TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF METHODISM! A BLACK THEOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO THE HERITAGE OF METHODISM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 1816-2016

Abstract

A proverb of the Yoruba people of Nigeria says: ‘However far a stream flows, it never forgets its origin.’ The proverb gives credence to the epochal stories of the human race, and more importantly of the Methodist people in Southern Africa. This article evaluates the history of Methodist people in Southern Africa in the period 1816-2016 from a black theological perspective. First, the paper describes the black theological perspective from which the inquiry into the story of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is approached, a perspective which is based on the philosophy of black consciousness, the black liberation theology and Methodist theology. Second, the article offers a black theological reflection on selected figures in the history of the MCSA. As a way of concluding, the article considers the prophetic implications of the heritage of Methodism in the MCSA for the Methodist people today.