A Church Mobilisation Model from Zimbabwe: The work of ZOE,
Jean Webster
Reprinted from the Chris-Caba Journal, Vol. III, No. 2 (November, 2005), pp. 21-26.
Editorial Note: ZOE (Zimbabwe Orphans through Extended hands) has mobilised church leaders,
volunteers, advocates and advisors and has built partnerships with community organisations to care and
advocate for thousands of families and children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Background
At the end of the 1980’s the Lord started to speak to me about HIV/AIDS. Eventually I responded and
was going to spend 6 months with a ministry called Family Aids Caring Trust, founded by Dr Geoff
Foster, a Paediatrician. Before I began the Lord showed me clearly that I needed to focus especially on
the orphans.
Everywhere in Zimbabwe the number of orphans is mushrooming, but everywhere in Zimbabwe are the
Christians. God’s mandate to His people, through His Word, more than 40 times, is to care for the
orphans. So His answer for the orphans in our land is for the local Christians to know and care for their
own local orphans in their communities by visitation and relationship.
While sharing together with some Christian leaders in Zimbabwe at that time (1992/93) it seemed that
God was talking to all of us about the church in Zimbabwe and how we would be accountable before Him
for what we had or had not done in caring for the growing number of orphans in Zimbabwe.
I also shared with the head of child welfare, the Deputy Director of Social Welfare, and he said, “Yes, we
need the church to carry this thing!” Through scripture and through these encounters the Lord was
saying, “This is truly my heart beat. Run with Me!”
Accessing the Churches
We shared our concern with ministers’ fraternals. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and Target
2000 (linked to Dawn 2000) opened platforms to share with church leaders in different parts of the
country. Other groups also opened their doors.
Our Strategy
Our approach varies from place to place because we simply facilitate the local churches to run their own
ministry. In the course of working through relationships with local church leaders, however, a general
strategy has emerged.
When a church leader asks us to help his church we ask him to first gather all the church leaders in his
area. We share evidence of God’s heart for orphans from the scriptures (we have a handout on this) and
help them construct a biblically-based theology of orphans.
As leaders contemplate their response to the orphans, we ask them, “who would live Jesus’ life-style?
Everyone acknowledges the importance of this. But then we point out that Jesus didn’t sit behind a desk
with an appointment diary and a phone. Maybe Jesus and his disciples slept with a roof over their head,
maybe they didn’t. Maybe they had breakfast, maybe they didn’t. But if it wasn’t a teaching day they
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would be walking the dusty roads reaching out to the untouchable and the sick and the outcast. It was
certainly not a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job.
We spend a day with the leaders ‘envisioning,’ (Since all participate in this process, the emerging
ministry belongs to no one church!) The leaders then go back to their churches and share the vision,
asking for those in their congregations who have a heart for orphans to respond. Then they call us to train
their volunteers!! Already they are owning their own ministry!!
Our Message to church leaders and volunteers alike: “Church of Zimbabwe, Africa, ‘God has
called you, therefore He has equipped!’ ”
In sharing the concept of the church as the answer to the nation’s orphan plight, one is not sharing
something new, nor does one need to use persuasion .Usually the church leader has on his conscience that
they should be caring for the orphans. “But,” he often adds, “the people are hardly managing to support
me.” Volunteers often echo this response: “We are hardly managing to support our church leader so how
can we do more?”
The answer to this mode of thinking has been quite a mind-set breaker. In brainstorming on the first need
of an orphan, people usually list food, school fees, clothing, blankets etc. All are essential.. BUT this is
why the church has been paralysed, and the extended family broken down.
From scripture there can be no doubt that God has called us to minister to those in need and that He has
invested in us all that we need to begin to reach out in His Name. God Himself made us for Himself –
with a heart, eyes, ears, month, hands, and feet!!
A heart : In Jesus, through His cross, a heart like the father’s heart--to love and care.
Eyes: To see the soft brown hair and swollen hands and feet that speak of kwashiorkor, lack of
protein…. To look into the child’s eyes and see “Abuse.” To observe the home--the hole in the
thatch, the absence of pots and pans, and the like.
Mouth: . To talk of Jesus To give His Word. To give advice about what the mind has learned,
maybe from the community. To speak out and be a voice for the voiceless; to be an advocate.
