Reverse and Distant Mission: The Missiological Impact of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Zimbabwe Fellowship in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Migration is as old as human history. Over the centuries, there was never a time when migration stopped. The nineteenth century was characterised by the migration of Europeans to Africa. These movements were attributed to colonisation, commerce, and Christianisation. Christianity was used as a conduit of colonisation and the deculturation of the recipients of the missionary gospel. At the turn of the twenty-first century, there was a significant influx of Africans migrating to Europe. Among these migrants were worshippers from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (WMCZ). Using a missiological framework, this paper employs a qualitative research methodology to argue that the establishment of the WMCZ Fellowship, grounded in the mission and ecclesiology of the home church in the United Kingdom, is both a reverse and distant mission. To achieve this aim, this paper unpacks the methodology and the theoretical framework. It will also trace the development of the WMCZ in the United Kingdom (UK), discuss the hybridisation of Christianity, and justify the notion that the Fellowship is both a reverse and distant mission. The study makes recommendations that support the growth of the Fellowship. It concludes by arguing that the development of migrant churches in the UK can turn the MCB into a church with a white history, a black/multiracial face, and a white head that will eventually use a multiracial mind to survive in a white historical ecclesiology.

1. Introduction

The subject of migration has its roots in human history (Bae et al. 2017). The movement is characterised by several push-and-pull factors (Janeau et al. 2023). Notably, most reasons for migration are life-threatening, including fleeing natural disasters, threats to personal safety, political instability and tensions, and the need to improve one’s life, among other factors (Burnett-Harry and Jeganathan 2024, p. 1). These movements culminate in the world becoming a web of migration, as people relocate to different localities, either temporarily or permanently (Urbański 2022, p. 2). This study examines the migration of Europeans to Africa in the nineteenth century and of Africans to Europe in the twenty-first century (Olofinjana 2011; Burgess 2011; Stiftung Marburger Mission n.d.). The nineteenth-century movements were attributed to colonisation, commerce, and Christianisation. Unfortunately, Christianity de-culturated the recipients of the missionary gospel (Mujinga 2017, p. 120). At the turn of the twenty-first century, migratory patterns shifted, leading to a significant increase in African migration to Europe (Krueger 2006). Among these migrants were worshippers from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (WMCZ)1. Upon their arrival in the United Kingdom, the WMCZ worshippers, like many other Zimbabwean Christians, found themselves pulled between two homes: the missionary home (the United Kingdom), which was becoming secularised (Morris 2012, p. 195), and the migrants’ home (Africa), which was becoming the hub of twenty-first-century Christianity (Oladipupo 2023). This tension created a spiritual vacuum for the WMCZ congregants, who longed for a home-style of worship while in diaspora. This search for spiritual fulfilment culminated in discussions about engaging some of the devoted Methodists to recognise the need for establishing a church in the UK with Zimbabwean worship characteristics.

This is the first research on the WMCZ Fellowship. It aims to provide readers with information on how the WMCZ Fellowship2 was established in the United Kingdom. The paper argues that the establishment of the WMCZ Fellowship was grounded in the home church’s mission and ecclesiology. The Fellowship represents both the reverse and distant mission of the WMCZ. To achieve this aim, the paper will deploy a missiological framework proposed by Kgatle (2024).

Data for this research were collected using semi-structured interviews. The paper will begin by defining the methodology and theoretical framework used in this study. A historical development of the WMCZ in the UK, a discussion of the reasons for the hybridisation of Christianity, and an analysis of the Fellowship as both a reverse and distant mission will follow this discourse. Data presentation from the participants will support the argument that the Methodist Church in Britain serves as a conduit of the Fellowship, both as a reverse and distant mission of the WMCZ. The paper will also discuss the opportunities and challenges that the WMCZ and the MCB encounter in the context of the hybridisation of Christianity. The paper will conclude by arguing that the development of migrant churches in the UK envisages a church with a white history, a black or multiracial face, and a white leadership that will eventually adopt a multiracial spirituality to survive in a predominantly white historical ecclesiology.

2. Methodology

The study gathered data from 10 informants who participated in online interviews, conducted via Zoom and WhatsApp Conference calls. The following table presents a sample of the participants.

Chaplains who served in the UK	Chaplains serving in other Fellowships	Zimbabwean ministers who candidated in the UK	Fellowship leaders
4	2	2	2

The first category of participants comprises four chaplains purposively sampled. Nyambili and Nyambili (2024, p. 90) argue that “purposive sampling is used to identify cases, individuals, or communities best suited to helping researchers to answer the research question”. The four chaplains served the Fellowship as well as the British Methodist as recognised and regarded ministers.3 from 2006 to 2025. The first chaplain was Rev. George Mawire. After serving as chaplain, he returned to Zimbabwe and, at the time of writing, was the Presiding Bishop (head of the church) of the WMCZ. His contributions were therefore analysed, representing both the former chaplain and the Presiding Bishop. The term “Bishop Mawire” will be used to differentiate his views as head of the church from his views as a chaplain. Rev. Adam Nyawo succeeded Rev Mawire, and later Rev. Cleopas Sibanda took over from Nyawo. At the time of writing, Rev. Dr Clement Matarirano, who had been a recognised and regarded minister under the British Conference, had been the Acting Chaplain. At the end of their terms as chaplains, Rev. Nyawo and Rev. Sibanda joined the British Conference.

