UnitingWorld welcomes two senior leaders from the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, Rev. Dr Levee Kadenge and Mr Astonishment Mapurisa who are visiting Australia in June and July.
They are engaging Uniting Church schools, groups and congregations in Australia on a range of issues currently facing Zimbabwe, and will speak about the growing relationship between UnitingWorld and the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.
Dr Kadenge is an ordained minister and senior lecturer at the United Theological College in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is an expert on the church’s engagement in social justice, and passionate about involving his students in issues surrounding poverty, justice, and human rights. He visits Australia for the first time in June to connect with several communities throughout New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and South Australia.
Mr Mapurisa is Director of the Matthew Rusike Children’s Home, a community-based children’s care program involving more than 6 000 orphans and vulnerable children based in Epworth, near Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a dynamic, sociable and charismatic leader who brings vast experience from several public institutions, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
He will visit congregations, groups and schools throughout New South Wales Queensland, and Victoria. His visit to Australia has been made possible by UnitingWorld, Qantas Airways, and the Presbytery of Bremer Brisbane.
UnitingWorld National Director, Rev. Dr Kerry Enright said, “On behalf of UnitingWorld I would like to welcome these two leaders to Australia from our Church Partner in Zimbabwe. Their visit is a demonstration of our deep connection with the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, and we look forward to continued learning and sharing with them.”
Their visit takes place as the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, which includes the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, continues to demand that Zimbabwe’s political leaders fully implement the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to repair the economy, improve access to education and health care, decrease the high unemployment rate, and improve food security. The GPA was signed by both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in September 2008.
“We will continue to stand in solidarity with our Church Partner through these difficult times and work together to address the urgent needs of people in Zimbabwe. Please pray for our Church Partner, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, as we work together to address their priorities and support them in serving some of the most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Enright.
UnitingWorld works in partnership with the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe and their development arm, the Methodist Development and Relief Agency (MeDRA). The Relief and Development Unit of UnitingWorld supports a water harvesting project in the dry and arid northern area surrounding Muzarabani. In May, the Unit began support for a new project that aims to tackle the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS in the Gutsa- Warambwa region.
Tags: Zimbabwe
[...] Click here to read more about Mr Mapurisa and his visit to Australia [...]
Interested to know the actual program for Dr Kadenge if he visits Canberra in July.