Abstract

BALOYI, Ezekiel. Looking Back at the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe's Adoption of Individuals with Special Needs as Spiritual Workers. Studia Hist. Ecc. [online]. 2024, vol.50, n.2, pp.1-18. ISSN 2412-4265.  https://doi.org/10.25159/2412-4265/16297.

This article explores the progress made over the last 50 years by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) in integrating people with special needs as spiritual workers. In 1891, missionaries from South Africa founded the RCZ. The Dutch Reformed Church propagated the gospel using various strategies and tactics, such as evangelism, education, healthcare, and literary translation. Missionaries utilised education as a means of evangelisation during the founding and development of the church. To serve those with unique needs, the church founded special institutions like the Henry Murray School for the Deaf and the Margaretha Hugo School for the Blind. There will be a historical synopsis of such an insertion. Subsequently, the focus of attention will be the adoption of special needs people ordained as pastors and evangelists in Zimbabwe's Reformed Church throughout the last 50 years. Ultimately, this section will emphasise the accomplishments and efforts of specific pastors and evangelists. The article ends with recognising the inclusive approach used by the RCZ in sharing the gospel with people with special needs.

Keywords : Reformed Church in Zimbabwe; spiritual workers; special needs; adoption; past 50 years.

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