The second category comprises Rev. Tawanda Sungai, who was seconded to work with the Zimbabwean Fellowship in Ireland from 2018 to 2025. After his term as chaplain, he also joined the Irish Conference. This category includes Rev. Onias Masawi, who was pursuing his studies in the United States but was assigned to shepherd the Zimbabwean Methodists in Canada. The six chaplains consented to their names being included in the data analysis. The need for participants to consent in any research was justified by Pietrzykowski and Smilowska (2021), who argue that consent in research informs participants of their rights, including the option to contribute voluntarily. Given that the six chaplains were speaking on behalf of the WMCZ, which holds a position of authority, their consent was necessary for this study.

The third category of participants consisted of two randomly sampled ministers who had left Zimbabwe as laypeople and were subsequently ordained into the Methodist ministry of the British Conference. One preferred to remain anonymous during the data analysis, while Rev. Mary Sachikonye consented. The last category was two chain-referenced leaders of the Fellowship. Of the two, Mr Noah Dodo gave his consent, and the other leader preferred to remain anonymous during the data analysis.

Using semi-structured interviews, participants were asked questions that solicited their understanding of migration and their response to the notion that the Methodist Church in Britain (MCB) serves as a conduit for the Fellowship, both as a reverse and distant mission of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. Participants were also asked to describe their understanding of the influence of the WMCZ Fellowship in the UK, the contribution of migration to the Fellowship’s growth, and to share the challenges and opportunities associated with it. Given that this research aims to provide information, the data were analysed using descriptive analysis, which combines current and historical data to identify trends and relationships (Sarmento and Costa 2017).

Data was also collected from the WMCZ archives, located at 7 Central Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe. The archives contain the Agendas and Minutes of the WMCZ Conference, among other records, since its inception in Zimbabwe in 1891. Consent to access the archives was granted by the WMCZ leadership, who are the custodians of the church’s intellectual property.

Given that the research involved humans, an application for full ethical approval was submitted to the University of South Africa’s College of Human Sciences, College of Research Ethics Committee. The ethics consent approval number 5658 was issued on 29 October 2024. During the interviews, ethical considerations, including no reward for participation, anonymity of the participants, time and length of the interviews, voluntary involvement, and the interview platform to be used, were communicated to the participants before the sessions began.

3. Missiological Framework

A missiological framework proposed by Kgatle (2024) was chosen for this research because it “strives to understand and engage with Christian mission, drawing on theology, history, and social sciences” (Kgatle 2024, p. 23). The framework provides a lens for analysing the mission of God (Missio Dei) and the church’s role in this mission (Thinane 2024, p. 362). Moreover, the missiological framework considers the cultural contexts and societal issues in which the mission is situated (Isaak 2019, p. 337). For example, the situation of Methodists in the United Kingdom illustrates how migrants long for their form of worship while living in the UK. Kgatle (2024, p. 24) argues that “the only way to study the mission of diaspora churches is to locate them within their missiological context”. Kgatle (2024) justifies this assertion by highlighting the methodological challenges associated with studying the mission of migrant churches. He pointed out the lack of research on theoretical frameworks for addressing the subject from a missiological and migration perspective, which he highlighted as a challenge for studying migrant churches. In coming up with the missiological framework, Kgatle (2024, p. 24) argues that “a missiological framework helps to reflect the prevailing trends in missiology and migration, as well as understanding the challenges faced by migrant churches and their ability to remain relevant to the host country’s sociocultural and religious trajectories in the mission of God”. Missiological framework assists researchers in analysing information on subjects that have not been researched, such as the impact of the Fellowship of the WMCZ as both a reverse and a distant mission.

4. Toward the Definitions of the Concepts of Reverse and Distant Mission

A simple reading of the concepts of reverse and distant mission seems to refer to the same thing, given that the mission is described as a single destination: the United Kingdom. This section aims to unpack the two concepts and also differentiate their usage in this paper.

The twenty-first century is characterised by reverse migration, where people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America are moving to both Europe and North America. This migration of Christians has given rise to a new phenomenon known as reverse mission. According to Morier-Genoud (2018, p. 169), “the concept of reverse mission emerged as a fashionable topic in theology and the social sciences in the late 1990s. The term was used to refer to the flow of missionaries coming from the Global North to the Global South, when, in the past, missionaries left Europe to evangelise the South.” Ojo (2007, p. 380) stresses that, “reverse mission is the sending of missionaries to Europe and North America by churches from Africa, Asia and Latin America.” The concept gained momentum in the twentieth century. From the above explanations, a reverse mission is being carried out by the former colonised, who are evangelising in the former coloniser’s countries, such as the United Kingdom (Ajani 2023, p. 2). For Catto (2017, p. 91), “reverse mission is a change in the direction of mission between the Global North and the Global South”. This point was buttressed by Adogame (2006), who argues that “while Europe’s spiritual light of the yesteryear mission force is darkening, the continent is becoming another missionary field from its former mission areas”. Adogame (2006) notes that the concept of ‘reverse mission’ or ‘reverse flow of mission’ is increasingly becoming a buzz phrase in mission circles, among Christians from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

While the reverse mission has received considerable scholarly attention, the concept of distant mission has not yet received the same level of consideration. The researcher has coined the term ‘distant mission’ to position the MCB as a conduit for the Fellowship, representing the WMCZ’s distant mission. The coinage of the concept of distant mission in this paper is supported by the notion that the members of the Fellowship are recorded in the statistics of both the British and WMCZ Conferences (Matarirano 2025). This double entry of statistics shows that the WMCZ is growing in two different church conferences. The increase in WMCZ membership, driven by the addition of statistics from the Fellowship, is a sign that the church is growing beyond its borders. Second, the WMCZ has a portion of its budget that the Fellowship finances because its membership is recognised by its home conference (Mawire 2025).

