United Congregational Church of Southern Africa | |
---|---|
Classification | Protestant |
Theology | Congregationalist (Reformed) |
Associations | World Communion of Reformed Churches |
Region | South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia |
Headquarters | 10, 7th Avenue, Edenvale,Johannesburg, South Africa. |
Congregations | 450 |
Members | ~500,000 |
Official website | www |
The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) is a prominent Christian denomination established in 1967, following the unification of various congregational movements within Southern Africa. Its origins can be traced back to the missionary work of the London Missionary Society in the Cape Colony in 1799. The UCCSA plays a significant role in the religious landscape of Southern Africa, with a membership of approximately 500,000. [1] It maintains a notable presence in countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The UCCSA is recognized for its contributions to education and social justice in the region.
The UCCSA has its roots in the early missionary efforts of the London Missionary Society (LMS). The LMS initiated its work in the Cape Colony in 1799, led by missionaries like Dr. Theodorus van der Kemp. The first Congregational church in Cape Town was established by them in 1801. Notable LMS missionaries, including David Livingstone, extended their evangelical efforts among the Tswana and Amandbele peoples.
Post-1820, English and Welsh settlers formed their own congregational congregations. Further expansion occurred with the arrival of missionaries from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1830 in KwaZulu-Natal. The congregations formed by white settlers eventually led to the creation of the Congregational Union of South Africa. These various missionary and congregational movements culminated in the unification of the three bodies to form the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa in 1967.
The UCCSA boasts a significant membership, with approximately 500,000 members across 450 local congregations. This denomination is also a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. [2]
In Mozambique, the UCCSA operates under the Portuguese name Igreja Congregacional Unida do Africa do Sul, with the central office located in Maputo. [3] The Mozambique Synod traces its origins back to the first evangelist, Rev. Edwin Richards, sent in 1880 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Despite a period of transition where Richards and many members joined the Methodist church, a portion retained their congregational heritage. Currently, the church in Mozambique has 13,400 members in 27 congregations, primarily located in Inhambane, Gaza Province, and Maputo. The official languages used are Portuguese, Xitxe, Tsonga, and Tyopi. [4]
In Botswana, the UCCSA has 51 congregations and over 20,300 members. The denomination is a member of the Botswana Council of Churches. [5]
The UCCSA in Zimbabwe operates several schools and, as of 1995, had 160 congregations with 11,000 communicant members and 16,700 adherents. [6]
The Namibia Regional Council of the UCCSA, formed in 1982, consists of 3,000 members across 7 congregations located in Duineveld, Rehoboth, Karlfeld, Windhoek, Luderitz, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Grootfrontein. The establishment of these congregations dates back to 1933 when congregational people began moving to Namibia. [7]
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin. Its headquarters was in Geneva, Switzerland. They merged with the Reformed Ecumenical Council in 2010 to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique is one of the largest Protestant denominations of Mozambique.
The Dutch Reformed Church is a Reformed Christian denomination in South Africa. It also has a presence in neighbouring countries, such as Namibia, Eswatini, and parts of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 2013 it claimed 1.1 million members and 1,602 ordained ministers in 1,158 congregations.
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 Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa was formed by the union of the black and coloured Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk mission churches.
More than 70% of the population of Botswana is Christian. Most are members of the Anglican, United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, and African independent churches. Anglicans are part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa. The Roman Catholic Church includes about 5% of the nation's population.
The Congregational Christian Church of Niue is a Christian denomination in Niue and New Zealand. It is rooted in the Congregationalist part of the Reformed tradition. It is the largest religious denomination in Niue, claiming approximately 75% of Niue's population as members.
The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa is a Reformed Christian denomination based in South Africa. It also has congregations in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Along with the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) and the Reformed Churches in South Africa, the NHKA is one of the three Dutch Reformed sister churches of South Africa. The NHKA retains the old Nomenclature Nederduitsch, the word originally referring to the Dutch language. The word refers to the Low Saxon language today. The Dutch language remained the official language of the church until 1933 when the church started functioning almost exclusively in Afrikaans.
The Reformed Churches in South Africa is a Christian denomination in South Africa that was formed in 1859 in Rustenburg. Members of the church are sometimes referred to as Doppers.
Christianity is the largest religion practiced in Zimbabwe, accounted for more than 84% of the population. The arrival of Christianity dates back to the 16th century by Portuguese missionaries such as Fr. Gonsalo Da Silveira of the Roman Catholic Church. Christianity is embraced by the majority of the population. It is estimated 85 percent of Zimbabweans claim to be Christians, with approximately 62 percent regularly attending church services. Christian faith plays a very important role in the organization of Zimbabwean society.
