Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Wagner Kuhn

Second Advisor

Boubakar Sanou

Third Advisor

David Penno

Abstract

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist membership among the Xhosa-speaking people in Zimbabwe (a minority ethno-linguistic group) is very low. The Seventh-day Adventist presence among the Xhosa-speaking people in this particular area has been minimal. This trend has led to a lot of frustration in the planning and implementation of outreach programs among this people group. The problem is that in spite of the outreach programs conducted for the Xhosa, the response of the community remains relatively low as compared to other ethnic groups in the same area.

Method

A theological study on reaching the unreached was developed and formulated from a review of literature from both the Old and New Testaments. Seventh-day Adventist authors, other literature and the Writings of Ellen White were also surveyed in order to ground the project both theologically and practically. In implementing the project, I first organized a focus group to discuss what had been done in order to map out a relevant strategy. Second, I met the Xhosa community leaders and assessed their needs. Third, two evangelistic meetings were held, one by the researcher and another by a Xhosa-speaking guest speaker.

Results

As a result of this intervention, 20 Xhosa Bibles were distributed, 30 Xhosa Voice of Prophecy lesson sets were completed, a mobile eye clinic was organized, and government eye specialist gave free services to the community. Two Branch Sabbath Schools were organized at Engxinweni and Mantanjeni. A one-day church building was erected for the Xhosa community at Mantanjeni. A total of sixty-six (66) new members were added from the Xhosa community after the intervention.

Conclusion

This pilot project has shown the possibilities and opportunities available in a specific ministry focused on the minority groups in Zimbabwe. The project challenges the church in Zimbabwe in general and the West Zimbabwe Conference in particular to pay attention to the pockets of these people groups. There is a need for the church to deliberately channel both material, financial, and human resources into such ministries in order to realize effective and lasting results. Similar projects could be replicated in other parts of the West Zimbabwe Conference among the minority groups like the San in Tsholotsho, the Venda and Suthu in Ganda and Beitbridge, the Nambya and Nyanja in Hwange, and the Kalanga in Plumtree.

Subject Area

Xhosa (Africa people)--Missions, Seventh-day Adventists--Zimbabwe, Church work with minorities--Zimbabwe, Missions--Zimbabwe

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/273/

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