In comparing the two concepts, it is argued that in a reverse mission, the home church does not count the newly evangelised area as its extension, unlike in a distant mission, where the minister and members are counted by both the British Conference and the Zimbabwean Conference. The difference between the two concepts lies in the fact that reverse mission is concerned with re-evangelisation. Re-evangelisation, in this case, is particularly concerned with the “native” population rather than distant mission, which is a direct outgrowth of the mother church. In a distant mission, the growth of the diaspora church is considered part of the home church’s growth, and this includes a budget funded by contributions from the diaspora fellowship, as it is integral to the home church.

5. Origins and Development of the WMCZ Fellowship in the UK

The historical developments of the WMCZ–United Kingdom Fellowship are well-documented in the Minutes of the 2006 Conference. According to the report, the Fellowship can be traced back to a small group of Methodist women who sought to involve other Zimbabwean Methodists and increase their financial support for the WMCZ home. In July 2003, Rev. Cephas Mukandi, then Presiding Bishop, visited the United Kingdom, where he met with Zimbabwean Methodists who shared their longing to worship God in their own language while in the diaspora. After this meeting, the need to establish a Fellowship and the roadmap towards this inculturative church were evident. The women began to mobilise other Zimbabweans who were members of an interdenominational organisation called the Zimbabwe Christian Fellowship (MCZ 2006, p. 73). By 2004, the group had 200 members at eight preaching points. In 2005, the number of preaching points increased to fourteen (MCZ 2006, p. 73). The group agreed to have their first General Meeting to map the way forward for a WMCZ Fellowship.

The First General Meeting was held in Birmingham in 2005, and the membership had increased to well over 700 members worshipping at fourteen preaching points. The meeting adopted several resolutions that served as the foundation for the WMCZ Fellowship in the United Kingdom.

First, they resolved to update the WMCZ Conference on the developments regarding the establishment of a Zimbabwean Fellowship in the United Kingdom. Second, the meeting agreed to engage with the MCB, working through the Team Leader in the World Church Office, Mr Mike King. This engagement aimed to share with the church that WMCZ congregants longed for the Zimbabwean form of worship while in the diaspora and needed a space to worship in their native language. Third, it was agreed that when the British Conference and the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe respond to their requests, the meeting will request that the WMCZ second a minister to serve the British Conference while taking care of the Fellowship (MCZ 2006, p. 73).

In the same year, the WMCZ agreed with the MCB to appoint a minister as requested by the Fellowship. The first person to be appointed as chaplain to the Zimbabwean Fellowship was Rev. George T. Mawire. His appointment demonstrated the WMCZ’s responsibility as a caring church to hear the cries of its people in the diaspora. By August 2006, the Fellowship had grown to 1000 members, with 18 preaching points across the UK. Each preaching point was led by either a committee or individuals. The discussion of the Fellowship and the British Conference was also facilitated by Mr Naboth Muchopa, a Zimbabwean resident and Secretary for Racial Justice in the British Methodist Conference. Using his position in the MCB, Muchopa leveraged his Zimbabwean heritage to negotiate the deposit of the Fellowship’s funds with the World Church Office. By the 2006 MCZ Annual Conference, the Fellowship had raised a substantial amount of money. The Fellowship reported that it had deposited GBP 1000.00. At the same time, Ruwadzano/Manyano (the women’s fellowship) also deposited GBP 1000.00 and donated the same amount towards Ruwadzano/Manyano activities in Zimbabwe, as well as for the church’s orphanage, the Mathew Rusike Children’s Home. The youth contributed GBP 400 towards youth work in Zimbabwe, as well as containers of goods to the Mathew Rusike Children’s Home (MCZ 2006, p. 74).

In the year 2006/07, the Fellowship agreed to donate GBP 2000.00 to the MCZ Connexional Office (Head Office) to support ministerial training (MCZ 2007, p. 29). Although the Fellowship was created to support the home church, the 2007 report proposed a further step of this support. After donating money to the Connexional Office, the reports emphasised that “the Fellowship is willing to consider providing additional support to the MCZ. However, it is essential to note that the Fellowship will provide assistance as and when possible; and all such help should be negotiated and agreed upon before any commitments are finalised” (MCZ 2007, p. 29). The 2007 report also shows that some members were beginning to join Local Preaching in the MCB, with some being accommodated as stewards.

The 2007 Conference also adopted a Draft Constitution for the Fellowship. The Constitution stipulated the following:

The Fellowship shall encourage members to participate in all aspects of their local churches and the Fellowship; foster cultural awareness of traditional Zimbabwe Methodist Church styles of worship and music; and participate in relevant group activities (MCZ 2007, p. 28).

