Mandela’s faith

The world is full of Nelson Mandela. But the media are playing scant regard to the contribution and influence of the Methodist Christian missionaries who educated him and taught him Christianity. They make no reference to any connection between Christian forgiveness and Mandela’s capacity for forgiveness. They conflate Mandela and forgiveness as if these were indivisible.

Mandela’s parents were illiterate. Being a devout Christian, his mother sent him to Clarkebury Methodist Missionary School when he was seven. Baptised a Methodist, Mandela was given the English forename of “Nelson” by his teacher. As Mandela attended church services every Sunday with his guardians, Christianity became a significant part of his life.

Mandela then moved toHealdtown Methodist College in Fort Beaufort. There he met the Rev Seth Mokitimi, then the school’s chaplain and later the first black person elected to lead a major denomination in South Africa. Thereafter, Mandela began work on a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Fort Hare, and gave Bible classes in the local community as part of the Students Christian Association. Without his strong grounding in Christian faith and values, the Mandela the world loves would not have existed.

There is a stunning contrast between Mandela’s political application of Christianity and what is happening elsewhere in Africa today. Media comment compares other political leaders unfavourably to Mandela. However, commentators do not say that it is the lack of Christianity that diminishes contemporary politicians in this country and in many others.

Rev Dr Robert 
Anderson

Blackburn & Seafield Church