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Linda Worthington
Phyllis May discusses her trips to Zimbabwe at the Washington West Christ the King Celebration.

Dean Snyder/UMConnection
May wears the uniform of the United Methodist Women of Zimbabwe whenever she speaks on Zimbabwe. She said the red collar, buttons and sash symbolize the blood of Jesus, the white headpiece stands for purity, and the blue dress is the color of fidelity. Women are allowed to wear the uniform only after completing a study and disciplines of the United Methodist Women. They wear the dress every Friday and for public events. 

District building church, sports complex in Zimbabwe

BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Two banners, symbolizing the bridge to dreams that link two United Methodist districts on opposite sides of the globe, were recently paraded down the aisle of Woodside UMC.

The banners, one showing the chapel at Africa University and the other a colonial church representing the Washington West region, were at the forefront of the procession on Nov. 25.

They were a reminder to the 150 congregants assembled for a Washington West District Christ the King celebration of the partnership between the district and the Mutare District of Zimbabwe. 

Washington West has pledged $300,000 over the quadrennium as its share to support the relationship between the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the Zimbabwe United Methodist Conference.

We continue a linkage that will be a bridge to dreams, said the Rev. Marcus Matthews, district superintendent. That dream will become a reality with the completion of the sanctuary at St. Johns Chikanga UMC, which has a thriving congregation of more than 600, and the Bishop Felton Edwin May Sports Center at Africa University, which is open to the entire community. 

The $10,000 the district raised at the Christ the King celebration last year is already being put to good use, said the Rev. Tom Brunkow, the host pastor. 

The Rev. John Schol, senior minister of West Chester UMC in Pennsyl-vania, told of his impressions on his first trip to Zimbabwe in 1994. Its almost as beautiful as heaven, he said. 

Schol explained that much of Zimbabwes current economic and political distress stems from unresolved land and justice issues that date back to when Zimbabwe, which was formerly Rhodesia, gained its independence in 1980. Land taken by white colonists decades earlier was not returned and justice issues were never resolved, Schol said.

AIDS has also had an unsettling effect on the country, Schol said. On his second trip, he saw dramatic changes in Sekubva, a village near Africa University. Now the number one business in the village is coffin-making and the cemetery, which had a few scattered tombstones in 1994, was completely filled, he said. AIDS is doing its work.

Phyllis May brought greetings from her husband, Bishop Felton Edwin May, who was in Zimbabwe to attend an African University board of directors meeting. Hed want me to say how good it is you take your mission and ministry not just at home, but around the world, she said.

In 1992, the United Methodist Church began the building of the university. It is the strongest thing we as United Methodists have done on the African continent, said the Rev. Lloyd Rawlings, director of development for Africa University. 

Each of the 731 graduates now has tools to change Africa, Rawlings said. This is not the time to let down on support for Africa. We have resources in this United Methodist Church to make the dreams a reality.

The district has sent $30,000 to date for the two projects, Matthews said.