The objectives of the Fellowship were as follows:

To increase awareness of God’s presence in the life, work and decision-making processes of the Fellowship, making more followers of Jesus Christ, develop and supporting religious, cultural, educational and empowerment programmes for self-awareness, offering members spiritual and material support and strategies for challenging life situations, promoting love, respect and unity within the Fellowship and between members and to raise awareness of issues, concerns and needs of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ 2007, p. 29).

The Constitution extended the Fellowship’s membership to include all Zimbabwean Methodists who reside, work, or visit Great Britain, as well as others who subscribe to the objectives of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ 2007, p. 28). The Constitution similarly streamlined the conduct of Fellowship members, granting the executive the authority to oversee the Fellowship’s operations (MCZ 2007, p. 28). The Constitution also mandated that the Fellowship Executive meet three times a year to report on and review the progress of the groups and the Fellowship as a whole. The Constitution was ratified in 2020 to align with the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe’s Deed of Church Order and Standing Orders, as well as the MCB’s Constitutional Practice and Discipline (CPD) (Methodist Church in Zimbabwe-United Kingdom Fellowship 2020, p. 1).

The vision, mission, and scope for the operations and conduct of the Methodist Church Zimbabwe Fellowship in the United Kingdom were to encourage leaders to embrace their stewardship and to work as one body of Christ. The Constitution also empowered members to be fully involved in the Fellowship’s collective decision-making and to become integral to the Worldwide Methodist Connexion (Methodist Church in Zimbabwe-United Kingdom Fellowship 2020, p. 1).

In 2009, the Fellowship was established in Wales, with 70 members. It was also reported that the Ruwadzano/Manyano and the Men’s Christian Union (MCU) would host their inaugural Conventions. For the first time, the Fellowship had a harvest, raising more than GBP 20,000.00, part of which was donated to the parent church in Zimbabwe, as the mission areas that needed funds had expanded to include evangelism work. The Fellowship donated books to MRCH. They also donated sewing machines, medicines, and agricultural equipment to the Home (MCZ 2009, p.53).

The Fellowship remained connected to the MCB because the WMCZ was unable to establish a church in Britain, as stipulated by the agreement made between the two sister Conferences (Matarirano 2025). Members who wanted to join the Fellowship would first become full members of the MCB. All baptisms, confirmations into membership, and the sacrament of Holy Communion were conducted through the MCB churches (MCZ 2012, p. 67). The Fellowship would administer Sacraments only during Easter and organisational conventions, where they were allowed to gather to express their religiosity in accordance with the standards of Zimbabwean Methodism (Matarirano 2025).

The Fellowship followed the WMCZ’s programmes, such as the Covenant service, a Methodist tradition introduced by John Wesley in 1755, which is widely celebrated by all Methodists. “In Zimbabwe, the programme runs for a month in January, whereas in the United Kingdom, it runs for a week, allowing members to have more time at work”, said Matarirano. The youth of the Fellowship also raise money for Youth Week in February. The week-long programme, introduced as a youth empowerment initiative in 1991, is celebrated annually by all WMCZ churches worldwide. Additionally, the Fellowship observes Holy Week and Easter services together, capitalising on technological advancements in religion (Mujinga 2021). According to Sibanda (2025), “The Fellowship receives lessons and sermons from Zimbabwean ministers in the United Kingdom, as well as some from Zimbabwe.” The Mission Week is observed in July of each year. Mission Week is the time to redefine the WMCZ’s purpose and mission in a globalised, migrant world. Nyawo (2025) commented that “The Fellowship also take advantage of the week to share their experience as economic migrants.” In addition, “the Fellowship also observe other programmes including harvest and family life activities, which are conducted at the end of the year” (Mawire 2025).

By 2022, WMCZ had established Fellowships in the UK, South Africa, Botswana, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the Schengen Region, and the United States. In the same year, the Fellowships met and proposed the formation of a Diaspora Synod to present a single report at the WMCZ Conference (MCZ 2022, p. 30). In expressing their uniqueness, the preamble of the Constitution says the following:

We, the members of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe based in the diaspora, comprising different fellowships in various parts of the world, have realised that we share a common past and heritage. The understanding is that by coming together as different fellowships, we will create a platform for the systematic and planned coordination of church activities among diaspora fellowships, guided by the Constitution of the main church in Zimbabwe. Members will be afforded the opportunity of worshipping in a style and languages that are familiar to them and having a firm belief that such grouping will contribute to our ultimate goal of bringing us closer to each other and God in various ways and the furtherance of the foregoing principle; do hereby resolve to form the MCZ Diaspora Fellowships District (MCZ 2022, p. 25).

In 2024, the Diaspora Synod was held on May 2–3 via Zoom, with 60 delegates from the nine fellowships in attendance (MCZ 2024, p. 27). Fourteen delegates, representing the Diaspora Synod, comprising six ministers and eight laypersons, participated in the WMCZ Annual Conference (MCZ 2024, p. 28). This invitation to the Annual Conference in Zimbabwe is enshrined in the WMCZ constitution because Fellowships are distant mission centres of the Zimbabwean Conference.

