scottish presbyterian church mission policy in south africa graham alexander duncan master of

190 Pages·2014·3.01 MB·English

SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MISSION POLICY
IN SOUTH AFRICA
1898 - 1923
by
GRAHAM ALEXANDER DUNCAN
submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF THEOLOGY
in the subject
MISSIOLOGY
at the
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
SUPERVISOR : PROF WA SAAYMAN
June 1997
Student Number: 3053-918-8
I declare that ''Scottish Presbyterian Church Mission Policy in
South Africa, 1898-1923" is my own work and that all the
sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated by means
of complete references.
~r~.J)~.__
SIGNATURE DATE
(GA DUNCA:\T)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • v
............................................
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi
ABBREVIATIONS . . . • . . . . . . . . • • • • . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . ix
C:t-:aPTER 1 • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • . . . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • 1
..............................................
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. The Aim of the Study................................ 1
1.2. Setting the Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . .. ..... .. .. . . . . . . . 1
1.3. The Phase of Mission History under Review........... 3
1.4. Towards a Definition of Mission History............. 4
1.5. Mission History in Broader Context ........•..•..••.. 5
1. 6. The Context of Mission . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.7. The Problem cf Historiography....................... 8
....................
1.7.1. ~he ''Old" Historiography 9
1.7.2. The "New" Historiography ..........••....••.. 13
1. 8. The Role of Ideology . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 19
1.9. The Present Study ................................... 23
1.10. The Study in Outline ................................ 24
CHAPTER 2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26
.............................................
THE BACKGROUND 26
2.1. The Origin of the Mission in Scotland ...•.••••••••.. 26
2.1.1. The Reformation ............................. 26
2.1.2. Prelude to Action ........................... 26
2.1.3. The Voluntary Societies ...••................ 27
2.1,4. The 'Disruption' ............................ 29
2.1,.5. Later Developments .......................... 31
2.2. The Beginnings of Scottish Presbyterian Church
Mission in South Africa ..........................•.. 31
2.2.1. The Beginning of British Mission Work in
ii
.................................
South Africa 31
2.2.2. Scottish Church Mission is Established ...•.. 32
............................
2.2.3. The Institutions 33
2.2.4. What About Black Participation? ......•...... 34
2.2.5. An Assessment ............................... 35
CHAPTER 3 ••••••• , • • • • • • • . • • • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . . • . . . . . . . . 3 7
THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT • • . . . . . • • • • . . • • • . • • • • • • . . • . . . . . . . 3 7
3.1. The Theological Dimension ••............••••.......•. 37
3.2. The Ecumenical Dimension ............................ 41
3.3. The Cultural Dimension .............•...•............ 44
3. 4. The Social Dimension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.4.1. Education ................................... 51
3.4.2. Politics and Land ........................... 52
3.5. The Political Dimension ............................. 53
3.5.1. The South African War ...•................... 55
3.5.2. The Union of South Africa ...••••••.......•.. 56
3.5.3. Report of the South African Native Affairs
Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 59
3.5.4. Foundation of the South African Native
National Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3 . 5 . 5 . Native Land Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2
3.6. The Economic Dimension .............................. 64
3.7. Protest and Resistance ..•.••........................ 67
3.7.1. The Bambata Rebellion .•..••••.••........•••.• 68
3.7.2. The Bullhoek Massacre •••.............•...••. 69
3.7.3. Popular Protests in the Early 1920s •••.....• 69
CHAPTER 4 • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • . . • • • 72
THE MZIMBA SECESSION . . • • • • . • . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . • • • . . . 72
4.1. African Initiated Churches .•............••..•••.•••• 72
4. 2. Ethiopianism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.3. The Tsewu Secession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.4. The Mzimba Secession ................................ 84
4. 4 . 1 . The Ga uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
iii
4.4.2. Rev Pambani J Mzimba 89
4.4.3. The South African 'Disruption' •.•••••..••..• 90
4.4.4. Ongoing 'Disruption' ..............•...•••..• 99
4.4.5. Assessment .................................. 100
CHAPTER 5 • • • • • • • . . . • • • • • • • • • • • . . • • • • • • • . . . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • 104
SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MISSION POLICY ..••.••••••.... 104
5 .1. Mission Councils .................................... 104
5.2. Formation of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa. 113
5.3. Consequences of the Union ..............•.•.•••..••.. 116
5.4. The Two Policy Option .•............................. 125
5.4.1. The 'United' Policy Option ••..•••......••..• 125
5.4.2. The 'Native' Church Option .............•.... 127
5.5. Ongoing Effects of the Mzimba Secession ....••....••• 132
5.6. Change of Plan ...................................... 137
CHAPTER 6 .••.•...••.••.••.•••••••..••.•••••••.•.••.••..•.• 142
THE FORMATION OF THE BANTU PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SOUTH
AFRICA ..•..•.•............•.•••......••................... 142
6.1. Preparations for a New Birth ••••.••••...•..••....... 142
6.2. Consummation of Union ............................... 150
6.2.1. The First General Assembly of the BPCSA ...•. 150
6.2.2. The Name of the Church ••.••...•••.......•••. 151
6.2.3. The Role of Missionaries ....••..•....•..••.• 152
6.2.4. The Pastoral Care of the Church ....•..•..•.• 153
..........................................
