Partnership with Budiriro, Zimbabwe
The partnership between Christ Church Rayleigh URC and Budiriro UPCSA (Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa) on the outskirts of Harare in Zimbabwe began in 2010 as part of our church’s centenary celebrations. The church in Budiriro started as a house group in 1 of the Elder’s homes and grew to become a larger congregation meeting in a very rudimentary building on a plot of land rented from Harare City Council. This continues to be the case today.
Rayleigh’s relationship with the congregation in Budiriro has developed over the last 10 years and has included 2 visits to Zimbabwe – in 2012 and 2017 – which were great opportunities to meet members of the church and their previous and current Ministers. Revd Biggie Mususa is the current Minister and his dedication to supporting the congregation is inspiring in the face of the very challenging circumstances faced by Zimbabwe at the moment. The economy of Zimbabwe is in deep recession with high unemployment, severe shortages of food and fuel and no form of social security to protect people struggling to feed themselves and their families.
The church in Budiriro has a Women’s and a Men’s Fellowship along with a number of children in the Sunday School and a few young people.
The partnership between our 2 churches includes regular communication and sharing of information, photos and prayer requests between the churches. There is also a regular financial commitment with Rayleigh URC paying the monthly rental charges for the church plot as well as funding several projects including building a fence around the church site, installing a toilet block and most recently supporting the drilling of a borehole and the installation of a solar-powered pump and storage tank.
The congregation in Budiriro have a vision to become fully self-sustaining in the future. As part of this, they are making plans to set up a horticulture project using spare land at the church and the supply of water from the borehole to grow vegetables, maize and so on which can be sold to the local community.
Our partner church very much appreciates prayers for the congregation and for the wider situation across Zimbabwe.
And What’s more….
For more photos of the Budiriro Uniting
Presbyterian Church and its people see
Budiriro Picture Gallery
If you want to support the church in Budiriro financially, Christ Church has an open
Budiriro Partnership Fund and any money collected will be forwarded
at a suitable time.
Women’s Fellowship rededication service; 19th June 2022