6. Longing for Home: The Foundation of the Hybridisation of Christianity in Diaspora

Relocation is one of the most complicated aspects of life. It brings both good and bad memories. Religiously, the void is created by the need to fill the vacuum that arises from comparing newer forms of worship with traditional ones from their home country. This situation evokes the challenges faced by the Jews during their time in the diaspora. They believed that worship was possible only in their motherland (Psalm 137:1-4). When they were requested to sing a new song, they rejected the request, expressing their disappointment with God, who had taken them into captivity. They said, “How can we sing the ‘Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (ESV). The author is aware that the migration of the Jews was a forced deportation, exile, and captivity, which might be different from the context of the study. Moreover, Psalm 137 does not seem to suggest that migration is involuntary, and that those who migrate, regardless of the good life they may experience, are never satisfied with being away from their homes. While in diaspora, migrants always yearn to be home, regardless of the complexities that led them to migrate. This yearning for home worship resonates with the reasons for the Fellowship’s formation: to enable people to worship in their home language.

The quest for spiritual fulfilment remains at the centre of the creation of Fellowships linked to homes in different diasporas, as migrants struggle to reconcile the new and old forms of worship. Homi Bhabha refers to this intermingling of two forms of worship as hybridisation. According to Bhabha, “hybridisation refers to the emergence of new mixed identities resulting from the intermingling of different cultures” (Bhabha 1994, p. 39). “In the period of globalisation, infusion, cross-cultural boundaries, increased intercultural communication, population migration, and cultural contact, hybridity has expanded human contact within and across cultures and inevitably brought about the hybridisation of beliefs, values, social attitudes, norms and practices” (Mujinga 2025, p. 3). The moment the Zimbabweans migrated to the United Kingdom, they found themselves at a cultural crossroads. The former colonisers and the former colonised meet during worship. Their coming together assumed a Christianity defined by the migrants–host relationship (Mujinga 2025, p. 3). The way to address this cultural challenge was to adopt a give-and-take approach, creating a new culture, which Bhabha refers to as the “third space” (Bhabha 1994, p. 40). In this space, both the host and the migrant compromise their culture to accommodate each other.

There are several reasons why Zimbabweans, like many other nationalities from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, establish fellowships that serve as extensions of their home churches in the diaspora. According to the interview with Bishop Mawire (2025), “there are mixed feelings about why Methodists in the Diaspora continue to hold on to the Zimbabwean church. The factors range from cultural identity, to form of worship, how religion is understood, the use of instruments during worship, types of songs, and the style of worship, uniforms, and structure that should be the same within the church in Zimbabwe”. Bishop Mawire adds that, “a cultural crisis is evident as migrants find themselves in a world that was once unfamiliar to them, but now experience it as foreigners “. (Mawire 2025).

Mawire’s contribution was supported by Masawi (2025), who provided insights into the Canadian Fellowship experience. Masawi argues that “the Fellowship provides a sense of cultural identity to a community of Zimbabweans far from home”. Masawi went on to mention that “the need to fellowship for the MCZ followers is exacerbated by homesickness and the quest to connect to the home church, engage in worship that is grounded in the country of ‘origin’s ethos, ecclesiology, theology and African flavour” (Masawi 2025). In a place where migrants feel out of place, the quest for recognition compels them to link themselves with the home church automatically. In Canada, Zimbabweans prefer indigenous ministers because they make them reconnect with their past worship experiences (Masawi 2025).

Moreover, to many diasporians, being in a foreign land is not a choice, as many are economic refugees caused by socioeconomic, political, and cultural environments in their countries of origin (Sungai 2025). Many migrants experience a spiritual void in British churches, prompting them to form their fellowship gatherings. Interviews conducted with the chaplains who served in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, as well as ministers who candidated in the UK, can be summarised as a composite of many factors that include worship accompanied with the beating of drums, playing of rattles (hosho), horns (bhosvo), singing and praying in the vernacular language, following the WMCZ order of service and dancing the Wesley way (kudzana pachiHwisiri). The participants also confirmed that the worship includes Zimbabwean ministers or preachers sharing the word, wearing MCZ organisational uniforms, and following the Zimbabwean annual calendar of events and style of worship. The Fellowship also uses the MCZ titles on leadership, such as steward (gosa). In addition, they attend conventions as Zimbabweans alone, and the leaders attend WMCZ conferences representing the Zimbabweans in the diaspora. Having organisations linked to the home structures also defines the fellowship’s unique identity, following the WMCZ Order of Service, which includes time for testimonies and praise, as this is what it means to be a Fellowship (Nyawo 2025). Being together, especially during funerals and weddings, as a community, reminds them of their shared experiences. When they meet for funerals and weddings, they reconnect with their community, fostering a sense of shared communal experiences in Zimbabwe. They take time to remind each other of their past life and how God moved them to where they are.

The summary of the causes of the formation of Fellowships mentioned above speaks of the need to fill the third space, which is an ambivalent site where cultural meaning and representation have no ‘primordial unity or fixity. (Bhabha 1994, p. 37). This space represents the space ‘in-between’ spaces that carry the burden and meaning of culture (Nasrullah 2016).

