About us

THE AFRICAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

SHORT BACKGROUND 

The process of The ACC formation started long before 1917. Rt Rev Gardner Bartman Mvuyana as the founder and the President of the church had the vision of starting a church that would serve and take care of the needs of the black people and their communities.

 The limitations posed on the black ministers and preachers in terms of performing their respective duties within their churches resulted in frustration within the ranks of black ministers. Creative means had to be employed to chart the way forward of liberating themselves, and taking charge of their affairs including shaping their own religion. It was on this premise that Rt. Rev. Gardner Bartman Mvuyana who was in charge of the African Congregational Church circuit in JHB took a bold decision and wrote a letter registering all the concerns at the time to the American Board Mission. His request was declined which led to his decision to announce his departure from the church.

 It was on this day the 3rd September 1917 that Rt. Rev GB Mvuyana announced his decision to leave the church and the overwhelming majority of the church members stood up and expressed their solidarity and support, thus declaring their departure with him.

 Other reasons for breaking away included:

o   The total control and management of the missions was the sole responsibility of their white counterparts.

o   Only white churches were granted permission to conduct Christian marriages.

o   The board excluded African clergy from positions of authority and those co-opted were simply used to collect money and sustain order and loyalty.

o   It prevented Africans from acquiring secular and theological education equal to that of their white counterparts.

o   Africans who worked hard to extend the church were not rewarded justly.

 On the 08th of August 1918, the church held its very first conference as an independent church at No 36 Stab street in Doornfontein where Rev GB Mvuyana was as elected the first President of The African Congregational Church. When the reality settled in and they had challenges ahead, hymn No 4 (Woza Thixo Wethu) was sung repeatedly, and church members were asked to pray for the new church and the way forward. God revealed to Rev GB Mvuyana a plan that would carry the church and progress it to the future. It was going to be through collective “HARD WORK”.

Going forward, members of the church committed themselves to contribute faithfully and be responsible of running and grew their church. With the grace of God, the church continued to grow from strength to strength as is testimony even today. In 1925. President GB Mvuyana began to detoriate and sadly passed away on the 01st of August 1925 under care of Dr. Mafukuzela Dube. He was buried at Ohlange graveyard donated by Dr. JL Dube.