Faith, culture and community celebrated
Attending the annual conference of the Australia and Oceania Fellowship of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe deepened Rev Kath Behan’s understanding of cross-cultural partnership and God’s boundless family
October 27, 2025
by Rev Kath Behan, National Consultant with The Assembly
In late September, I had the opportunity to attend the annual conference of the Australia and Oceania Region Fellowship of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, with whom the UCA has a partnership. The conference took place in Brisbane over three days and drew together people with Zimbabwean heritage of all ages.
The Conference was a time of celebration of the different Zimbabwe communities around Australia who worship together in the Methodist tradition, emphasising singing and dancing, preaching, prayer and evangelism, leadership development and youth and children’s ministry in true Zimbabwean style. From babies to young children, teenagers to young adults, parents and elders, the conference sought to encourage, celebrate and challenge everyone in their faith journey.
As the only Anglo-Celtic person at the conference, I discovered very quickly that my own heritage doesn’t afford me the kind of innate rhythm and sound that is clearly part of the DNA of what it means to be Zimbabwean! With only drums, shakers and a traditional horn as instruments, those present lifted the roof in song and harmony, dancing and marching with pride and joy as they encouraged each other in what can only be described as an experience of wonder and delight at such marvellous praise to God.
“For me the gift of this time together was to be enveloped into a community unlike anything I had experienced before, to listen, to learn, to laugh, and to pray together as fellow followers of Christ.”
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What became clear was their groundedness in scripture, prayer and community, in which their hope and trust in the providence of God was profound. Together they shared about the challenges of living in a new place, being misunderstood at times, struggling to understand local ways of life, and missing the connection of community that their heritage brought them. Yet, despite the challenges of migration, they professed a deep faith expressed not only in their adherence to Methodist traditions, but also in their honest desire to show generous hospitality to those who have welcomed them – and even to those who haven’t – to this new place.
For me the gift of this time together was to be enveloped into a community unlike anything I had experienced before, to listen, to learn, to laugh, and to pray together as fellow followers of Christ. Despite the language barriers, or perhaps even because of the language barriers, I was forced to be present with this community in such a way that I was able to open my heart and spirit to the moving of God’s spirit among us. And for that I am truly grateful as it reminded me that I am part of God’s family that is so much grander than I could imagine. This is the gift we have in the Uniting Church through the intentional partnerships we have with sister churches from overseas whose denominational heritage we share.
So, if you get the chance to meet those from local expressions of the Zimbabwe Methodist church (including Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Sydney), who may even worship and meet in your local church building, then grab the opportunity with both hands – because it will enlarge your hearts, stretch your understanding of how God works in the world, and fill you with joy!
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