Uso Potencial de las Especies Forestales ESPECIE

The Men’s Christian Union (MCU) is the men’s organisation in the Methodist Church that is associated with Ruwadzano in that it is used by the Church as a growth group and as a way of regulating the infiltration of African traditional religion and culture. The aims and objectives of the MCU are to encourage the study of the Bible and the reading of other useful books, to help and encourage young men to seek the higher life for which they were created; to strive for pure life on the part of all members; to seek continually love and peace and to put away hatred and strife, to spread the good news of salvation and to encourage young men to become preachers in the future(MCZ, MCU Constitution, 2014). It is, however, important to note that these aims, and objectives are a replica of those that were contained in the organisation’s initial constitution drafted in the 1960s (The Constitutional Practice and discipline of the Methodist Church in Southern Rhodesia). Having been founded in 1928, the organisation produced its first constitution later in the 1960s, the constitution has been revised four times to date. First in the 1980s, then 2004, 2010, and lastly in 2013(MCZ, MCU Constitution, 2014, p.3). Despite the several revisions made to the constitution, quite a lot of rules and regulations remain unchanged (See figures 5. 3 and 5.4 below).

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Regarding marriage, the original constitution of 1963 spelt out that;

No person may be a member of the Methodist Church who does not accept the Christian view of marriage. All Methodist people when marrying must take the Christian vows of marriage, except in the case of a first wife of non- Christian, who may be received on probation and for instruction and be baptised and be received into Full Membership even though her husband refuses, or is not eligible, to be married by Christian rites. No Christian marriage shall be performed between Christian and non- Christian partners until its meaning and implications have been explained to and accepted by both parties. Only in very exceptional circumstances may a Christian man be married to a non- Christian woman (The Constitutional Practice of the Methodist Church in Southern Rhodesia, 1963).

The constitution did not recognise polygamous marriages or any other types of African customary marriages. The only marriage that was acceptable to the Church was a monogamous one contracted in the Church with Christian vows. The current constitution of the MCU states frankly that

Any man who wishes to be a full member of the MCU must be a married man of one wife. A polygamist i.e. a man having two or more wives (may attend MCU meetings) but shall not be badged (MCZ, MCU Constitution, 2014, p.6).

The contemporary constitution still advocates for monogamy and discourages polygamy or any form of marriage that is deemed unchristian by the Church. Polygamists or even monogamists who have not married according to the Christian tradition still have no place in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. This strictness and demand for the Christian marriage was not without effect to the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, especially on its numerical growth. The restrictions affected the number of men coming to Church. The Church was however, forced to continually sit to reconsider its position on the concept of Christian marriage. The Methodist Church in Zimbabwe conference of 2014 is an illustration of the Church’s commitment to reform its position on the understanding of marriage.

The two constitutions of the MCU, the colonial missionary one and the current, both advocate for an ideal Christian man who should study the Bible, strive for purity, shun polygamy, abstain from drinking liquor, and all worldly lust. The current constitution goes further to demand that a member of the MCU must lead his family in an exemplary manner, and this includes providing for the family needs, he must be of service to his family, Church and community (MCZ, MCU Constitution, 2014, p.7). The MCU uniform, like the Ruwadzano\Manyano one, is not an ordinary dress but is symbolic and sacred. The constitution goes further to stipulate the times and occasions when the MCU uniform is to be donned, these include, during the holy communion service, annual

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conventions, Christian funeral services, Easter, Christmas, and revivals (MCZ, MCU Constitution, pp. 11-12).

The mission committee had in 2013 recommended to conference that the Lay and ministerial sessions of conference, the youth conference and District Synods should discuss the issue of marriage (MCZ, Minutes of conference, 2013, p.93). The committee had realised the massive loss of young people to other Churches. The points of discussion included the questions, where does marriage begin? What makes a marriage Christian or non-Christian? The mission committee recommended to Conference 2014 that the Church blesses all monogamous customary marriages in order to remove the stigma that a white wedding is the only true marriage, and that there be further scrutiny on the Church’s view of marriage, and voted and accepted this legislation (MCZ, Minutes of Conference, 2013, p. 93). Although the decision of the 2014 conference gave some respite to those men who did not have Christian marriages but had monogamous customary marriages, polygamy still has no place in the Methodist Church.

The issue of beer drinking was not allowed in the first constitution and still in the current constitution it is still unthinkable to do. The constitution of 1963 was explicit that beer drinking was not permissible, it stated that;

No member is allowed to take intoxicating drink (The Constitutional Practice of the Methodist Church in Southern Rhodesia, 1963, p.29.

The new constitution still maintains the same stance of teetotalism. It states that;

A member of the MCU shall not drink any intoxicating substance, alcohol\beer or smoke cigarettes\snuff, he shall not be expected to horse bet, play lotto, bet cards or play betting games of any kind (MCZ, MCU Constitution, 2013, p. 6).

Although the MCU Constitution is silent on the issues surrounding the participation in traditional rites (Mapira) and inviting or visiting traditional healers for divination and healing, which the Ruwadzano\Manyano constitution is explicit about, it still does not condone African traditional religion and culture. In Africa practices such as playing lotto, horse betting, or any form of gambling are associated with the African worldview because those who participate consult the traditional healers who help them guess the correct numbers or horses. The banning of participation in gambling is in a way meant to deal a blow on the African traditional religion and culture.

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Figure 5.3: Constitution and rules of the MCU during the missionary era.

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Figure 4. 4: Contemporary Aims, objectives, rules and laws of the MCU.

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