The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola is a Reformed Christian denomination in Angola.
The United Church in Solomon Islands is a Reformed congregational Christian denomination in Solomon Islands.
The United Church of Christ in Mozambique was founded by American missionaries in the 1970s. In 1905, an American missionary with the help of Zulu workers from South Africa started mission work in Manica and Sofala. This suffered hardship because of the Portuguese authorities. In 1931, Gulhierme Tapera Nkomo was the first national pastor. Later the Basel Mission supported the work. Today the church works in Manica, Sofala, Tete, Imhambane, Maputo Provinces. The headquarters located in Beira. It has 15,000 members and 22 congregations. Member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The President is Rev. Lucas M Amosse, the moderator is Rev Dandoga Chivaca.
The Volkskerk van Afrika or the People's Church of Africa is a Reformed denomination in South Africa, it is member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
The Guyana Congregational Union was founded by the London Missionary Society in 1808. The mission spread rapidly after the abolition of slavery. The British Congregational Union in Guyana was formed in 1883. When the LMS withdrew its support the church almost ceased to exist. In 1908 the Colonial Missionary Society gave additional support. In 1942 outreach among the Arawak Indians were established. In 2004 it had 2,500 members in 45 congregations.
The Evangelical Church of Christ in Mozambique was a result of Presbyterian missionaries from Scotland. James Reid started working in the Zambesi region in 1910. In 1912 a mission station was opened in Alto Molocue. In 1913 the Scottish Presbyterian Church was founded, and was later renamed to Evangelical Mission of Nauela. The missionaries left Mozambique in 1933, the work was transferred to the Church of Brethren, 5 years later it was handed over by the South African General Mission. The Portuguese government closed the mission in 1959. Trouble period came. But the church survived. Several congregations remained faithful to their origin. The church governance is congregational. In 2004 it had 40,000 members and 500 congregations and 10 prayer stations.
The Reformed Church in Mozambique is a confessional Reformed denomination in Mozambique. It was founded by Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, started Mphatso mission in 1909. This was in the Northwest part of the country, near Malawi. The work expanded rapidly. By 1919, 5 missions were opened in Tete Province. The Portuguese government inspired by the Roman Catholic Church closed the mission in 1922, and forced the missionaries to leave. Between 1922 and 1971 the church member had to meet secretly under trees and crossing the border to Malawi to attend Reformed worship. In 1972 the first black missionary called Rev Pedro Tempe started mission in South Mozambique, in Gaza Province.
The Reformed Churches in Namibia is a confessional Reformed church in Namibia. Reformed people come from Angola to Namibia in 1929. The Dorslandtrekkers were mostly Reformed people who had settled in Angola but later moved to Namibia. The Dorslandtrekkers were originally from Transvaal, South Africa, and migrated northwestward starting in 1874 in two large and one smaller group, starting the Humpata Reformed Church under the Rev. Jan Lion Cachet. Later in 1930 3 congregations were established. More farmers came and the church grew. Missionary work was started in 1969 under the Bushmans of the Gobabis region, Botswana. It has 2,757 members and 14 congregations, and adheres to the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort.There's no women ordination. Official languages are Afrikaans, Bushman, Gobabis-Kung.
The Reformed Church in Zimbabwe was founded by Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa missionaries on the 9th of September 1891. Andrew A. Louw begun to preach in the area near Morgenster among Shona people. The worship language of churches was Afrikaans and English. Later the denomination expanded among Nyanja people. In 1999 a new mission field was opened in Binga District. The young Church was administered from South Africa under the Dutch Reformed Church Cape Synod, eventually, the African Reformed Church in Rhodesia came into being, as an indigenous and independent church, under the control of church councils, four presbyteries and a synod. In 1977 it became the fully autonomous African Reformed Church. Soon after the country's independence in 1980, the name was changed to Reformed Church in Zimbabwe. Some historic church structures are still referred to as Dutch Reformed Churches and some Reformed Church members still use that name. The R.C.Z subscribes to the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort as its doctrinal standard. The R.C.Z is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches. In addition to its various church activities, the church has a special concern for its schools namely Henry Murray School for the deaf in Morgenster, and the Margaretha Hugo School (Copota) for the blind in Zimuto. The RCZ is also the responsible authority for a number of primary and secondary schools, a teacher-training college, Murray Theological College and the Reformed Church University (RCU) in Masvingo, as well as two hospitals and several clinics.