Thursday 23rd February 2012 -All is not as it seems – appearances can be deceptive

Christine & Dirk de Beer ( & dog.. Kerry)

Whilst in Christiana (in the South West tip of the of the Diocese of Matlosane) we have been privileged to stay with Christine & Dirk de Beer.  They are retired farmers but still live on the farm where they have dwelled and worked for 50 years.  They have shown us exceptional kindness and generosity in their hospitality.

They are both longstanding members of the local English speaking congregation of St Philip and St James in Christiana.  In recent years the number of church members has dropped for a variety of reasons and one gets the impression that if Christine did not take the initiative to rally the flock for the monthly service, then there would not be a congregation at all.

At the Ash Wednesday service, which I led, there were 9 people in the congregation.  On the face of it, the church here has a limited life span… most of the congregation are retired and there are no children in the congregation (as many of the local white families send their children to boarding schools).  This is not an unfamiliar situation for many churches in the UK, and in Lichfield Diocese.  The issues of how to use the limited life, energy and resources of a church community is a real one for many congregations- both here Matlosane and in the UK

St Philip & St Peter, Christiana

But South Africa is complicated… in a nearby township is St Mary’s Anglican Church – where there is a congregation of around 200, of a range of ages.  The self supporting priest (Father Calvin) is a school teacher on weekdays and covers both St Mary’s (Setswana speaking) and St Philip & St Peter (English speaking).  The complexities of ministering to these diverse, historically separate, groups of people made my head spin at the thought of it.

We were glad to meet Father Calvin today over a cup of tea with Christine and heard of life in places that we had overlooked. 

Learners at the de Beer's Farm School (age 10)

Christine had earlier taken us to the school for local farm workers which they have operated for more than 40 years. We met Reginah (the Setswanaspeakng teacher)  and Lucia English speaking teacher.  Lucia works with the children 8am -1pm and also comes in early at 6am and says late ‘til 4pm to teach adult farm workers who missed out on school earlier in life.

Teachers Lucia nad Reginah

Father Calvin told us of a social care programme which has been started in the local township by a coming together of local churches.  It includes a feeding programme, HIV/AIDS counselling, a vulnerable children support scheme and is seeking to actively respond to the needs of the local community. Members of the small congregation at St Philip & St Peter give generous financial support this project.

It is all too easy to paint South Africa in black and white.  In reality, life here, including in the Anglican church, is more varied and colourful.  Here in Christiana I have had a lesson which I hope I will learn well – to not be deceived by appearances and to seek to find out all of the stories in a community – and to not judge.

God is at work in his church, even (perhaps especially) at the quiet edges – The Holy Spirit is not one to follow the script that we may write and our job as the church is to catch up and keep up with His work.  Certainly in South Africa there are attitudes to be changed, wrongs to be righted, and situations to be challenged and changed…  But God is already on the case… even when it may not seem like it.  All is not what it seems.  Appearances can be deceptive.

Later today we travel to a new venue – Lichtenburg some 3 hours away…. We wonder what new situations and work of the Spirit will surprise us there.

Richard