AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PROCESS OF INDIGENISATION IN THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF MASHONALAND [1891 – 1981], WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE MINISTRY OF INDIGENOUS CHRISTIANS By ARCHFORD MUSODZA submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject CHURCH HISTORY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF. P. H. GUNDANI NOVEMBER 2008 ABSTARCT Indigenisation is a complex phenomenon that has vexed many a theologian. In this study we have taken it to involve a process of making the local people ‘feel at home’ in their Church. It is an undeniable fact that most mainline Churches were brought in from other countries as such they came with the language, culture and garb of their ‘messengers’. In the context of the Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland, it was Bishop George Wydham Hamilton Knight-Bruce, Bishop of the Diocese of Bloemfontein in South Africa, who brought the Anglican Church to Mashonaland in 1891. Bishop George Wydham Hamilton Knight-Bruce was a British citizen, who had come to South Africa upon his appointment and consecration as Bishop of Bloemfontein in 1886. Although Bishop Knight-Bruce recruited some catechists from South Africa, it can be argued that the ‘messengers’ who brought the Anglican Church to Mashonaland, where of a European persuasion, as such the Gospel was brought in its European garb. Indigenisation therefore had to take the form of making the local people in Mashonaland feel that they could be Christians without first having to divest themselves from their culture by becoming European. It meant that they had to read the Bible in their own language, engage in divine worship in their own language, and have their own people ordained as clergy. It also meant that they had to worship God using their traditional music, as well as musical instruments. It also meant using indigenous architecture in building their Church buildings and use indigenous art in decorating these churches. Indigenisation also meant that the leadership of the church had to adapt to the local traditional leadership style like that of the Chief who was a symbol of order and authority in the local community. Indigenisation also had to take cognisance of liturgical gestures, liturgical vestments as well as the laws governing the Church. With the Indigenous local authority vested in the local chief the Anglican Church should have adapted its Acts and Constitutions along side the local legal system as expressed in the kinship system. On the whole indigenisation meant ‘self governance, self propagation and self financing. This study seeks to establish if there was a process to make the Anglican Diocese of Mashonaland self-governing, self-propagating as well as self-financing. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my most profound gratitude to the following people and organisations, without whom and without which, this research would not have been successful. Firstly I wish to thank my wife, Victoria and our two lovely daughters Fadzai and Farai, without whose love, support and encouragement I would not have been able to complete this study. Secondly I wish to thank Prof. P. H. Gundani, [my promoter] whose academic prowess and articulate guidance gave me hope and strength to focus and work hard in gathering information and finally putting this thesis together. Prof. Gundani is a real role model imbued with selfless dedication, academic excellence and professionalism. It has been a real blessing to have him as my supervisor and I wish him many more years of academic excellence. In addition to that I wish to express my gratitude to all the various people who supported me in this research in various ways, The Very Rev’d Canon Livingstone Ngewu, former Rector of the College of the Transfiguration [Grahamstown, RSA]. He always allowed me to be away from my teaching responsibilities in order to travel to Zimbabwe for research. In the same vein The Rt. Rev’d Trevor Selwyn Mwamba, my current Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Botswana, was always giving his permission for me to travel to Zimbabwe for research. I also thank the various retired clergy who served in the then Diocese of Mashonaland and the laity whom I interviewed and those who responded to my questionnaire, The Rt. Rev. Dr. R. P. Hatendi, The Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Bakare, The Rt. Rev. Dr. W. Sitshebo, Canon W.W.W. Nechironga, Canon J. D. Chipudhla, Canon D. M.G. Nhema, Canon Milton Madzivanyika, Canon Gabriel Mashingaidze, Rev. Lawrence Mbuvayesango, Rev. B. Makoni, Rev. Julius Zimbudzana, Rev. Eric Ruwona, Rev. A. N. Makoni, Rev. M. Zambezi, Rev. Keble Prosser CR [UK], Sisters Anna Mary and Stella Mary of the Community of the Holy Name [CZR], Mr. Oliver Kuwana, Mrs Grace Murindagomo. I also thank the following Clergy and laity who assisted me in this research in South Africa, The Rev. Dr. Isaias Chachine, Rev. Dr. Aaron Hobongwana, The Rt. Rev. Ossie Swartz, Bishop