At her inception she was named “The Methodist Church of Transkei”. The purpose of this name was to depict soil of origin. A swift expansion demanded a change of name, so as to accommodate her members beyond the boundaries of Transkei; hence the name U.M.C.O.S.A. May I make a brief background so as to point out the motive behind her birth? This Church was formed up by the people who were members of
Methodist Church of Southern Africa (M.C.O.S.A.). It was a fact that APARTHEID was a malady whose effect soiled the people’s cultures in all aspects of life. The Churches themselves could not avoid its impact. White Supremacy against Black inferiority was apparent even in Church circles. In an attempt to react against the denomination, the Black section of the Church organised themselves in a group called Black Ministers Consultation (B.C.M.) High and frequent matter in their deliberations was to get rid of the White oppression in the church which, ironically, professes to be one and undivided. The 1977 Conference of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa was caught up in a dilemma. Some wanted to convey a long-standing practice of Conference greeting to the head of State of South Africa. They resolved to exclude the head of State in the Transkei homeland. The ministers whose homes were in Transkei felt offended. They used that opportunity to instigate a reaction by the Transkei State President who was Chief Kaizer Daliwonga Matanzima. Renounced clerics persuaded him to ban the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in Transkei. Representations for consultations took several months (i.e. At last human nature being what it is, he reluctantly bought the idea and banned the Methodist Church of Southern Africa as an undesirable organisation in Transkei. To put in bluntly the State President of Transkei homeland was instrumental zed. The Methodist members in Transkei used that opportunity to form a Methodist Church of Transkei. The motive being to get rid of White controlled church. Anyway the church was established, a confession of faith was coined, a Methodist discipline was adopted the Conference become the governing authority with legislative and executive powers and a constitution become a supreme authority. Negotiations about properties were entered into between the two churches. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa. 1979 Conference resolved that to cede her properties which were in Transkei exchange of Pensions of Ministers who opted for the new church. Seeing that the expansion of the new church was rapid, the name was changed to present one United Methodist Church of Southern Africa
(U.M.C.O.S.A.) in 1998, the Military Government in Transkei under the leadership of General Bantubonke Holomisa unbanned the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, others remained an intensive rivalry about properties and memberships ensued. Big sums of money were expended in court of law. By the GRACE of God it is now the 41st year of U.M.C.O.S.A’s existence (not without internal problems anyway), despite a constant humiliation from her archival, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
