The Church in Africa

God sometimes sends his insight to lead us in an important direction.

This happened when the Bishops of Southern Africa worked at drawing up a pastoral plan that would address, indeed redress the major negative fruits of colonialism and especially apartheid, and in doing so create an image for the Church in Africa. ‘The Church in Africa must seek to be the Family of God in Africa.’

For Africans, community is important, but so is the Church. And these two strong qualities – community and family should be refined and become central to the way we live.

This divine insight came to me most forcibly when I reflected on how my Mission friends like you, and we, the direct beneficiaries of your love and generosity form a very special community – the Family of God across all man-made boundaries. This is something for which I can never thank you enough.

At this same time, the whole Church is being challenged to build up good and strong marriages, so that we can have good and strong
families making up good and strong Christian communities.

In other words, your support of the Zulu Missions goes much further than the gifts of currency which you so send with such loving open-heartedness. Your partnership in our work rebounds across the mountains and waters, making us ‘a caring evangelizing community, serving God, humanity and all creation.’

May God bless you, your dear ones, and those in your community, with good and strong Christian marriages and families which form the foundation of the ‘Family of God’.