Southern Africa

Methodist Church in Southern Africa

The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is a vibrant, Spirit-led community faithfully responding to God’s call to “proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ for healing and transformation.”

Inspired by the bold vision of “a Christ-healed Africa for the healing of nations,” the Church is deeply committed to spiritual renewal and transformative mission.

Spanning South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Botswana, the MCSA ministers across both urban and rural communities.

It is widely recognised for its prophetic witness among the most marginalised, offering a wide range of impactful ministries—from pre-schools and education initiatives to outreach in informal settlements, hospice and prison ministries, HIV/AIDS support, and poverty alleviation projects.

At the heart of the MCSA’s mission is a call to deepen spirituality, remain guided by God’s mission, and empower all believers to embrace their priestly calling.

The Church is committed to becoming a truly united and undivided body, shaped by servant leadership and Spirit-led discernment.

Over the years, the MCSA’s direction has been shaped by key convocations that have responded to the shifting social and political landscape of Southern Africa.

Methodism in Southern Africa began in 1814 when British soldiers stationed at the Cape requested a missionary.

Despite initial resistance, pioneers like Rev Barnabas Shaw boldly preached and established mission work among the Namaqua people, laying foundations for expansion into Namibia. This became the springboard for further advances which cost the lives of the Rev William Threlfall and his Namaqua companions, the Rev Jacob Links and Evangelist Johannes Jager who were murdered by their San guide.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Methodist witness spread to Natal, Johannesburg, and beyond—reaching Lesotho, Mozambique, and southern Rhodesia.

Under apartheid, the Church faced land restrictions (Africans were not allowed to own land in the old Transvaal Republic and the missionaries had bought several farms to be used as mission settlements) but used the forced sale of mission farms to build churches in displaced communities like Soweto.

In 1883, the South African Church became an Affiliated Conference, gaining full independence in 1927. Notably, it received no overseas financial aid early in the 20th century.

The Church consistently opposed apartheid, and in 1964, boldly elected Rev Seth Mokitimi as its first Black President in spite of the possibility that the Church would be declared to be black and deprived of its properties in white areas.