7. Challenges Associated with Establishing the Fellowship

Although there was excitement in the establishment of the Fellowship, the work had its own challenges. First, people in the United Kingdom continued to struggle with homesickness in their spiritual life because there was only one minister who had less time with them. This challenge had led some devout Methodists to transfer their membership to the United Methodist Church, which had operated in the UK as a branch of the mother church in Zimbabwe as early as 1997. The United Methodist Fellowship had been nourishing congregants of other Zimbabwean denominations, such as the Apostolic Faith Mission, Family of God, and the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa, as well as those who had transferred to new religious movements while in Zimbabwe. The United Methodists with Zimbabwean roots had a full-time chaplain and worshipped in vernacular every Sunday, thereby attracting many Zimbabweans across denominations.

Second, the stress of difficult working conditions exacerbated this crisis. Church members had the choice to attend the church on Sunday or risk working for a few hours, and yet work was their primary reason for being in the UK.

Third, the standard of living for people who had migrated to the United Kingdom was not easy, primarily due to the political tensions and socioeconomic challenges that had driven their emigration. Most of the congregants who were supposed to strengthen the Fellowship had many demands from their relatives in Zimbabwe, who were struggling with hyperinflation, joblessness, and political tensions at home. This forced them to work longer hours to support their relatives, thereby leaving them with less time to attend church and the Fellowship. In other words, the financial difficulties had a ripple effect on Zimbabwe’s spiritual life, as more time was spent at work, leading to a decline in Fellowship membership.

The other challenge was administrative. In 2005, the Fellowship established an official partnership with the British Conference, under which the chaplain was to serve the Fellowship for 50% of the time and work with the British Conference for the remaining 50% (MCZ 2006, p. 74). The agreement was set to end at the end of September 2010, yet the Fellowship could not support itself within the agreed period. Under the agreement, the British Conference covered all stipend-related costs, while the Fellowship covered all travel and related expenses incurred during the minister’s tenure. “The agreement strengthened the Fellowship and prepared it for its future autonomy”, said Mawire. The 2008 report concluded by pledging to raise at least GBP 12,500 from 2008 to 2010 to secure sufficient amounts for the Fellowship to sustain its chaplain after 2010, which was the end of the MCZ and MCB arrangement (MCZ 2008, p. 35)

The challenges faced by the Fellowship stemmed from the unfamiliar background of its missio-cultural context. According to the 2024 Diaspora Report, the UK Fellowship faced challenges with irregular membership participation and numeric growth, which affected the church’s finances. The report also highlighted that Zimbabweans who entered the UK on a Certificate of Sponsorship for their spouses often fail to receive the promised working hours, with many falling victim to misinformation (MCZ 2024, p. 30). Although the Fellowship was doing its best to support some of its members who arrived in the UK with Certificates of Sponsorship, the report encouraged the MCZ Conference to orient its members to avoid falling into the same trap of misinformation and disinformation (MCZ 2024, p. 30). The report also shared a sad fact of the young people in the UK who were becoming victims of violence, and new arrivals facing challenges with long work schedules, thereby not finding time to attend church services (MCZ 2024, p. 30).

8. The WMCZ: A Symbol of Reverse Mission

“Migration is a crucial aspect of mission in understanding God’s intentions for people living in diaspora” (Kgatle 2024, p. 24). The fact that migration is almost always motivated by the desire to improve one’s living conditions makes the mission a meeting point for migrants’ spiritual needs in the foreign land. In discussing the subject of reverse mission, Olofinjana (2011) poses a very critical question for academia: “Within academic circles and mission practitioners, is reverse mission a rhetoric or a reality?” Given what has been discussed earlier about the characteristics of reverse mission, WMCZ Fellowship remains one of the typical examples of this new trend of evangelisation of the Global North as Christians from the Global South are slowly taking centre stage in the propagation of the Gospel (Olofinjana 2020; Adedibu 2013; Sterling 2015; Ola 2017; Mujinga 2025). For Adedibu (2013, p. 405), Britain’s Black Majority Churches are one case of reverse mission that more resembles migrant sanctuaries across the Western world. An interview with Bishop Mawire reveals that the foundations of the Fellowship are laid on the need to remain connected and to re-evangelise the Global North. As a reverse mission, the Fellowship has produced many preachers, leaders, and clergy who serve in the British Conference.

Additionally, Fellowship members are bringing their children to the church. Given that the MCB no longer attracts young people to its churches, its future lies with multiracial youths, and this is a critical example of the interpretation of reverse mission. By following their parents’ faith, a multiracial church in the United Kingdom has the potential to grow. Freston (2009) notes that Europeans have resources, while Africans have faith. Africans will continue to migrate to Europe in search of resources, and this process will intensify reverse migration, as most migrants have no intention of returning home but rather of redefining their faith in the diaspora.

Moreover, the level of education of Zimbabwean ministers also promotes reverse mission. A number of those whom the WMCZ had seconded to serve in the British Conference hold a master’s degree or a PhD. This level of education enables them to compete at a different level in the MCB’s theological discourses. At the time of writing, some ministers from Zimbabwe were serving on the MCB’s strategic committees, such as the Faith and Order Committee.

9. Distant Mission: An Opportunity for the WMCZ Fellowship

While Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom, both laypeople and clergy, are spreading the Gospel in the foreign land as preachers in a reverse mission, the same enterprise can be argued to be a distant mission of the WMCZ. Regardless of the teething problems that come with using religion to establish identity in the United Kingdom, the MCZ Fellowship has several opportunities to grow numerically and financially while remaining an extension of its home church. These growth opportunities, as recorded in WMCZ statistics, are what we refer to as the distant mission. This section will analyse the Fellowship’s opportunities for growth as a distant mission of the WMCZ.