of Kimberley Kuruman, the Rev. Dr. Henry Mbaya, the late Rev. Peter Monakeng, I also thank the Rev. Dr. Harold Lewis for taking interest in my academic work and helping to find funding for my studies through his parish. Many thanks also go to The Rev. Dr. Chad Gandiya [USPG] for help with resources from the USPG library in London and to Fr. James Mukunga [UK] for help with sources from various places in UK. I also wish to thank the following organisations for helping with the funding of this research, Partners in Mission Canada, Calvary Episcopal Church Pittsburgh, the College of the Transfiguration through its staff development budget, The Rev Dr. Murddock Smith Rector of St Martin’s Episcopal Church, as well as UNISA through its Bursary Scheme. The librarians at Cory Archives at Rhodes University [RSA], Cullen Archives at Wittswatersrand University in Johannesburg, the National Archives of Zimbabwe in Harare also deserve to be mentioned for their sterling assistance in searching for information needed in this research. I should also thank the current Diocesan Secretaries of the Diocese of Harare [CPCA] and the Diocese of Botswana for helping me access their Archives. I am also indebted to Felicity Jacobsz who proof-read this thesis. Last but not least I am very grateful to the Parish of Francistown where I serve currently as Rector and to the Diocese of Botswana where I also serve as Archdeacon of the North and Canon Theologian. These organisations allowed me to be away from my ecclesiastical responsibilities in order to carry out this research and for that I am extremely greatful. To all and sundry I say “To God be the Glory” iii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my Mother Rosemary Chigweshe, my wife Victoria Faith Musodza and our two beautiful daughters Fadzai and Farai Musodza iv LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND SKETCHES Picture or Sketch Page 1. Bernard Mizeki Gwambe 81 2. Frank Ziqubu 96 3. Rev. Arthur S. Cripps 105 4. Canon Edgar Lloyd 122 5. Canon Samuel Muhlanga 151 6. Canon Edward Chipunza 169 7 The Rev. Patrick A. Murindagomo 201 8. The Ven. Patrick A. Murindagomo and The Very Rev. S. K. Wood 219 9. The Rt. Rev. Patrick A. Murindagomo at his consecration 220 10. The Rt. Rev. Dr. R. P. Hatendi 223 11. The Rt. Rev. Dr. R. P. Hatendi at a graduation ceremony BGC 235 12. Drums 287 13. Shakers 287 14. Mbira, or ‘African Piano’ 288 15. Hwamanda, or Horns 289 16. Marimba, or xylophones 290 17. The Amice: A Symbol of the helmet of Salvation 297 18. The Alb: A Symbol of Purity 298 19. The Girdle or Cincture: A Symbol of chastity 299 20. The Maniple: A Symbol of the acceptance of suffering 300 21. The Stole: Symbol of immortality and the yoke of Christ 301 v 22. Chasuble 302 23. The original St Michaels Church in Harare 312 24. The Outside view of A.S. Cripps’s Church at Daramombe Chivhu 313 25. The Inside view of A.S.Cripps’s Church at Daramombe Chivhu 314 26. The original St Faiths Church in Rusape 315 27. Job Kekana at work on the Indigenous Madonna and the Child 318 26. The indigenous decorated Bishop’s Crosier. 319 vi LIST OF TABLES Tables Page 1. Clergy Stipends for the Diocese of Mashonaland [1974] 206 2. Nominations sheet for the election of Cathedral Canons [1968] 214 3. List of pioneer Catechists in the Diocese of Mashonaland 240 4. Lists of some of the early indigenous Catechists in Mashonaland 242 5. Attendance list at the first Diocesan Conference [1902] 248 6. Attendance list of the Clergy at the first Synod of the Diocese [1903] 249 7. List of indigenous Clergy in the Diocese of Mashonaland [1891 -1981] 252 8. Comparisons of the different routes of theological training 265 9. List of Bishops who served the Diocese of Mashonaland [1891 – 1981] 268 10. List of Diocesan Secretaries [1891-1981] 272 11. Members of the Bishops Senate & Standing Committee [1951] 276 12. Members of the Social & Industrial Council [1951] 277 13. Members of the Standing Committee [1961] 278 14. Members of the Social and Industrial Council [1961] 279 15. Members of Standing Committee [1971] 280 16. Members of Standing Committee [1981] 281 17. List of liturgical Colours used in the Diocese of Mashonaland 305 18. List of colours and their meaning amongst the Shona people 306 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BCP Book of Common Prayer BSAC British South Africa Company CDC Community of Divine Compassion CPCA Church of the Province of Central Africa CPSA Church of the Province of Southern Africa CR Community of the Resurrection CZR Chita CheZita Rinoyera LMS London Missionary Society MBE Member of British Empire NDP National Democratic Party SPG Society for the Propagation of the Gospel UDI Unilateral Declaration of Independence UMCA Universities Mission to Central Africa ZANU PF Zimbabwe African National Unity Patriotic Front viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii DEDICATION iv LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND SKETCHES v LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii CHAPTER 1.