Religious Institutions to document their history and contribution to the nation

Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
RELIGIOUS institutions have been challenged to add to the country`s body of knowledge by documenting their history and contributions to the nation.

This was said by researcher, historian, and publisher Mr Pathisa Nyathi during the launch of a new book, Trailblazers of Adventism, The Untold Zimbabwean Story volume one that was commissioned by the Seventh -Day Adventist Church. The book which was launched on Sunday covers the period from 1890 to 1980 traces how the church began and spread in Zimbabwe by tracking the journey of the pioneers and how it developed into the modern structure.

“The history must be preserved in all its manifestations. The establishment of a museum that I heard being mentioned here is another very important way of documenting history. If you have been preserving some of the artifacts used in the past by the church you could be making money to support some of your religious activities,” he said. Mr Nyathi who said he has also been engaged by the Guta RaMwari church to write a book on its history urged the SDA church to continue producing more books that document its history.

Speaking at the same event, the leader of the SDA church at the Zimbabwe West Union Conference, Dr Micah Choga called for more books from various church denominations as that will not only benefit their members but the community at large. “Africa is known as the continent that does not write and always wants to receive ideas from the West. Let us reverse that and have writers in Africa who tell the story in our context. Let us tell our story. If you are afraid of writing as an individual you can team up with others and come up with something,” he said.

The Secretary of the Zimbabwe West Union Conference pastor Nceku Msimanga said the church has a great need for more books and urged the team that worked on the book to continue writing. Pastor Msimanga said there is a lot of church history to be documented for future generations which highlights not only the work by the white missionaries but indigenous Zimbabweans who contributed immensely to the growth of the church in the country.

“We really need to open the flood gates because we have a big need for such resources as a church. If we do not tell our story someone else will do it for us. We cannot walk as if its business as usual when we have such a great need,” he said. A lecturer at the SDA run Solusi University Dr Nkosiyabo Zvandasara who contributed in the writing project said the book talks about the involvement of Africans in the growth of the church.

Dr Zvandasara hailed the Heritage team which researched and contributed on the writing said the project has opened a lid on those who were involved in the planting of the seed which has resulted in massive growth of the church in the country.-@themkhust