First, research found that whereas the Global North church is not attracting young people as a projection of growth, migration to the Global North is also increasing (Sookhdeo 2017; Ferreira and Chipenyu 2021). This paradox creates a long-standing replacement motif in which the church, with a white background, features a black face or is multiculturally represented, yet retains a White head that leads the church of colour. This point was buttressed by one minister who candidated in the British Conference but decided to remain anonymous in the data analysis. She argued that, “to sustain the unity of the prospective multicultural church, the MCB stations white ministers in these multicultural churches to maintain contact and interaction with the churches of colour”. This pigmentation diversity is what will define a church with a white history, a multiracial face and a white head. Although this might appear to be a general problem for churches of colour, the WMCZ has its opportunities, as some Zimbabwean ministers are attracting Zimbabweans to both the church and to the Fellowship. These members increase the WMCZ membership, thereby making MCB a conduit of the distant mission of the Zimbabwean church.

The second opportunity for the Fellowship to be a distant mission of the WMCZ was shared during the interview with Rev. Dr Matarirano. Matarirano argued that the MCB has realised the spiritual gap that migrant churches are experiencing. To respond to the Zimbabweans’ quest for spiritual fulfilment, the MCB offered the Fellowship the use of a church building at Bilston Methodist Church for worship. The church was on the verge of closing because MCB membership had declined. All Souls Bilston Methodist becomes the first official church belonging to the Fellowship in the United Kingdom, and Fellowship members will worship in their vernacular languages, namely Shona and Ndebele. This church will have double allegiance: to the MCB Conference as the area of jurisdiction and to the WMCZ through reporting to the Conference and financial contributions. This will make the church a Zimbabwean religious island in the United Kingdom. The church was dedicated by Bishop George Mawire in September 2025.

Related to the above is the situation at the Milton Keynes Methodist Church, where a Zimbabwean minister who has transferred to the British Conference is serving. Matarirano mentioned that the Zimbabwean congregants at this church endure long hours of worship in two services when the minister is preaching in both, arguing that, although he is now with the British Conference, he still carries the WMCZ DNA. People love his sermons because they are grounded in the Zimbabwean experiences. This quest for spiritual nourishment has compelled the Milton Keynes church leadership to create the Shona Service as a second service. Given the deteriorating number of whites, this church has the potential to become a fully Shona service in the long run. This point was buttressed by one of the Fellowship’s lay leaders, who preferred to remain anonymous. The leader emphasised the need for a vibrant church because the church is the home for Zimbabweans away from home. It is home because of the fellowship’s culture of consolation during times of bereavement, as well as the moral, financial, and spiritual support it provides, thereby making it a source of hope in the face of challenges.

Rev. Sachikonye, the Acting Superintendent of Norwich Church and Secretary of Synod for the Anglia District, shared an experience from her church in which she says the congregation joins her ‘halleluiah and amen’ responses when she is preaching. Although she left Zimbabwe as a layperson, she was ordained as a minister by the British Conference. She mentioned that, “at first people would resist responding when I say praise the Lord, as they downplay the saying as a Zimbabwean style of worship and not a biblical statement. Interestingly, some, including the whites, would now shout ‘hallelujah and amen’ during my sermons to show that they have embraced inclusive worship. Her all-inclusive approach of inviting young people, even in their darkest moments, has attracted many young people to the church because she has demystified the house of God, which had been viewed as God’s sanctuary for only the formal” (Sachikonye 2025). Although there is a single church service at Norwich Methodist Church, the Zimbabwean membership is growing as they are attracted by one of their own who has reached the echelons of the British Methodist Church.

The two churches mentioned above will also transform the theology of the Sacraments in the British Conference. According to Matarirano, the Zimbabwean Fellowship was never a church; as such, baptisms and confirmations were performed in the British Methodist churches. The establishment of the two churches will see the baptism and confirmation of Zimbabweans in a vernacular service. This stance will redefine the British Conference as an extension of the Methodist Church’s mission in Zimbabwe, as the liturgy used for baptism and confirmation is from MCZ, resulting in members being recorded under MCZ statistics, apart from those who will still be worshipping in the MCB congregations. This paper views this scenario as a distant mission.

The third opportunity that will intensify Fellowship as a distant mission of the WMCZ is its involvement in the Global Community model. Matarirano (2025) argues that in this model, all chaplains from Methodist Fellowships in other conferences in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania who serve from former British mission centres converge online in May and in person in October. The gatherings aim to share their familiar stories of mission within the British Conference. This scenario has the potential to grow Fellowship into extensions of their mother churches at home, and Zimbabwe will benefit from this establishment. The Global Communities, as Matarirano argues, are taking advantage of the decline in the membership of the Methodist Church in Britain. As the United Kingdom secularises, the church in Africa is growing in the diaspora, serving as a family church amid an ageing, fading traditional church (Butler 2024).