6. 3. Assessment 154
CHAPTER 7 ................................................. 158
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . . • • . • • • . . . . . . . . . • • . 15 8
7.1. Summary ............................................. 158
7.2. Conclusion .......................................... 165
iv
BIBLIOGRAPHY
..............................................
168
UNI!!!-'
Bl!?' ,,_,-n'"•. ·
>.H3R~RY
J
cnnc.
n~ ~
11l~~lll11llllll
0001725212
v
SUMMARY
This dissertation offers an analysis of Scottish Presbyterian
Church mission policy during the period, 1898 - 1923. The
study contains an examination of historiographical methodology,
the historical background both in Scotland and South Africa
along the multi-faceted dimensions within the South
w~th
African context of the time. The Mzimba Secession provides an
appropriate historical starting point which led to a serious
disruption of the Mission. The role of the major participants,
black ministers and elders and missionaries, is assessed as a
struggle between them and the Foreign Mission Committee of the
United Free Church of Scotland, following the union of two
churches in 1900, took place involving the various policy
options. This eventually led to the formation of the Bantu
Presbyterian Church of South Africa.
KEY TERMS: Mzimba Secession; African Initiated Churches;
Mission History; Historiography; 'Disruption'; Bantu
Presbyterian Church of South Africa; James Stewart;
Ethiopianism; Pambani J Mzimba; United Free Church of Scotland;
Free Church of Scotland; United Presbyterian Church of
Scotland; Foreign Mission Committee; Mission Councils;
Presbyterian Church of South Africa.
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to many people for their assistance and support
during the preparation of this dissertation in the midst of a
busy parish life in Cumbernauld Old Parish Church, Scotland.
My friend of long standing, Rev Dr Tinyiko Maluleke, first
raised the possibility of my returning to study after quite a
break from both study and teaching at the Federal Theological
Seminary of Southern Africa. He inspired me to believe that I
could achieve a level of competence in the study of Missiology.
It was my Supervisor, Prof Willem Saayman, whose enthusiasm
kept me going when mine was faltering. His breadth of
knowledge and depth of understanding have been a source of
encouragement throughout my studies to date.
The Department of Missiology at UNISA has always provided a
warm environment and centre for my studies while in South
Africa.
Mrs Natalie Thierion, Practical Theology and Missiology Subject
Librarian at UNISA has given invaluable help at great distance
in providing material for this dissertation.
Throughout South Africa I have been given great support and
hospitality from my many friends as I have travelled around the
country researching archives during my visits. My colleagues
in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa and my
former students at FedSem deserve a special mention in this
regard.
My Kirk Session, colleagues in ministry, congregation and
friends in Cumberanuld have been extremely tolerant and
supportive as I have tried to balance the responsibilities of
my ministry and private during the past two years.
st~dy
vii
My family have from having a part-time father for
suffer~J
years as the result of my calling to the ministry. That has
been even greater during the past two years. My wife, Sandra,
has provided enormous support in everything I have done for the
past twenty four yearL and more. She has created space for me
to pursue my studies as I have developed over the years. This
was especially true during our ten years of missionary service
in South Africa from 1978 -1987.
Sandra and my friend, Ian Duncan, kindly proof read the text of
this dissertation for me.
viii
'A sun of disaster has risen in the West,
Glaring down on people and populated places.
Poetically I mean the catastrophe
speak~ng,
of the Christians,
The Christian calamity has come upon us
Like a dust cloud.
At the start of the affair they came
Peacefully,
With sweet talk.
"We've come to trade!!" they said.
"To reform the beliefs of the people,
To halt oppression here below, and theft,
To clean up and overthrow corruption'',
Not all of us grasped their motives,
So now we've become their inferiors,
They deluded us with little gifts
And fed us tasty foods •••
But recently they've changed their tune.
An Arab poem from Ghana, written in 1900
(source unknown)