Kwa Thema

When you hear the word, Township’ associated with South Africa images of poverty and danger can easily come to mind. Laura and I have already experienced so much more during our visits to Langa and Guguletho in Cape Town and Soweto in Johannesburg. We have found communities of people coping with need, hopeful, grateful for gains that have been made, feeling some impatience for improvements promised but not-yet-delivered, caring for one another, finding ways to be industrious. They can be vibrant; with markets In Soweto we discovered that townships are not only places of extreme poverty, but can be communities of mixed economic levels and standards of housing. Now in Kwa Thema we have discovered how the Township may also be a place of rich spirit.

We found our way to Plain Field Methodist Church (where Trevor Hudson serves) in Benoni, a West-side suburb of Johannesburg where we met Rev. Phidian (Smadz) Matsepe. Smadz led us from there through the busy streets of the suburb to the equally busy streets of the Township to Kwa Thema Central Methodist Church, where we met Zolela (Zoli) Ngewabe, who be our host for the weekend. We discovered later that Zoli is a medical doctor and is the chief administrator of a government hospital. She lives with her daughters, son, and several grandchildren in nearby Sharon Park. Zoli loves to exercise her gift of hospitality. Before we left her house to return to the college, we had experienced such a range of activity: we had become friends with her family, including her sister, Thembakazi (Thembi); we were taken to eat with a group of leaders from the church; we enjoyed recreation together with her family; and we were served an authentic African dinner.

While Laura and Zoli went to shop at a few markets for Sunday’s dinner items, I had an opportunity to spend time with Smadz. Over breakfast, he had shared the story about his experiences of activism, imprisonment, and faith during the struggle against Apartheid. During our time together he expanded to discuss his ministry and dream for the church. Smadz has a two-fold quest. First, he wants his church to be relevant to the emerging needs and expectations of young people. He expects the church to grow, so he and other leaders of the church are making ground-breaking changes – introducing contemporary worship, emphasizing youth ministry and planning for building programs in the near future. Expecting continued growth, he hopes that Kwa Thema Central will become a model for the rest of The Methodist Church in South Africa, especially Black churches.

Smadz’s second quest is that mission will be central to the church’s character. They are already shining in this respect. He talked about ministries that are already in place: meals for school children; food for indigents; ministry to child-led families. The latter is emphasized by the church’s youth minister, responding to an urgent need: the AIDS pandemic has resulted in a very large number of families left with no adults. The oldest children of a family are left to care for themselves and the little ones, a desperate situation which can leave the children with few options to climb out of poverty in the future. The church is striving to intervene with a ministry of hope and substance to give them better care today and a future with brighter options.

Sunday’s worship revealed the life of this congregation. For an hour this congregation of many young families and youth, a youthful praise band/choir, and people of all ages, some who had come from throughout the Township and beyond sang in indigenous languages, danced and whooped in praise, prayed and gave testimony. I had been advised that if I preached any less than 30 minutes, the congregation would be disappointed: that came after the first hour of worship. I was able not to be a disappointment. Then there were announcements and celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries: including Laura’s and mine.

Worship is the heart of the congregation. Smadz told me, he so looks forward to Sunday. To be with the people, praise and worship together, to spend time as God’s sacred community of brothers and sisters together is real blessing. The church proved him right. The mission to change the world by the power of Christ through their faith, as well as the endeavor to be the church for the people who are not yet there are given life through the rhythm of their praise.

They know about God’s love: they practice it. And they share it: they said as much when they waved their greeting to their Northville: First United Methodist brothers and sisters in Christ through the lens of our camera. They are a people of God’s love; and having been with them, I know that Laura and I have been to the heart of Africa.