Ears: To listen -- to the old grandfather who now has 6 children in his care and knows he has 4
more on the way when his next son dies. To listen when no one is talking about it. To listen
when no relative has asked: “How are you?,” “How are the children?”
But now this stranger comes and says he/she is a Christian and asks: “How many children? How
are they? How are you? This Christian says he/she wants to help if there is any way..then gives
the old man a chance to talk for the first time in months!
Then the Volunteer asks if he can he come back—and he does come back. “Wow, this is for
real” he tells himself. Even though this grandfather hasn’t opened the Word or graced the doors
of the church, he is already asking “who is your God?” and “What is different?” and he will be
open to the gospel of Jesus.
Hands: For practical help such as mending thatch, preparing ground for planting, etc. Also for
“hands-on” help in teaching sewing, carpentry and such.
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Feet: For taking messages, bringing provision, escorting children to clinic etc. as well as for
playing sport /games etc!
It becomes apparent that God has given us resources to care for others and to reveal Jesus. No finances
are involved at this stage. God’s church begins to see that it is able to, and that it must, commence a
ministry to orphans in their locality!
“But we can’t keep going without meeting [material] needs,” they say. “No,” we say, “but if first a
relationship is built--and not on the basis of provision--then the needs are seen in the light of relationship”
and the local church will first see what they can provide!
As they build relationships with people in need, churches begin to find ways to provide for material
assistance. For example, a card box might be placed at the door of the church (the temple) for people to
throw in a garment or some food. In Hwange, Victoria Falls, one church has placed two collecting
baskets on a table each Sunday—one marked,”Tithes and Offerings” and a second marked, “Orphans.”
The Mtoko Baptists have shared how they encourage their congregation to save loose change in jam tins
and other small containers.
Finding the destitute
The ministry will be weakened or strengthened by the accuracy of the initial list of families.
Again it is essential that where possible the families take responsibility of their own, and so we only come
in where the family has gone out!
We suggest a basic assessment form for recording the families. The headings are Name of Village: _______________________________
Name of Co-ordinator: __________________________
Family
# VCO
0-1
1-5
6-18 CARER? Mother/
Father died?
Other Relatives
Helping?
We say if there is a good response regarding ‘Relatives Helping’ then the family will probably not be on
our list. We have to be transparent in our questions to solicit honest answers. Here we may need to ask
questions almost to the point of tears or get at the truth by asking neighbours nearby. Once we have an
accurate list we can go on from there. We often suggest stopping at around 30 families initially, just to
find one’s feet in the ministry.
Volunteer Training
From the list of destitute families we advise that from the list of destitute families one volunteer take
responsibility for no more than 5 families--less if this includes a Child Headed Household. (Again, the
strength of the ministry is people resourced.) We equip each volunteer with a school notebook and pen!
In the notebook we suggest that volunteers to
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1. write the names of the 5 families and the children they will be working with at the front of the
book. This becomes the prayer book for the volunteer’s family.
2. keep simple records. After each family visit we ask volunteers to note (a) the name, (b) the
date, (c) what is seen, (d) what is done, and (e) what needs are observed.
(Note: Even if the volunteer cannot write, she/he will no doubt have a child or family member
who can.)
3. bring their notebooks to a monthly meeting with a local orphan committee and to use this as a
resource in presenting situations and difficulties they have encountered.
Setting up a support network
We council each church to form a local orphan committee. This usually consists of the person who
invites us to an area. This person often becomes the co-ordinator and liaises with a national team. Other
committee members may include such people as teachers, magistrates, other pastors and wives. People
who don’t have time to visit regularly but have a heart for orphans and can help give collective wisdom
are included.
Every month this committee meets together. Volunteers are given opportunity share the problems they
have encountered—not in every detail but with sufficient background to clarify the situation. This helps
to “spread the burden” such that no volunteer has to have the problems of a family rest solely on his or
her shoulders.
The aim is to help the family to take what responsibility it can. Then the church, through information
provided by the volunteer, will seek means to “be there” where the family fails.
If there are situations that the church cannot manage, then they can appeal to the national committee
through the co-ordinator.
ZOE’s Guiding Principles
Our call is to facilitate the church to care for the orphan.
