Peace and Justice in Zimbabwe

“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (I am because you are. Literally – a person is a person through others.) Ndebele/ Zulu saying

Today we met with the Executive Board of the General Conference of the BIC, and the Peace and Justice Committee. We had rich conversations with both groups of people – with the first our meeting centred on church planting in our different contexts and what challenges and opportunities we faced. We also spent some time thinking about how we invest in and develop our younger leaders. What we share in common are the convictions that meaningful connection and relationships happen around meal tables and in each other’s homes. Yesterday we learned the Ndebele saying: “The home that does not receive visitors cannot truly be called a home.” and this theme recurred through the day today that offering welcome, hospitality, space at the table is integral to starting new communities of faith and building meaningful friendships and relationships with our neighbours.

Some thoughts from meeting the General Conference leaders:

1. The BICC adopted ‘transparency’ as part of their 10 values. We talked about how important this is, both in the Zimbabwean context and in the context of the UK where recent events like the Royal Mail Post Office scandal, the NHS contaminated blood cover up, and the links with the slave trade and the highest officers in the Anglican church, have only confirmed and deepened people’s suspicions about institutions. Our Anabaptist communities need to demonstrate that we prioritise truth-speaking and transparency both as individual followers of Jesus and in our communal life.
2. Church planting and pioneering in the BICC is generally strategic, intentional and led by teams not solo pioneers. Is this a challenge to us?
3. They also talked about ‘following people where they were going’. This was primarily about geography and staying connected or introducing people to new BICC communities when they moved – but it made me think about how we do this in the UK. Aside from a geographical question – how do we ‘follow’ people where they are going when they disconnect from church? (Or if they weren’t ever part of church, how do we ‘follow’ the flow/ current trends of culture, or other places where people are ‘going to’ to seek to connect with them there? How do we remain counter-cultural but connected so that we can continue to reach out with love and the kindness of Jesus to people?)
4. The practices of Matthew 18 as a pattern for dealing with conflict in the church – to talk, seek understanding, offer and receive forgiveness are central discipleship practices for the BICC. The leaders explained that these practices are taught in BICC churches, schools, and across their various projects.

Our conversation with the Peace and Justice Committee was inspiring and humbling.

“If we talk about being peacemakers and building peace to the authorities, that implies (or could be inferred) that they are not doing the same. That is the elephant in the room.”

The P & J (Peace and Justice) committee has started Peace Clubs in their high schools and secondary schools (6 in total). The children are really engaged and keen to learn more about peacemaking through a mixture of activities, practical application and theory. There is 80% unemployment in Zimbabwe. This brings with it all sorts of challenges – corruption, violence, crime, drug and alcohol abuse and women and girls engaging in risky behaviours to try to earn some money. The Peace Clubs run by the BICC in their schools are an attempt to talk about these issues so that the young people might make different, informed choices when they are out in the world.

The P & J committee organises training in peace building and community reconciliation events, where people can come together to share their stories about experiences of war and violence over the past decades. There have even been occasions when government officials and perpetrators have been part of these training sessions and have been deeply affected by what they have learnt through the stories they have heard and the teaching they received. The stories that people share are often full of pain and there is so much healing needed from past trauma. The P & J committee are committed to creating spaces were people can find healing, relief and forgiveness from their pain through sharing together what has happened in their lives.

Trust is a huge issue in Zimbabwe, and people are suspicious of each other, sometimes even in the churches. Pursuing justice in this context is incredibly challenging. However the BIC is committed to their values and when these come into conflict with the government, they are resolute that the values of the church are fundamental and the final word. They stand as a church on this commitment to seeking and building peace, even in the context of many challenges.