The heads of Christian Churches in Zimbabwe issued a pastoral message to the nation on Wednesday, November 15, urging calm, prayer and national dialogue. The ecumenical statement was released just hours after four armored personnel carriers rolled into Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, and military officers reportedly seized control of the state broadcaster and placed 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe under effective house arrest.
The world may think that the HIV pandemic is under control, but trust me: It is not!” warned Debra Mwale, convener of the Chikondano HIV and AIDS Committee of Zimbabwe’s Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Harare Synod. Mwale, a nurse who does HIV testing and counseling, observed that while “people now know about HIV and preventive measures, they still have not accepted that they must change their behavior.”
The second Sunday of Advent is Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday and PC(USA) mission co-worker the Rev. Janet Guyer believes, as many others do, we are at a crossroads.
Since 2005, the Presbytery of Denver has been in partnership with the Presbytery of Zimbabwe, part of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA). A cluster of the presbytery’s churches have also formed a mission partnership, Zimbabwe KidZ, to advance the educational opportunities for children in Zimbabwe, particularly through the 10 schools operated by the UPCSA.
Since 2005, the Presbytery of Denver has been in partnership with the Presbytery of Zimbabwe, part of the United Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA). A cluster of the presbytery’s churches have also formed a mission partnership, “Zimbabwe KidZ,” to advance the educational opportunities for children in Zimbabwe, particularly through the 10 schools operated by the UPCSA.
Church partners show strong commitment to education
Zimbabwe’s once formidable education system has been hit hard by spending cuts and economic contractions in the 21st century. Yet the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s global partners in Zimbabwe maintain a strong commitment to education as a mechanism for tackling poverty and enabling all Zimbabweans to know life in fullness.
