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                    United Congregational Church of Southern Africa

Here, I am fulfilling my calling as a pastor and "showing the people the way."  Actually, in truth, I find myself more often asking the way.   As a pastor of a church with more than nine out-stations, I am often lost in the midst of sugar cane fields looking for my way.  This pastor would be lost without the hard work, dedication, patience, and understanding of his parishioners.  Among the parishioners are very educated and undereducated, rich and poor, famous and unknown.  The church is filled with dedicated saints who inspire me to further invest my time and energy.  The church has enormous potential that only needs to be recognized and tapped by its own.

Groutville has a long and proud history.  One of the church's sons, Chief Albert Luthuli was the first President of the African National Congress and won the Nobel Peace Prize.  Luthuli, along with Gandhi, M.L. King, Jr., Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela stand as one of the greatest leaders for peace in South Africa and the world.  His burial on the church grounds has been declared a National Heritage Site by the South African government.

As pastor of the church, I am striving to slowly revive the pre-existing structures of the local church government.  The church is in the process of giving a second life to the abakhokheli, who collect church tithes ("assessments") from parishioners in their respective 'classes.'  We also are re-awakening the Financial Committee, made up of all the ward treasurers, from its long slumber.  For all groups who handle money, methods of financial accountability and transparency are in place.  We are also resuscitating the Deacons, holding them responsible to be true leaders of the church!  The church is now very proud that it is practicing good stewardship by allocating ten percent of its income to the mother church, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.  Plans for the future include beginning an AIDS ministry, renovating the manse (parsonage) for a future pastor and his family, re-organizing Sunday School, and beginning confirmation classes.   

Groutville Congregational Church was founded in 1847 by the American missionary Rev. Aldin Grout.  Ward I (above) is the main mission church was built in 1849 paid for, he reported, "by a deduction from our personal and family expenses" and this church has since 'begat' nine out-stations.  The out-stations are small churches in and of themselves, though two meet in school rooms.  Due to the scarcity of transportation and the old age of many, people must worship closer to where they live.  Out-stations enable parishioners to worship without travelling long distances.  As a pastor, I visit all out-stations regularly, often travelling on rural dirt roads to preside over services.  At least four times per year, the church holds an Esingcwele service.  During these services (and others) all parishioners come together to celebrate the sacraments.  The church is located above the beautiful Umvoti River, one hour north of Durban and 45 minutes from Inanda.

Language is not much of a impediment to our ministry at Groutville as most of the parishioners are educated, or educators themselves.   In fact, there is a close historical link between Groutville and Inanda as it regards education.  In the 1800s, many young girls from Groutville were sent to Inanda to be educated (or to escape marriage to much older men).  About ninety percent of the Ward I members understand English fluently; in the out-stations about seventy percent understand English.  During Esingcwele, or when I travel to the out-stations, the sermons are translated into Zulu.  Although I am not proficient in Zulu, I can read a number of liturgical and sacramental 'orders' of worship, as well as greet and introduce hymns and prayers in Zulu.