Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has paid tribute to the retiring presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa Ivan Abrahams calling him a great son of South Africa who had served the country selflessly over many years.
Speaking at an event to honour Abrahams on Saturday Zuma also commended what he referred to as a sterling role of the church in helping overthrow the apartheid regime.
"In marking your retirement Your Grace, we have an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa as well....it has made its mark in education, the fight against poverty, support for orphans and the vulnerable in our society in general, the fight against HIV and Aids, speaking out against injustice and generally working to make South Africa a better place for all our people," Zuma said.
Bishop Abrahams knows what it means to be denied full rights in the society where you live. Born in 1956 under South Africa's apartheid system, he was seven years old when his family was forced to move from a section of Cape Town suddenly declared a whites-only area.
Zuma said these events had made Bishop Abrahams understand the devastating effects of racism and the extent of material deprivation in South Africa. "In his involvement in the Justice and Service portfolios of the Methodist Church in six Southern African countries, Bishop Abrahams witnessed the suffering of the people, particularly women, children and the old in these countries".
It was these kinds of experiences which strengthened Bishop Abrahams and the Methodist Church.
"We know your campaigns against child trafficking and other crimes against our children. Your interest in the wellbeing of children emphasises the church's role in strengthening the family as the primary agent of socialisation where ethics, behavioural and social values are learnt. Through close knit church institutions, families are supported and nurtured," Zuma said.
Abrahams was recently elected as the new General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, the first African bishop to hold the post. The World Methodist Council is made up of 77 member churches in 135 countries and represents 75 million people.
