Overview

"In 2008, Bishop Bakare was awarded Sweden's Per Anger Prize, an international award set up for those fighting for human rights and democracy. In his acceptance speech, Bishop Bakare talked about his parishioner Justine Mukoko, who was missing after having been kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night. He also spoke about Itai Dzamara, a young activist and critic of then-Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, who had also disappeared. That speech memorializing Zimbabwe's struggle to become a truly democratic nation is at the heart of Bishop Bakare's memoir, and it reflects his own life that encompasses all of Zimbabwe's modern history. When he was a child, Bishop Bakare's family was evicted from their home and lost their livelihoods when white settlers invaded and stole their land. As a young man he was forced to flee after criticizing the white occupiers. The joy of returning from exile to vote in Zimbabwe's first election was soon replaced by his realization that the Mugabe regime was corrupt and his countrymen and women were still impoverished and repressed. Still, he returned to Zimbabwe, with his beloved wife, Ruth, and his daughters to strive to answer the call he heard, while still in secondary school from Isa 6:8: """"Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, 'Who will I send? Who will go for us?' I said, 'Here I am. Send me!'"""" Bishop Bakare's fight for freedom for all God's people and, especially, the people of Zimbabwe, culminated in his accepting the position of interim bishop of Harare when Mugabe was backing breakaway Bishop Nolbert Kunonga. That role led him into direct and dangerous conflict with Mugabe's forces, even into a standoff with armed men during Sunday mass."

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9781666763027

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"""'Sebastian, what do you want to become when you finish school?' When Bishop Sebastian was asked this question, little did he know that his life was to be lived in the likeness of our Lord, full of joy with suffering, full of vastly different experiences. This well-written memoir is a vital read, especially for those who are committed to serving our Lord and his people in spite of the many challenges of ministry, confident that the God who calls us will do it as 1 Thessalonians encourages us."" --Thabo Makgoba, Anglican archbishop of Cape Town ""This book is a beautiful narrative of a life of commitment. The author and his wife responded unrelentingly to a call to serve God's people with courage and commitment. It is an urgent call for a courageous, committed, and an equal society where all citizens are free and liberated from the bondage of the sin of corruption, selfishness, and injustice."" --Vimbai Nyemba, former chancellor of the Diocese of Harare ""This memoir is a testament to Bishop Sebastian's gifts and achievements as a friend, scholar, theological educator, and bishop who has given generous encouragement to others in a bid to help them achieve their potential and advance in discipleship."" --Christopher Chessun, Anglican bishop of Southwark"

Author Information

Sebastian Bakare, the retired bishop of Manicaland and Harare, Zimbabwe, is the recipient of the Per Anger Prize, Sweden's equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, that honored his commitment to fighting political and economic oppression on behalf of all God's people, but especially his fellow Zimbabweans. Together with his late wife Ruth, he worked ceaselessly in Zimbabwe to combat the legacy of white oppression that resulted in ongoing governmental corruption.

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