The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Psalm 126:3
God reminds us in His Word that we are not forgotten. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, for us. We are not forgotten—but in 2012, the Lord led GraceLife Baptist Church in Christiansburg to reach “the forgotten tribe of Zimbabwe.” What God has done since then is unforgettable!
Working alongside the SBC of Virginia and other local churches, GraceLife accepted a challenge from the International Mission Board of the SBC to adopt an unreached people group—the Ndau of Zimbabwe—as part of a long-term missions partnership. The Ndau, located along the border of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, are a tribe of more than half a million people. This “forgotten tribe” was considered the only unreached and unengaged people group left in the nation. At the time, fewer than 2% were evangelized, and most of the Ndau had heard little or nothing about the truth of Jesus and His saving work on the cross.
The strategy was simple: send small teams into select unreached Ndau villages where there is little or no Gospel witness. Each team of four to six members spends mornings sharing the Gospel in homesteads and leading evangelistic meetings in the evenings. Afternoons are spent leading discipleship sessions, children’s ministries, and leadership training.
These Gospel efforts have led to the establishment of more than a dozen churches and preaching points. Hundreds have come to faith in Christ. Amazingly, the Ndau people group is no longer listed as an unreached and unengaged people group. They are truly no longer the “forgotten tribe.”
Teams work closely with Ndau pastors who are part of the Chipinge Baptist Association. The association is led by longtime Ndau pastor and church planter Karakadzai Manyanga. Teams continue to share the Gospel in the Chipinge district, disciple new believers, and take every opportunity to strengthen the work among the Ndau. They have also partnered with Baptist Global Relief and the Baptist Seminary in Gweru to serve in the cyclone-ravaged area of Chimanimani.
The current and future strategy centers on sharing the Gospel alongside committed Zimbabwean pastors and lay leaders in ways that are sustainable and reproducible by local believers in their churches and communities. As the Gospel is shared in unevangelized areas, the goal is to see people saved, discipled, and embraced by new and established churches among the Ndau people.
According to Tim Hight, pastor of GraceLife, “We have learned that we can’t do it alone. We have chosen to partner with other churches and are grateful to SBCV for its encouragement to take the leap.” Randy Aldridge, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Ridgeway, who is also involved in the partnership, has seen God do phenomenal things on these trips. Randy said, “It is incredible to see God raise up churches, pastors, and even a church planting network there. Two more villages are on the horizon, and a recent convert wants to plant a church in his village. God is at work.”
Truly, we are not forgotten—and neither are the Ndau people of Zimbabwe.
