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.