Often people ask, “but what of the blind and the lame,” etc., and our answer is, “yes, you should be
caring for these also, but we are helping you in your orphan ministry.” (I believe the Lord called us into
this because there were going to be a proliferation of orphans.)
The ministry is one of caring and encouraging—in Jesus’ name.
We pray for a saturation of God’s love, to go in Jesus’ name.
Children are a priority.
When Jesus saw the disciples telling the people who came with the children to go away and not to bother
their busy Master with such trivia, we read that he didn’t just upbraid them nicely. Jesus was
“indignant”! “...let the little children come to me, do not forbid them….” At one point Jesus left His
teaching to attend to ONE little girl, even though he was distracted and drained by another healing on the
way and even though He could have had an excuse when they told Him the little girl was already dead!!
The focus is not orphanages but orphans—in family.
We prefer that, wherever possible, children remain in their own natural homes with carers being
strengthened and encouraged by volunteers. Some children don’t have anybody or anywhere to go and
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these children need shelter. In such cases we prefer fostering and adoption over construction of buildings
and orphanages.
Who is an orphan?
In ZOE we follow the World Health Organization’s definition of an orphan—someone who has
lost one or both parents by death. With the HIV/AIDS pandemic, time and again when one
dies the other follows—or is sick or struggling and with the situation. In Zimbabwe the child is
frequently living like an orphan. Often the other parent remarries or runs away and the stepsituation can create problems, especially of abuse, that need good care and surveillance.
Attention is given to children from birth to age eighteen.
There has to be a line somewhere and our whole concept is to get church and people to take
responsibility. So the concept is that an 18 year-old should be able to look after himself and take
responsibility. If he/she is a head of household they will still be included in the ministry as such anyway.
The aim is to facilitate a ministry that can be sustained locally.
Z.O.E. is not a ‘handout’ ministry. We never give hand outs, but if the churches in an area are doing all
they can and if we have been given something to supplement, then we will add as we can. We do the
same with school fees. If the churches in an area say, “we have paid so much but there is so much
outstanding for these who need to attend school,” then we try to help. But we are very anxious that we not
usurp the responsibility of the extended family and we only come in when they have gone out! (We are
not dealing here with abnormal circumstances such as famine or flood.)
Men are sought for inclusion
The ministry must not be a “women’s ministry.” The children need father figures. We praise God for the
number of committed fathers in ZOE –men who are church leaders and members of the volunteer force.
Community structures are incorporated
The church is often afraid of working with the local community leaders. Yet we have found that where
relationships have been built with local leadership while maintaining a totally church-based ministry, the
church now leads the way in influencing much that happens in the community—and without compromise.
This means that we can tap local resources (where available), saving church and ministry resources for
more specific needs. An approach with transparency, genuineness, and honesty that is lived out before
the people will speak--and speak of the Jesus we are not ashamed to own!!
Emerging areas of emphasis
Confronted with the growth of HIV/AIDS pandemic and the ravages of three years of famine we have,
over the years, expanded our training and awareness activities to include:
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Information on how HIV is spread and on how one can not contract the virus so as to free
carers from the fear of contracting the disease—a fear that has paralyzed their caring
activity.
Aspects of physical, mental, and verbal abuse and how to handle the knowledge of such
abuse in wisdom and effectively deliver the children to safety.
Advocacy and how to engage in it at the local and national level
Psychosocial support, it’s importance and how to provide for it
Counselling technique, especially in cases of bereavement and loss
Character building activities such as play and how this can develop fatherhood, etc.
Baby care instruction as many mothers are dying as they give birth or soon after.
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Means of responding to the cry of the child “I want my mummy/daddy” and looking at the
opportunities and risks of providing ARVs for parents! (The supply of ARV drugs has
been severely disrupted in recent years such that we have had to “wean” people off of this
therapy.)
Self-sufficiency, micro-enterprise and conservation farming. (Our desire is to have every
family stand on it’s feet.)
Note: Z.O.E. presently has a full time team of 7, and a national committee of 14. We are a registered
legal trust with a Board of Trustees to which the leadership is responsible. But the ministry happens on
the ground through the local churches together!
For further information on the Z.O.E. ministry, contact Jean Webster at [email protected] .
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