Zimbabwe

From Sawiki

(Redirected from Rhodesia)
Jump to: navigation, search

The Salvation Army opened fire in Zimbabwe (then Mashonaland/Rhodesia) in 1891. The first Salvationists made the trek to Mashonaland from South Africa via a red wagon labelled “Enterprise.” The expedition was a dream of The Salvation Army’s top leadership in South Africa, with the motivation of wanting to save lost souls. After six months and 10 days, six officer families arrived in Harare (then Fort Salisbury), clad in “Blood and Fire” jerseys. They were greeted by Cecil Rhodes, who immediately promised them a farm and two buildings.

On their first Sunday, the Salvationists marched around Harare (Salisbury), praying, singing hymns and praising God. Within days, the local newspapers were reporting that The Salvation Army had arrived and that the Devil was retired. The first official engagement was on November 21, 1891, held outside of the bars when 500 Africans tried to understand the motivation of this enthusiastic and musical group.

The early pioneer Salvationists struggled with malaria, gaining trust from people, language barriers, cultural differences, uprisings and raids. William Booth visited Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) in 1908, when The Salvation Army was 17 years old. He discovered that the Salvationists had mostly concentrated on white settlers in Harare (Salisbury) and Bulawayo. The General urged missionary activity towards the “natives” and The Salvation Army moved into the Shona and Ndebele locations/townships during that year.

In 1931, Rhodesia became a territory, separate from South Africa. The territory included present day Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Education has long been a priority for The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe, which operates four secondary boarding schools (Howard Institute est. 1923, Bradley est.1926, Usher Institute est. 1933 and Mazowe est.1959) as well as many primary schools. Many of the country’s leaders in various sectors have received education at Salvation Army schools.

The Salvation Army endured throughout the liberation struggle for independence (1963-1980). Corps meetings were disrupted, school buildings and churches were destroyed, Salvationists lived with fear and mental strain and officers had to be withdrawn from remote appointments. And yet people continued to pray and to praise. In 1967, hoshos and big drums were introduced to Salvation Army worship and continue to be loved today. After the war for independence, The Salvation Army was involved in a large-scale relief operation. This was also a time when Salvation Army top leadership in Zimbabwe was transferred to national Zimbabweans. Since then, The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe has continued to grow and to strive to be financially independent despite difficult economic circumstances.

[edit]

Internal Links

Retrieved from "http://www.sawiki.net/index.php/Zimbabwe"
Personal tools