71 years of Scripture Union in Zim

Stanely Mushava : Features Correspondent
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education recently stepped into the line of fire following reports that it was contemplating a ban on Scripture Union. Despite clarification that the ministry was aligning the work of the Bible study club to the new schools’ curriculum, social media was lit up with an all-out debate over the anticipated interdict.

Soon enough, conspiracy theories exploded suggesting that the ministry was bent to the systematic eviction of Christianity from school. The ministry has since dismissed the theories as the emanation of stray cannons on the social network.

During a recent stakeholders’ conference, Deputy Minister Paul Mavhima said Government has not banned SU. However, the intervening outcry seems to be an indication of the Bible study group’s special place in the hearts of many Zimbabweans.

SU has been operating in the country for more than 70 years and boasts graduates of repute in industry, politics and Christian ministry. The Herald Review spoke to Scripture Union Zimbabwe directors and recent graduates for insight into the future of the organisation, its septuagenarian record, and the controversies surrounding its operations in schools.

“We have not discontinued our operations in schools. The ministry met with Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations to come up with a memorandum of understanding on the operations of SU but we are continuing business as usual in the meantime,” SU Zimbabwe director Kudakwashe Gwemende said.

“It is important to state the position correctly following the way things have turned out on social media. We are not being forced out of schools. The deputy ministers confirmed that position last month,” Gwemende said.

“SU is an interdenominational Christian organisation which operates in schools among children and young people to encourage Bible study. We are international but the Zimbabwean chapter of the work started in 1945,” he said.

The movement was incepted in Wales by Josiah Spiers in 1867 in order to encourage the understanding of the Bible by young people who were required to come to church even though services were pitched a level about their faculties. Spiers conceived SU as an instrument of breaking down the scriptures in ways that could stimulate the minds of children and encourage godly character from an early age.

“To achieve the founding vision, we establish Bible study clubs in schools which not only encourage a sound appreciation of the Bible but help to develop character and leadership qualities,” Gwemende said.

Responding to the charge that SU was meant to proselytise students in schools whereas the country is a secular democracy, Gwemende said the organisation is never coercive.

“Attending SU is purely voluntary, never mandatory. We do not pressure students to join the group but just open doors for those who are interest,” Gwemende said.

“The success of SU in schools is attributable to the fact that Zimbabwe has an overwhelming Christian majority, at least 70 percent, whose beliefs agree with our mission, so that many children are always ready to voluntarily participate. So we look at it in terms of a situation whereby we are offering a service which the majority need instead of forcing anyone into religion against their conscience,” he said.

SU is not a stranger to controversy. The exercise of spiritual gifts, satanic manifestations and cases of hysteria has brought the group at loggerheads with school authorities at some school.

“We have spiritual enemies who have made our work difficult in some situations but people need to understand that SU is a Christian and biblically ground which does not encourage evil,” Gwemende said.

“On the contrary, we fight evil as Christians. There are cases whereby a demon manifests and students cast it out. Sometimes, this has been interpreted as SU harbouring satanism whereas the opposite is true. I can give you the example of Botswana. There was a disturbing rise in the cases of satanism and the initiation of students in schools and the Government asked SU to help. The ministry signed an MOU with SU to rid schools of satanism.

“That is reflective of where we stand. As a Christian organisation we obviously have no alliance with anything satanic,” he said.

SU also aims to provide biblically grounded solutions to emerging social and developmental challenges. The Zimbabwean chapter has been involved in AIDS Education for more than 10 years, informed by the vision of an AIDS-free generation.

Gwemende said SU upholds tolerance and works with people of diverse races and religions, despite being entirely staffed by Christians who believe in the Bible.

SU is funded by churches, individual Christians and donor groups, and registered in Zimbabwe as a welfare organisation. Assistant Director Schools and Churches, (Mukoma) Timothy Tavaziva, a familiar character in schools with his one-guitar hymns, said the work of SU over the past seven decades cannot be underestimated.

“Offhand, I can cite scores of individuals who have risen to become influential leaders in different sectors as a result of their grooming b y SU,” Mukoma Timothy said.

“People like Douglas Mboweni, Ronald Gambiza, Bishop Ngwiza Mkandla, Nyasha Zhou, Ambassador Wutawunashe, Shingi Munyeza and many others are products of SU. I can give a different list any other day,” he said.

“SU’s work is very important for schools because it promotes responsible behaviour. A school head in Harare banned SU but later reversed the decision when he noticed an unprecedented rise in misbehaviour among students.

“One of our interns was a student at the school during the time. The head said to him ‘Nyasha, we need that group to restore character in this school’,” Mukoma Timothy related.

SU also trains prefects and young leaders and organises inter-school camps for members to learn from each other. Mukoma Timothy said SU, being an interdenominational entity, does not encourage one denomination over the rest.

He, however, cited cases of students of getting into trouble with mission authorities for taking controversial denominational positions outside SU teachings.

“We have had unfortunate incidents where students have been driven by zeal without maturity. There is a case whereby SU was shut by Waddilove authorities when the students were proclaiming that all the authorities at the institution were no saved,” Mukoma Timothy said.

“At SU, we are not into fomenting church wars. We train leaders, both teachers and students to learn from the Bible in a spirit of Christian tolerance,” he said.

For Anesu Guriremhete, a recent SU leader at Highfield 1 High School in Harare, being part of the Bible study group meant being socially responsible and spiritually functional at the earliest possible opportunity.

“As SU, we loved our visits to the nearby old people’s home, sometimes with donations we mobilised for them. The best experience was getting to hear their stories, comforting them and sharing the Gospel with them,” Anesu said.

“I was in SU for nine years, from Grade 5 to Form 6. SU contributed immensely to my character development and informed my spiritual perspective. I resolved quite early to make the most of my life after learning that God gave me time on earth to build and qualify me for eternity.

“As an SU leader, I had frequent interaction with my peers for the purpose of encouraging them, supporting them in their endeavours and respecting our difference,” Anesu said.

Tendai Mabaya, a former SU leader at Gutu High School in Masvingo, attributes his academic and professional transformation to the Bible study group.

“We were going to a Friday gig (entertainment party) in 2005, when the SU chairperson shared the Gospel with me. I was born again and that marked the beginning of my transformation,” Tendai said.

“My character changed positively and my school performance improved. It was the same term that I came out as the top student in my class the first time in my life. Fearing God, sharing the message of the Bible and studying my books were now my priorities.

“I ministered the Gospel to my peers and they had a similar transformation in their lives. Two years later, as the Gutu High SU chairman when I was Form 4, I managed to scoop 9As.

“As vice headboy and SU chairperson again in 2010, I emerged as the top student at A Level. SU transformed my life. It would not be an overstatement to say that during my six years there I have led at least 200 students to a positive transformation in Christ,” he said.

It is not difficult to understand why Zimbabweans just love SU. It is a site of treasured experiences, the first chapter of success diaries.

The writer is a former Scripture Union leader. He can be contacted at [email protected]