Fourth, as a distant mission of the WMCZ, the Fellowship will be responsible for 50% of the chaplain’s salary starting 1 September 2025. This process prepares the Fellowship to assume the full responsibility of the chaplain in the shortest possible period. This situation will expand the Fellowship as the chaplain will have more time with the growing migrant church. According to Nyawo (2025), monthly fellowship services last for two to three hours. The arrival of the chaplain in a full-time position will create more time for vernacular services, thereby increasing membership and enhancing WMCZ statistics. Moreover, having a full-time person would be an opportunity for the Fellowship to grow as a distant mission of the WMCZ.

The fifth opportunity for the Fellowship as a distant mission is the number of ministers in the United Kingdom. There are different categories of ministers from Zimbabwe serving in the British Conference. The first category is those ministers whom the WMCZ seconded to serve as regarded and recognised ministers. These ministers are loyal to both the Zimbabwean and British Conferences. The second category is those who went to serve and were regarded and recognised, and later transferred to the British Conference. The third category comprises those who had disciplinary cases in Zimbabwe and, upon moving to the United Kingdom, they applied and were processed to join the British Conference. The fourth category includes ministers who initially went to the United Kingdom as laypeople but later became candidates for the MCB. According to Sachikonye, “there are more than 25 ministers in this category, most of whom are female”. The number of female ministers accepted by the British Conference addresses the challenge of female candidature, that has been a persistent issue in Zimbabwe since 1977, when women were first appointed as ministers. The last category is those ministers who followed their families, who had relocated to the United Kingdom. In 2022 and 2023, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe processed four clergy as ministers without station because they had gone to the United Kingdom with a Certificate of Sponsorship for their spouses (MCZ 2022, p. 7; MCZ 2023, p. 8). According to Matarirano, there are more than 50 ministers of Zimbabwean origin in the United Kingdom, accounting for almost one-seventh of the total number of ministers in the WMCZ. Regardless of their category, all these ministers long for home worship and make time for fellowship with one another and for encouraging Zimbabweans to join the Fellowship.

Lastly, as a distant mission, the Fellowship is a platform for supporting one another and sharing business ideas. This point was emphasised by Noah Dodo, who is the National Steward of the Fellowship. He argues that the diaspora church remains home for people far from home. It supports, sustains, encourages and offers opportunities for business among members as they meet to fellowship. These business opportunities support the church and the Zimbabwean economy (Dodo 2025). The remarks by Dodo resonate with the Diaspora Synod Report to the WMCZ Conference, which lamented the challenges of no stable jobs for those who come with Certificates of Sponsorship, abuse of people as they look for employment, bribes during the application process, dubious paperwork and children with a conflicted future that is defined by two diverse cultures. People who meet at the Fellowship share some of these challenges and help one another; those assisted in turn contribute to the WMCZ fund.

10. Conclusions

In concluding this paper, it is worth noting that the future of the Global North church in the context of migration holds promise for growth, enrichment, and mission advancement, if migrants are allowed to create a third space of worship. This space cannot be identified, yet it encompasses diversity, the practice of inclusivity, advocacy for justice, and seizing of missional opportunities. Migrant churches will not only adapt to demographic changes but also embody the transformative power of Christ’s love in increasingly multicultural societies. By navigating challenges with wisdom and compassion, Global North churches can thrive as vibrant, welcoming communities that reflect the Kingdom of God in all its diversity and unity, defined by the hybridisation of Christianity. The missiological study of the WMCZ Fellowship in the UK supports the above statement. The Fellowship is growing both as an economic hub of Zimbabwe and an ecclesiastical centre of both the British and Methodist Churches in Zimbabwe, as its membership is counted twice: first by the home conference and second by the British Conference. Based on the conversation, there are key steps and requirements for Zimbabwean fellowship members to take on leadership roles in the British Methodist Church, which include actively participating in the local church and fellowship group and demonstrating a commitment to serving both conferences, thereby fulfilling the notion of reverse and distant mission.

For the Fellowship to be strong, members need to take on volunteer roles within the church, such as serving in steward positions, to gain experience and visibility. They must also encourage the youth to consider ministerial candidacy, as this will work as both a reverse and distant mission for the WMCZ.

The research also finds that, to overcome structural barriers, the Fellowship must be prepared to navigate potential challenges, as church leadership has historically been predominantly white due to the church’s British heritage. However, Zimbabweans need to embrace the philosophy of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, leveraging the church’s current focus on diversifying leadership. This will demystify their cultural vacuum as they will fit well in the new culture as a result of the reverse and distant mission. Moreover, Zimbabweans need to maintain their cultural identity by connecting with the Zimbabwean Methodist Conference while serving in the UK church, as their lives remain in Zimbabwe even after they have served in the United Kingdom. This stance preserves the Fellowship as both a reverse and distant mission. The fellowship can expand its reverse and distant missions by connecting and integrating more Zimbabweans in the UK, including those who are not currently members of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. The establishment of the WMCZ Fellowship serves as a bridge between the UK and Zimbabwe, expanding the Methodist Church’s reach as both a reverse and distant mission. Lastly, the paper argued that the development of migrant churches in the United Kingdom envisages a church with a predominantly white history, a black or multiracial face, and a white leadership that will eventually adopt a multiracial mindset to survive in a predominantly white historical ecclesiology. In the context of the WMCZ, this is typical of a reverse and distant mission.