Twinning Partners
Twinning with Kadoma Methodist District, Zimbabwe
The beginning of a new relationship
In 2017, the Birmingham District was rejoicing in the fellowship we had with four Zimbabwean presbyters serving in the district and the two branches of the Zimbabwean Methodist Fellowship in Coventry and Selly Oak.
District Synod 2017 decided to develop these relationships by pursuing a partnership with the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe with the aim of developing a link with a district in the MCZ. The MCZ Conference was delighted to agree to this and suggested we link with the Kadoma district.
A large district in Zimbabwe that goes up to and even over the Zambian border.
We hoped that a small group would go and visit their Synod in the Spring of 2018 to help develop the link and plan further exchanges.
Visiting Kadoma District, 2018
From family to family
Rev Ian Howarth, Chair of Birmingham District writes: ‘Just before we went to Zimbabwe I received a card from one of my predecessors as Chair,the Rev Donald Eadie, which simply said “You go from family to family”. That
phrase became a mantra to me as we met
people from the Methodist Church in
Zimbabwe throughout our trip.’
Fellowship as people leave church
The service finished, as all worship we attended
while were in Zimbabwe did, with ‘Fellowship’.
This consists of everyone shaking everyone else’s hand in a line, (like an extended passing of the peace. This is accompanied by singing, drumming and dancing, in which young and old participate.
Trinity Methodist Church in Harare
Few of our churches could maintain its worshipping life of an early 8am traditional service, an international service at 9am, in English, catering for people from all over the world, and then a Shona service at 11am for which people queue to get in and which is infused with the singing and dancing as an expression of committed faith, that we had so appreciated during our stay.
Kadoma District Visit to Birmingham, 2019
Brimingham District welcomed a group of eight friends from the Kadoma District. The programme was as follows:
Kadoma Methodist District in Zimbabwe and Birmingham Methodist District in the UK are now twinned together in a partnership that will benefit both sides.
Gifts from Birmingham to Kadoma, 2020
