Methodist Church of Southern Africa

The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is a large

Wesleyan Methodist denomination, with local churches across
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, and a
more limited presence in Mozambique. It is a member church of the
World Methodist Council.

The church is the largest mainline Protestant denomination in South

Africa – 7.3% of the South African population recorded their
religious affiliation as 'Methodist' in the last national census.[1] The
denomination has nearly 2 million members.[2] A Methodist chapel in Leliefontein,
Northern Cape, South Africa.
History
Methodism in Southern Africa began as a result of lay Christian
work by an Irish soldier of the English Regiment, John Irwin, who
was stationed at the Cape and began to hold prayer meetings as
early as 1795.[3] The first Methodist lay preacher at the Cape,
George Middlemiss, was a soldier of the 72nd regiment of the
British Army stationed at the Cape in 1805.[4] This foundation
paved the way for missionary work by Methodist missionary
societies from Great Britain, many of whom sent missionaries with
the 1820 English settlers to the Western and Eastern Cape. Among A larger church in Kimberley,
the most notable of the early missionaries were Barnabas Shaw and Northern Cape.
William Shaw.[3][4][5] The largest group was the Wesleyan
Methodist Church, but there were a number of others that joined
together to form the Methodist Church of South Africa, later known as the Methodist Church of
Southern Africa to reflect its cross-border mission.

The MCSA rejected the apartheid ideology from the beginning and was a vocal critic of the Nationalist
government policy throughout the apartheid era.[6] A notable politician with Methodist roots was Nelson
Mandela, who addressed the annual conference in a 1994, praising the work of the church throughout the
era of minority-rule.[7]

Faced by government pressure to divide along racial lines, the 1958 conference declared its "conviction that
it is the will of God for the Methodist Church that it should be one and undivided, trusting to the leading of
God to bring this ideal to ultimate fruition". Six years later the first African to serve as president of
conference was elected. The life of the MCSA reflects the strains and tensions of an apartheid society. In
spite of this, the conference, connexional executive and synods have long since been non-racial. The idea
of a one and undivided church has still to be realized at the congregational level.[6]

Gender and sexuality

On issues of gender and human sexuality, the denomination is more liberal than other denominations in
African countries. For example, the church has allowed and supported the ordination of women in
ministry.[8] In 2019 the Methodist Church of Southern Africa inducted Purity Nomthandazo Malinga as its
presiding bishop, making her the first woman to serve in the most senior role in the church. She was also
the first woman consecrated as a synodal bishop in 1999.[9]

Additionally, the denomination has opposed discrimination against members of the gay and lesbian
community. In particular, the denomination opposed the anti-gay legislation being proposed in Uganda.[10]
In 2013, the denomination announced that it was in the midst of conversation regarding how to approach
same-sex relationships.[11] Currently, “Conference recognises that any decision and subsequent action on
the issue of civil unions between same sex partners must await the outcome of the on-going process of
engagement as specified by Conference 2005 and, in the interim, expects Methodist Ministers to continue
to offer pastoral care to homosexual individuals."[12]

In a case concerning a married lesbian pastor, the Western Cape High Court determined that "the Methodist
church did not have a rule prohibiting its ministers from marrying someone of the same sex".[13]
Additionally, another court determined that the denomination "even accepts same-sex relationships (as long
as such relationships are not solemnised by marriage), which means it is not at the core of the Church’s
beliefs".[14] At the Constitutional Court, the Church said that "it tolerates homosexual relationships but
requires its ministers not to enter into same-sex marriages."[15] Regarding a specific case involving a
lesbian minister, the MCSA "allowed her to be in a homosexual relationship whilst being a minister, and
allowed her to stay in the Church’s manse with her partner, but drew the line at recognising her same-sex
marriage".[15] In 2016, the Rev Londiwe Zulu, an openly lesbian Methodist pastor, participated in a panel
on human sexuality.[16] In 2020, the MCSA decided that all members, including ordained clergy, are
permitted to enter into a same-gender civil union, while retaining the denomination's teaching that marriage
is a union "between a man and a woman".[17][18]

Community leadership
Peter J. Harley, born 24 November 1931 in Acres Goodwood, Cape Town, is the longest serving Local
Preacher in the Cape of Good Hope District. Renowned throughout for the futuristic type of youth
programs which today is the norm, teaching young people in disadvantaged areas about terms such as
organograms, resource, co-ordinator, liaison, scrounger as far back as 1969, way ahead of its time.

Our premise was that within every community there are organisations and groupings
exercising an influence for good. Organisations like sports clubs, Boy Scouts, Ratepayers
Associations etc, etc, including of course the Churches and Mosques as the main sources of
good influence. However, through investigation we discovered that these influences for good
on a community (including the churches) penetrated the community only up to a point, beyond
which the influence of the church were either diminished or not felt at all. Even though it was
impossible to mark on a map where the good influences diminished or stopped. It was decided
rightly or wrongly to make such a marking. That mark became for us a line, a sort of
FRONTIER and it was specifically beyond that frontier where we would concentrate our
efforts.

