About Ebenezer Society

Methodism in Zimbabwe traces its heritage from John and Charles Wesley, and the Holy Club in the 1730s. The Methodist movement arrived in South Africa in 1795. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa became autonomous in 1882. However, the Transvaal District was a Boer territory, and it was felt prudent to retain it as a dependent extension of British Methodism. In 1891, the Methodist Missionary Society in London decided to send the Revd Owen Watkins and Revd Isaac Shimmin who were in Transvaal, South Africa to establish Methodism in Mashonaland (now Zimbabwe). Watkins and Shimmin arrived in Mashonaland on 29 September 1891 accompanied by some African Evangelists. They established mission stations in Fort Salisbury (Harare) (1891), Hartleyton i.e. Nemakonde later named after Marshal Hartley who was the secretary of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, Epworth (1892), Nenguo (1892), and Kwenda (1892). The work at these mission stations was made possible by the arrival of the Revd George H. Eva and eight African teacher-evangelists from the Transvaal and Cape Colony in August 1892. These included Joseph Ramushu, Modumedi Moleli, Samuel Tutani, Wellington H Belisi, and James Anta among others. It is from these humble beginnings that the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe has grown to be a notable religious organisation. In Matabeleland, the church built another mission station at Tengwani in 1897. In 1913, a new mission station called Sandringham was founded. Stations like Chemhanza and Pakame were established later. From 1891-1965, Methodist Church in Zimbabwe was led by missionaries. The first black General Superintendent and District Chairman was Rev Andrew Majoni Ndhlela. When the church became autonomous in 1977, Revd. Ndhlela was appointed the first President of the Conference of Rhodesia up to 1980.

The Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ) is a member of the World Council of Churches, World Methodist Council, All Africa Conference of Churches, Africa Methodist Council, and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches. The Church draws its mandate from its vision of being an empowered and connected Christian community positively impacting society. The vision of the Church is anchored on four strategic pillars namely improving Church growth, enhancing social responsibility, resourcing the Church for sustainability, and strengthening MCZ for effective delivery. The Church cherishes its place in the Holy Catholic Church, which is the Body of Christ, rejoices in the inheritance of the Apostolic Faith, and loyally accepts the fundamental principles of the historic creeds and the Protestant Reformation. Methodist Church ever remembers that in the Providence of God, it was raised to spread Scriptural Holiness by the proclamation of the Evangelical Faith and declares its unfaltering resolve to be true to its divinely appointed mission.