rapid growth and spread of Christianity and also prompted defenses and explanations of Christianity in apologies, let alone raised fundamental questions about the character of the church (Latourette, 2000: 81).
The reasons for persecuting Christians rose from the hatred. It also rose from a Roman philosophy and belief that proper piety to the Roman gods helped to sustain the well-being of the cities and their people. Persecution was also heavily motivated by the pagan sense that bad things will happen if the gods are not respected and worshiped properly, though much of the Roman religion was utilitarian the Roman believed that the neglect of the old gods who had made Rome strong was responsible for the disasters which were overtaking the Mediterranean world (Latourette, 2000: 82). It must be mentioned that this religious thinking rose again in the fifth century, when the destruction of Rome caused many to worry that the gods were angry at the Empire’s turn to Christianity. In addition, Christians were distrusted in part because of the secret and misunderstood nature of their worship. Christian phrases like ‘love feast’ and talk of eating Christ’s flesh sounded understandably suspicious to the Graeco – Romans. They suspected of cannibalism, incest, orgies, and all sorts of immorality (Latourette, 2000:82). Lebreton J. and Zeiller J (1994: 315), confirmed some of the charges levelled against Christians were sacrilege-violation of the sacred, lse majeste refusal to take part in the cult of the Emperor’s Divinity and crimes against common law like magic, incest or infanticide. A special legislature was the put in place – Christianos esse non licet, which meant that professing Christianity was forbidden. Therefore, the very name Christian was forbidden and condemned.
Chapter one: General history of the study
1. Introduction
2. Area of investigatio
3. Problem statement
4. Justification of the study
5. Point of departure
6. Objectives of the study
7. Research methodology
1. The historical approach
2. The comparative approach
3. The socio – anthropological approach
4. The theological approach
5. The phenomenological approach
6. The political approach
8. The research gap of the investigation
9. The Theoretical framework: The post- Colonial Theory
10. Literature review
1. Primary sources
2. Secondary sources
11. The religious background of Bernard Mzeki
12. Conclusion
13. Chapter outline
Chapter two: Formative history of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Formation of the Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland
2.3 The pioneer column and its chaplains
2.4 The Diocesan synod of Bloemfontein
2.5 The Provincial synod of CPSA (1891)
2.6 The new Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland
2.7 Bishop Knight Bruce heading to the new Diocese of Mashonaland
2.8 Political and socio – religious context of Mashonaland during the formative period
2.9 The historical life of Bernard Mzeki
2.10 Conclusion
Chapter Three: Martyrdom as precursor to the analysing of the death of Bernard Mzeki
3.1 Introduction
3.2 An Exploration of martyrdom and its early use
3.3 The semantics of martyrdom
3.4 Martyrdom and identity
3.5 Misconceptions regarding martyrdom
3.6 Criterion for martyrdom
3.7 Canonization of saints and martyrs
3.8 Importance of martyrdom in the early Christian Church
3.9 Anglican conceptualization of martyrdom
3.10 Anglican Christian martyrs in Anglican historiography
3.11 Conclusion
Chapter Four: Presentation of Secondary data findings on Bernard Mzeki’s ministry, identity, martyrdom, commemoration and influence
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The arrival of Bernard Mzeki in Mangwende Village
4.3 Missionary work in Mangwende Village
4.4 The characteristics of Bernard Mzeki: The Teacher
4.5 Other characteristics of Bernard Mzeki
4.6 The mysterious death of Bernard Mzeki
4.7 The climax of the mysterious death event of Bernard Mzeki
4.8 Commemoration of Bernard Mzeki
4.9 Lectionary recognition of Bernard Mzeki’s martyrdom
4.10 Conferment of martyrdom on Bernard Mzeki
4.11 The Bernard Mzeki’s shrine as a tourist attraction
4.12 Conclusion
Chapter five: Presentation of primary data findings on Mzeki’s Ministry, identity, Martyrdom, commemoration and influence
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Analysis of the findings from the questionnaires respondents
5.3 Findings from interviews from keys informants
5.4 Factors that contributed to Bernard Mzeki’s death
5.5 The mystery of Bernard Mzeki’s death
5.6 The martyrdom of Bernard Mzeki
5.7 Commemoration and significance of Bernard Mzeki’s shrine
5.8 The influence of Bernard Mzeki in the Anglican Church
5.9 Conclusion
Chapter six: Critical Analysis of primary and secondary data on Bernard Mzeki’s ministry, identity, martyrdom, commemoration and influence
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Early life history of Bernard Mzeki
6.3 Ministry work of Bernard Mzeki in Mangwende Village
6.4 Analysis on factors that contributed to Mzeki’s death
6.5 The critical analysis of the mystery of Bernard Mzeki’s death
6.6 The critical analysis of the martyrdom of Bernard Mzeki
6.7 The conferment of Bernard Mzeki
6.8. Commemoration and significance of Bernard Mzeki shrine
6.9 The influence of Bernard Mzeki in the Anglican Church
6.10 Conclusion
Chapter Seven: Conclusion and recommendations
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Conclusion
7.3 Recommendations
