THE AXE AND THE TREE
How bloody persecution sowed the seeds of
new life in Zimbabwe
By Stephen Griffiths
Lion Hudson. 368 pages. £9.99
ISBN 978 0 857 217 899
The book tells the story of the church planted by Elim church missionaries in north eastern Zimbabwe, from its beginnings in the 1950s and through and beyond Zimbabwe’s bloody war of independence.
Author Stephen Griffiths, son of one of the early missionaries, grew up and lived through most of the events he records. It is a well-written account of the faithful, sacrificial service of Christ and his gospel of both the missionaries and the Zimbabweans who took on leadership of the church and gave themselves for its growth.
The commitment of the missionaries to serve the local people in healthcare and education while being primarily committed to sharing the gospel and serving the young church is deeply moving and challenging. Choosing both to hand over leadership of the young church to local leaders and to stay in Zimbabwe with their African brothers and sisters through the traumatic events of the civil war, nearly all of the missionary team were massacred towards the end of the unrest.
The story has been carefully researched and is told with honesty and humility. The account of men and women who loved Christ and his church more than their own lives, and through whom God remarkably grew his church in Zimbabwe, is well worth reading. Stephen grapples with the cost of forgiveness, with understanding, willingly submitting to God’s sovereignty through great pain and loss. Reading the story of the church over several years gives the encouragement of seeing God working out his good purposes through terrible events.
The book also gives a very helpful perspective on the troubled history of Zimbabwe, and great hope, even as the country continues to struggle, that God will continue to grow his church and glorify the Lord Jesus. Read it! Don’t expect it to be a comfortable read, but expect to be deeply challenged and encouraged as you do so.
