The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (''UPCSA'') was formed and constituted in 1999 as the outcome of the union between the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (''RPCSA'') and the

Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (''UPCSA'') was formed and constituted in 1999 as the outcome of the union between the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (''RPCSA'') and the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (' ...

(''PCSA''). These two churches shared the same origin dating back to the 19th century when

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

took over the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...

. Their distinctive characters were that the Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa was constituted among soldiers and settlers who arrived in the Cape in 1820, spreading North into

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

and

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

. The Reformed Presbyterian Church on the other hand was a product of

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

missions intended for the indigenous Africans, which started at Lovedale Mission in

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

. It became autonomous in 1923. In 1896 the first Presbyterian congregation was founded in

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...

, and later in 1903 in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

(now

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

). Now there are 2 Presbyteries in Matabeland and Mashonaland. Currently there are 10 congregations and 5,000-10,000 members. The motto '' Nec tamen consumebatur'' is adapted from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

translation of Exodus 3:2 "...The Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, ''yet it was not consumed''"

Recent History

The UPCSA ordains both men and women as ministers and elders, a position inherited from the predecessor body, the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa. The church defines marriage as exclusively heterosexual, between one man and one woman, and "instructs" ministers to not perform same-sex marriages. However, a church court ruled in 2015 that the church did not prohibit its ministers from blessing same-sex unions. In 2019 the UPCSA celebrated its twentieth anniversary after having spent much of that time in forging structures of union.

Presbyteries

The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa has over 450 congregations and 800,000 members and is divided into the following Presbyteries (regional districts):

South Africa

* Amathole * Central Cape * Drakensberg * eGoli * eThekwini
Trans Xhariep
* Highveld * Lekoa * Limpopo * Thukela * East Griqualand * Mthatha * Tiyo Soga Memorial * Tshwane * Western Cape

Zambia

* Copperbelt * Munali * M'chinga

Zimbabwe

* Zimbabwe

Associations/Ministry Groups

The Basis of Union is a contract that was signed in September 1999 entered into between the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (PCSA) and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in South Africa (RPCSA). Under this contract, the two churches would join and become one: the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA). Article 13 of the basis of union states that, as a condition of the union, both churches are to bring 4 associations each and the 8 associations would unite to form only 4 associations (one women's association, one men's association, one girl's association and one youth association). * The GCA (Girls' Christian Association) of RPCSA and JB (after

Janet Burnside Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...

the wife of Rev. Tiyo Soga) of PCSA united to form IYZA (Inhlangano Yezintombi ZamaRhabe Amanyanayo) *The two women's associations united to form UPWF (Uniting Presbyterian Women's Fellowship) *The PMA (Presbyterian Men's Association) of PCSA and the YMG (Young Men's Guild) of RPCSA united to form MCG (Men's Christian Guild) *The two youth associations united to form UPCSA YF (Youth Fellowship).

Confession of Faith

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

Apostles Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

* Faith of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. 2013 * Declaration of faith for the Church in Southern Africa. 1986

References

External links

Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uniting Presbyterian Church In Southern Africa Presbyterianism in South Africa Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches Members of the World Council of Churches Christian organizations established in 1999 Presbyterian denominations in Africa Presbyterian denominations established in the 20th century