Biography
William Duma was born in South Africa in 1907. His mother, Nomvula, and his uncle Vika were important early Christian influences. Illness marked much of his youth; later accounts describe prayer and a conviction of healing as decisive in his call to ministry.[1]
After moving to Durban, he attended Bible classes and began pastoral work. He married Grace Mkize, and they had three children. In 1939 he became pastor of Umgeni Road Baptist Church, where he served for thirty-six years.[1]
The congregation was small when he arrived. His ministry developed through preaching, prayer meetings, and the training of coworkers. He also preached elsewhere in southern Africa and became a leader within the Baptist Convention serving Black Baptist congregations.[1]
Healing testimonies form a prominent part of the published story of Duma. They should be identified as testimonies recorded by his biographers rather than treated as independently established medical findings. His pastoral work is documented separately from those claims.[1]
Duma died in 1977. His life belongs to the history of African Baptist Christianity: a long local pastorate, the growth of fellow workers, and a ministry whose remembered emphasis was dependence on God in prayer.[1]