Pharos Journal of Theology (Sep 2024)
Meaning beyond symbols! : A theological interpretation of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe’s logo
Abstract
Methodism came to Zimbabwe in 1891. The church expanded through Eurocentric theology taught to the locals. As the mission continued to grow the indigenes became part of the Methodist ethos and theology through the contextualisation of the gospel, the localisation of worship, and the indigenisation of leadership, however, the church did not have a visible identity. When the church finally designed its logo in 1987, there was no deliberate effort to explain the meaning and significance of the insignia to its congregants. Coupled with this lack of knowledge, the logo later became the church’s trademark through kitchen utensils with the logo, clothing material, designed in different fashions of women, men, and youth regalia, billboards, and branding of different items and properties. This paper aimed to contribute to Methodist theology and scholarship by providing literature that explains the meaning and significance of the Methodist logo which is represented by a circle, the map of Zimbabwe, the cross, a scallop shell, and a dove. The paper started by presenting the methodology used to gather data. This was followed by a historical development of the logo. The paper also analysed the significance of the logo as a fundraising tool, a form of identity and a quasi-uniform in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. In this paper, we argued that the Methodist logo represents the indelible theological insignia that directs its congregants to a deep theology of a church located within the global Wesleyan Methodist and in particular the “connexionality” of Zimbabwe. The paper concluded by forwarding that, logo(s) remain central to the identity of any organisation and members of each organisation need to have an appreciation of their identity and the meaning of their emblems if the organisation has to be theologically impactful to its congregants.
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