— Peter J. Harley, 1969, [19]

From 1969 through 1974 they drew up to 450 of the youth in the area, unfailingly attending its activities
week by week. An outspoken and challenging local preacher, the preached word more often than not
sending parishioners home with much food for thought as the unadulterated word is preached as a pure
Methodist. The originator of many Bible Study groups throughout the Peninsula of which some are still in
operation. Many young people originally from that group have advanced to become leaders in various
fields with much thanks and gratefulness to the commitment and dedication of Peter Harley for the
spreading of the Gospel and above all: teaching others to teach.[19]

Structure
The church is connexional and organised along episcopal lines. The MCSA operates today across six
countries in Southern Africa. The organisation as a whole is referred to as a "Connexion", which in turn is
made up of 12 Districts:[20]

Limpopo
Cape of Good Hope
Central
Highveld and Swaziland
Natal Coastal
Natal West
Grahamstown
Clarkebury
Kimberley, Namibia & Bloemfontein
Northern Free State & Lesotho
Queenstown
Mocambique
Botswana

Representatives from across the Connexion meet together every year at an annual Conference, as is
Methodist tradition. The Conference elects a "presiding bishop", who acts as the leader of the Connexion
as a whole.[20] Each district is led by a bishop and a District Executive, with the main decision-making
body at a district level being the annual synod.[20]

At a local level are the circuits, consisting of a number of church congregations, known as "societies"
(modelled on the early Methodist societies). The circuits, of which there are hundreds, are grouped into
districts.

References
1. For a discussion of Church membership statistics in South Africa please refer to Forster, D.
"God's mission in our context, healing and transforming responses" in Forster, D and
Bentley, W. Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton
Park. AcadSA publishers (2008:97–98)
2. "Methodist Church of Southern Africa — World Council of Churches" (http://www.oikoumene.
org/en/member-churches/methodist-church-of-southern-africa). www.oikoumene.org.
Retrieved 2016-05-20.
3. Millard-Jackson, J., "Who called the tune? Methodist Missionary policy in South Africa
during the 19th century" in Forster, D. and Bentley, W.: Methodism in Southern Africa: A
celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton Park. AcadSA publishers (2008:31).
4. Forster, D. "God's mission in our context, healing and transforming responses" in Forster, D
and Bentley, W.: Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton
Park. AcadSA publishers (2008:80)
 5. Grassow, P., "William Shaw", in Forster, D and Bentley, W.: Methodism in Southern Africa: A
celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton Park. AcadSA publishers (2008:13-25)
6. "The Methodist Church in Southern Africa (MCSA)" (https://web.archive.org/web/201312161
90955/http://www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/grant-SOUTHERNAFRICA-100211.pdf)
(PDF). Methodist Church of Great Britain. c. 2008. Archived from the original (http://www.met
hodist.org.uk/downloads/grant-SOUTHERNAFRICA-100211.pdf) (PDF) on 16 December
2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
7. Mandela, Nelson. "Address by President Nelson Mandela to the Annual Conference of the
Methodist Church" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130505033805/http://www.anc.org.za/sho
w.php?id=3685). ANC. Archived from the original (http://www.anc.org.za/show.php?id=3685)
on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
8. "Chapter 4: Ordained Ministry" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160508110909/http://www.me
thodist.org.za/publications/laws/chapter4). methodist.org.za. Methodist Church of Southern
Africa. Archived from the original (http://www.methodist.org.za/publications/laws/chapter4)
on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
9. "Church makes history with first female bishop" (https://www.enca.com/news/church-makes-
history-first-female-bishop). eNCA. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
10. "Methodists Condemn Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Law" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160
508123213/http://www.methodist.org.za/news/02262014-1831). methodist.org.za. Archived
from the original (http://www.methodist.org.za/news/02262014-1831) on 2016-05-08.
Retrieved April 20, 2016.
11. "Conference Address 2013" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160501153521/http://www.meth
odist.org.za/blog/conference-address-2013-01172014-1304). methodist.org.za. Methodist
Church of Southern Africa. Archived from the original (http://www.methodist.org.za/blog/confe
rence-address-2013-01172014-1304) on 2016-05-01. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
12. "The curious case of the pastor punished for honesty | Daily Maverick" (https://www.dailyma
verick.co.za/opinionista/2013-05-23-the-curious-case-of-the-pastor-punished-for-honesty/).
www.dailymaverick.co.za. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
13. "No same-sex marriage rule in church" (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Church-d
idnt-have-same-sex-marriage-rule-20130521). Retrieved 2016-07-23.
14. "The Methodist Church is confused and irrational | Daily Maverick" (http://www.dailymaveric
k.co.za/opinionista/2015-11-24-the-methodist-church-is-confused-and-irrational/#.V5Ml3LQ-
CT8). www.dailymaverick.co.za. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
15. "De Lange v Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa for the time being
and Another (CCT223/14) [2015] ZACC 35; 2016 (1) BCLR 1 (CC); 2016 (2) SA 1 (CC)" (htt
p://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2015/35.html). www.saflii.org. November 24, 2015.
Retrieved March 13, 2021.
16. "Southern African Anglicans in conversation on LGBTI pastoral care" (http://www.episcopalc
afe.com/southern-african-anglicans-in-conversation-on-lgbti-pastoral-care/). 2016-09-29.
Retrieved 2016-09-29.
17. "SA Methodist Church won't 'prevent' members entering into same-sex unions" (https://www.
mambaonline.com/2020/10/08/sa-methodist-church-wont-prevent-members-entering-into-sa
me-sex-unions/). MambaOnline - Gay South Africa online. 2020-10-08. Retrieved
2021-07-16.
18. "Methodist Church of SA 'clarifies' position on gay marriage | gatewaynews.co.za" (https://ga
tewaynews.co.za/methodist-same-sex-marriage/). gatewaynews.co.za | South African
Christian News: Telling the God Stories of Africa. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
19. Pillay, Clive J., Serving on the Frontiers of Society, published 1999
20. "Structure - Districts" (http://www.methodist.org.za/districts). Methodist Church of Southern
Africa. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
External links
The official website of The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (http://www.methodist.org.z
a)

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