Bishop Stephen N. Ndlovu (1930-2000): collaborative and ecumenical church leadership after liberation

Stephen Ndabambi Ndlovu was born in 1930 to Christian parents Ndabambi Ndlovu and Deredza Dube in Mazhabazha, Zimbabwe. His father had been a cook for a western missionary from the Brethren in Christ Church (BICC) named H.P. Steigerwald. Ndabambi and Deredza’s wedding was the first Christian wedding in Mazhabazha. Both Ndabambi and Deredza were teachers in the local BICC primary school, and so they often hosted visiting evangelists and preachers. The couple had four girls and eight boys, the firstborn being Stephen. The children grew up playing games like ingqobe and umacatshelana and were trained in practicing Christian piety by their parents, including forms of devotion such as evening prayers and hymn singing.