A costly splintering in the historically Nashville-based United Methodist Church has shaken confidence in one of the most influential Protestant bodies worldwide. An exodus of churches in the U.S. and parts of Africa, fueled by debates over LGBTQ+ rights, upended revenue projections. Likely, it will mean diminished investment in ministries across the globe.
The splintering in the denomination is just the latest obstacle for United Methodism in Zimbabwe. However, the denomination has managed to overcome it.
Before, the church suffered under the cruel apartheid regime of former Southern Rhodesia Prime Minister Ian Smith. The United Methodist bishop mobilized rank-and-file parishioners to resist Smith’s government and support the Black nationalist movement that ultimately liberated Zimbabwe. This legacy of the church advocating for liberation for Black Africans, and building institutions around that vision, has laid the groundwork for yet another turning point. The UMC just ratified a landmark restructuring that gives more autonomy to United Methodists outside the U.S.
The restructuring, known as regionalization, raises a deeply existential question about balancing different identities. In Zimbabwe, that question is about what it means to be a Zimbabwean United Methodist, an African United Methodist, and a global United Methodist all at the same time. Many have described this moment as the “decolonizing” of the UMC.
Liam Adams, The Tennessean—USA Today Network religion reporter, and photojournalist Andrew Nelles traveled to Zimbabwe as United Methodists voted on restructuring, and visited churches, ministries, and the UMC’s flagship university on the continent. This project details what they witnessed and what they learned about a landmark change for faith across Africa.
