Fellowship of Christ, Zimbabwe

The major continuing overseas ministry of the Link Church is into the Fellowship of Christ in Zimbabwe. Rising out of a previous ministry group, Fellowship in Christ have some 3000 plus members and have their main base in Harare. They also operate into several areas of the North, near Kariba and in the Muzarabani regions.

Iain, with others from the Link, have ministered a number of times to the Churches. This included Norma and Iain conducting a Link sponsored and highly successful Leaders and Wives Seminar two years ago. Some 70 people participated and were very keen for the help and instruction.

The Fellowship of Christ receives little help from any other sources. They look to us not only for financial support, but also leadership advice and input.

Iain was invited and accepted an invitation to speak at the 2007 Easter Convention with Norma and Angela from the Link attending too.

Angela writes of the trip…..

“The Easter Convention was attended by 3-400 people. Their efforts to be at the Convention, with fuel shortages, power cuts and rampant inflation was amazing, 153 of them arrived in the back of an enormous articulated lorry from the villages in the north of Zimbabwe. 

Some had travelled for days to be at the convention. Their desire to learn more about God was impressive and they were so grateful for all the teaching and support that they received. Many said they were going back to their homes and villages with a stronger sense of God's love for them and with new hope in their hearts. It was my first trip to Africa and I had wondered how my testimony from someone in the affluent West could possibly help them, but I was pleased to hear that so much of what I could tell them about the problems I had faced and the way God helped me, was just as relevant to  them in their situations.

It was hard seeing them leave, knowing that they were going back to homes which could be without running water or power for hours and sometimes days on end. That once they were there, they would be trapped, unable to go to work or school, because they had no money for fuel or transport. Many of them had no work, because there had not been enough investment to create jobs and the harvest had failed in many areas. Those that did have jobs were often not paid for months.

We knew that we would be getting on a plane and arriving in a country with conditions so far removed from their situation, that one would think we were on a different planet, but we were only 11 hours flight away.

The deep faith of these people is an example and encouragement to us all. They shared their homes, their hospitality and their dreams with us. We saw where they hope to build two new churches, one in the north and one near Harare. They are working together, making the mud bricks themselves.

We have been able to learn and receive from them, hopefully we can continue to give both materially and spiritually  to them, from what we have.”