Here whispers a tale of faith and community. It’s about the Methodist Evangelical Serice in Johannesburg. Methodism’s roots in South Africa run deep. They began with British soldiers. These soldiers were stationed at the Cape. Sergeant John Kendrick led them. He appealed for a missionary.
In 1814, Rev J McKenny arrived. But he couldn’t preach. The governor refused permission. So, McKenny went to Ceylon. Rev Barnabas Shaw followed in 1816. He defied the governor. Shaw preached without permission. He settled among the Namaqua people. This was at Lily Fountain in the Kamiesberg. It was about five hundred kilometres north of Cape Town.
This became a springboard. It helped advance into modern Namibia. This venture cost lives. Rev William Threlfall and his Nama companions died. Rev Jacob Links and Evangelist Johannes Jager were murdered by their San guide.
Mission stations were planted. They went as far north as Gobabis and Windhoek. But they were abandoned in the 1860s. The Missionary Society had financial problems. The work near Cape Town was more enduring.
In 1834, Shaw bought land. It was in Somerset West. He settled emancipated slaves there. Many descendants still live in those cottages. A substantial church was built in 1861. It was used until 2010. Part of the structure then collapsed. Societies also formed. They were at Stellenbosch and Robertson. They spread throughout the Cape Peninsula.
A second line of advance opened in 1820. William Shaw arrived in the Eastern Cape. He came with the British Settlers. He was chaplain to the Sephton Party. He saw the whole settlement as his parish. He established a thriving colonial church. Commemoration Church stands in Grahamstown. It commemorates the settlement’s silver jubilee. This shows its status and optimism.
Shaw didn’t just focus on colonists. In 1823, he established Wesleyville. It was among the Gqunukhwebe. By 1830, he had planted six more stations. These were between the Fish and Umzimvubu Rivers. He laid the foundation for the strong Methodist witness. This was in the former Transkei. Missions were destroyed in frontier wars. Missionaries persevered. Their perseverance paid off.
Missionaries used African preachers early on. In 1865, the Grahamstown District Meeting accepted five African candidates. They were training for ministry. Charles Pamla was outstanding among them. He found his calling as an evangelist. He interpreted for American bishop William Taylor. Taylor held a fruitful evangelistic mission in 1866. Pamla served for over forty years. He was an evangelist, a circuit superintendent, and a member of Conference. He is rightly seen as the father of the African ministry.
While William Shaw built his stations, missionaries crossed the Orange River. They evangelised regions beyond. In 1823, Samuel Broadbent and Thomas Hodgson settled with the Barolong. They were at Maquassi. Mrs Broadbent had a son. He was the first white child born beyond the Vaal River. The station was destroyed in 1824. It was abandoned the following year.
The Barolong and missionaries settled at Thaba Nchu in 1833. Other stations were established further east. These were given up. The republican Orange Free State conquered the territory from the Basotho. Later, African and European causes were established. This was in many small towns in the Free State. The most significant work was at Kimberley. The Diamond Fields attracted labourers. They came from all over Southern Africa. This provided a unique opportunity for evangelism.
The mission to Natal launched in 1842. James Archbell arrived in Durban. He came with a British force. It was sent to counter the Voortrekkers. They had set up the Republic of Natalia.
British settlers arrived from the late 1840s. This led to vigorous European circuits. They were in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, and Verulam. Other country areas also benefited. Rev James Allison made a significant contribution. He resigned from the mission three years after arriving in Natal. Allison was an outstanding missionary. He began his ministry in the Orange Free State. His colleagues sent him to start a mission in Swaziland. He arrived during a conflict. It was between the young king Mswati and his elder brother. He withdrew with African helpers and Swazi converts.
They settled at Indaleni. It was south of Pietermaritzburg. He began industrial training there. He won converts from surrounding tribes. He fell out with Archbell and Shaw. He resigned in 1850. He bought a farm. It was on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. He renamed it Edendale. He sold plots to people who followed him from Indaleni. These landowners rejoined the Wesleyans ten years later. This became their most thriving station. They gained outstanding members shaped by Allison’s ministry.
The Methodist Evangelical Serice is part of this story. It reflects dedication. It shows the enduring Methodist spirit in Johannesburg. It is a beacon. It continues to serve its community.