Accomplishments
In the years since JourneyPartners was founded in 1995, our ministry in Zimbabwe has grown both in scope and diversity. Our mission has expanded to focus on clean and available water, education and school support, and health and medical support. Our venues for service have also expanded, along with opportunities for creative approaches to partnership and immersion. With support from congregations all over the United States, several national organizations and clubs, and more than a hundred volunteers, and together with Zimbabwean congregations, pastors, students, volunteer, workers, and dedicated friends, JourneyPartners proudly claims our role in these partnership missions.
A Brief History of the Partnership Between
JourneyPartners and People of Faith in Zimbabwe
July - August 2019: Government, economy, scarce fuel, materials and over 300% inflation plague the recovery of the country. Bonnie Dixon traveled to Kutenda. Completed land purchase, built additional chicken house, replaced laying hens lost in the country’s cyclone. Used car purchase for fuel savings. A need for a good used truck is ongoing for the needs of the sale of garden produce/eggs. This helps the feeding of children while sales help compensate the mothers and garden workers at Kutenda. The government has placed additional children at Kutenda, bringing the total to 16 with possibly adding more as more children have become at risk in the country’s crisis.
July - August 2018 : Bonnie Dixon visited Kutenda for 2 months. Joann Davis arrived in August. After the elections Prosper and Elias Maponga traveled with Bonnie and Joann to all sites for well checks and community assessments. The school in Gokwe South had not been completed due to cement shortage within the country.
July – August 2017: PVO (Private Volunteer Organization) approval for JourneyPartners through the government in February. Bonnie Dixon traveled to Kutenda. Laying hens, goats, partial payment of additional property added to Kutenda. Wells were still intact.
July - August 2016: School project Gokwe South begun. Pure Water Pure Love granted funding for wells placed in both Gokwe South and Nyamacheni rural community, Kutenda agriculture and clean water well added. German NGO began raising funds for placement of solar system.
July - August 2015: Team of four worked at Kutenda and visited Gokwe South to explore future school building project.
July - August 2014: Women’s team worked at Kutenda helping build an office and guest house for future administrative work and providing expansion of each dormitory wing to house 12 children with a “house mother”.
July - August 2013: Second school building begun in Burure. Team members in health careers worked in Nenyunga and Sanyati Baptist alongside health care workers. Painted one building at Kutenda Children’s Home. Team of 10 people participated in immersion and projects.
July - August 2012: School building began in Burure with partnership with Bishop Ambrose Moyo and the Lutheran community in Burure.
July - August 2011: Adam Dixon traveled to Zimbabwe. House of Hope becomes Kutenda Children’s Home officially.
June - July 2010: Four team members lead by Adam Dixon began work on Nenyunga Clinic with the community villages of Nenyunga.
June - July 2009: Sanyati Baptist Hospital, students from Carson Newman assisted various projects, nursing students, Joann Davis, RN, coordinated work with hospital and clinics especially Nenyunga Clinic in the Gokwe region. New clinic preparation located near the highway began.
July - August 2008: Clean water well drilled. Caretakers home/toilets built in preparation for moving the Nenyunga Clinic away from the river.
May - August 2007: Sixth mission immersion journey in Zimbabwe, including students with credits for service-learning curricula. Immersion and work project were in Masembura, for assistance in constructing a hostel to house AIDS orphans. Conducted fifth Church Leadership Institute, with focus on historic Baptist principles and polity. Replaced borehole pumps for water system at Baptist Conference Center.
June - July 2006: JourneyPartners sponsored its fifth mission immersion journey to Zimbabwe, with a group from Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and four other volunteers. ZimJourney 2006 also sponsored the third Church Leadership Institute, under the teaching of Dr. Jack McKinney and Bonnie Dixon, and included clinical teaching in two Zimbabwean hospitals, conducted by a nurse volunteer from the Alliance of Baptists. Work project was the construction of a 300,000-liter water reservoir for BCZ institutions and community.
2006: Funded publication of Four Fragile Freedoms in Portugese, in partnership with Alliance of Baptists, Brazil.
July 2005: Dixon traveled to Zimbabwe in behalf of JourneyPartners to determine with Baptist leaders’ future directions for the partnership, assess potential for assistance with hospitals and medical clinics, and represent Alliance of Baptists at the annual Congress of the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe.
July 2004: JourneyPartners sponsored the fourth mission immersion journey to Zimbabwe with two college students, and the second Church Leadership Institute, under the teaching of Dr. Marian Berky and Dr. Bernie Cochran.
June 2000: Dixon was invited by the World Council of Churches and NCCUSA, in response to a request by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, to be an international election observer for the 2000 Zimbabwe Parliamentary Elections.
July 1999: Dixon, under “sponsorship” of JourneyPartners, led the third team to Zimbabwe, to assist in renovation of men’s dormitory, construction of addition to library, and first Church Leadership Institute at Baptist Seminary of Zimbabwe, under the teaching of Dr. Furman Hewitt and Rev. Tracy Hartman.
March 1998: Initial discussions regarding the formation of JourneyPartners were held with Rev. John Mazvigadza, Executive Secretary of the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe.
November 1997: Executive Committee of Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe approved on-going partnership with The Alliance of Baptists.
September 1997: AOB Board of Directors approved an on-going partnership with BCZ, pending the action of BCZ’s Executive Committee in November 1997. Executive Committee of Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe approved on-going partnership with The Alliance of Baptists.
April 1997: Dixon coordinated an Alliance “leadership team” (Stan Hastey, a Board member, a youth from an Alliance-affiliated church, and Dixon) to meet in Zimbabwe with the leadership of the BCZ. A formal request for partnership was presented by officers of BCZ, and informal agreement was reached, pending approval by AOB’s Board of directors and BCZ’s Executive Committee
July 1995: At invitation of Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe, Dixon led mission work team to Zimbabwe to assist in completion of Zororo Primary School administration / library building. While there, Dixon addressed the annual Congress of the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe. Conversations regarding a potential partnership between BCZ and the Alliance of Baptists were begun and continued until the partnership was ratified in late 1997.
August 1993: Dixon and two other BTSR students traveled to Zimbabwe for the Mission Immersion Experience requirement. Study and mission work under the leadership of Zimbabwean nationals, coordinated through missionaries then serving as president of BTSZ. (Rev Hugh McKinley and Rebecca McKinley)
January 1992: Bonnie Dixon studied under Dr. Mugabe at BTSR, “Theology from an African Perspective”
1992 – current: Dr. Mugabe taught winter term at BTSR
1986-1991: Henry Mugabe studied for Ph.D. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY
1984-85: Dr. Tom Graves (current BTSR president) met Dr. Henry Mugabe (current BTSZ president) during Graves’ sabbatical in Zimbabwe.
