The Christian History of Swaziland

*As provided by the Drew and Myers family who currently serve as career Missionaries to the Kingdom of Swaziland.

How Christianity Came

King Sobhuza I who ruled from 1805 to 1839, was given a dream at
some point during his reign. In his dream he saw the white man -
“Strange people,” he said, “that have hair like a cow tail.” In his dream
they came to him, in one hand they held a book, and in the other
hand was a gold coin. In his dream, Sobhuza was told to accept the
Book and not to harm the white man, but to reject the gold. The king
died never laying eyes on a white person, but he had told his son, the
future King Mswati, of this dream that had impacted his life. King
Mswati did encounter the white man, and due to his father’s dream,
he never fought him, but embraced the book (the Bible) that the
white man brought. To his own demise, and the country’s, he also
embraced the gold, causing great loss for the Nation. It took many
years before the Kingdom regained what had been forfeited.

What Went Wrong

We ask why there are still so many people who are not genuinely
saved in this land after such a miraculous beginning? Only God knows
the depth of the answer, however, history reveals sad truths which
have prevented Swaziland from being all that it could be for God.
Syncretism, the blending together of multiple religious belief systems
(in this case, Christianity with ancestral worship), has been the greatest
failure of the Church in Swaziland. Refusing to give up ungodly sinful
practices and clinging to the rituals of the ancestral worship has made
it nearly impossible for the people to know true freedom in Christ.
The Zionist church emerged in an effort to embrace both worlds:
merging Christianity with their cultural beliefs permeated with satanic
rituals. This brand of Christianity is so deceptive and enticing, it has
captured the hearts of the majority of Swazis. People say they are
Christians, go to a “Bible preaching” church and continue to practice
their witchcraft, believing in many evil doctrines. As you can imagine,
the rejection of the real truth is bringing devastating effects on this
nation.

Today, Swaziland is faced with the greatest crises
of our modern world. Latest surveys show that
over 45% of Swazi people are infected with HIVAIDS,
leading the world with the highest infection
rate per capita. Local news recently reported
that only 1 in 10, fifteen year old Swazis will live to see their 30th birthday, and the
United Nations predicts that Swaziland will become extinct as a nation by the
year 2050. We however, are convinced that God has other plans! Currently, there
are nearly 100,000 orphans in the country, many of which are living in homes lead
by an older brother or sister. Recent research shows that 17% of all homes in the
country are child-led, with the average age of the child running the home being
only 13.