Our recent travels have included three cities in southern
Tanzania where there are Mennonite churches. From Tabora, we drove 365 miles
(600 kms) south to Sumbawanga near Zambia. From Dodoma, we drove 365 miles
south to Mbeya near Malawi. And from Dar es Salaam, we drove 365 miles south to
Masasi near Mozambique. In each place, we traveled with diocese leaders who
find it difficult to visit these areas because of the distance and expense. And
in each place, we were invited to give a seminar to local leaders to begin a local
program to train their congregational leaders in Bible knowledge and ministry
skills, what we are calling “diocese-based TEE.”
 |
| The road to Sumbawanga. Average speed - 26 mph for 14 hours |
We have been “on the road” since mid-January and have driven
about 3,000 miles (5,000 kms) – on good roads, on bad roads, on new roads, on
unfinished roads, and on “no roads.” Fortunately,
our vehicle has been dependable, although it has received some maintenance
along the way. And we have traveled safely with no incidents in spite of the
trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, people and animals that we frequently
encounter along the way. But our main focus has been on the churches and their
leaders in those areas. Here are some of our observations.
1. In all three of these areas, the Mennonite presence did
not begin with an evangelist coming to form a church, but by local persons who
heard about the Mennonite faith and came to Mennonite leaders for more
information. The leaders followed up with sending experienced pastors to help
them get established, and Mennonite fellowships emerged. This is different from
church expansion across northern Tanzania, where persons with Mennonite
background moved to other cities for jobs and gathered together to form local
churches.
 |
| Leaders in Mbeya study the materials they will teach others, as in 2 Timothy 2:2. |
2. Leaders of these churches are struggling to provide
leadership and nurture. In most cases, the leaders have come from other
denominations and are not well informed of Mennonite history, faith and
practice. They are asking about “the Mennonite way” to baptize, marry, bury,
and other practices. Most of them expressed feelings of being isolated from the
larger church and feel neglected. We sensed a desire for relationship, and also
for mentoring in ministry.
3. These churches are asking for partners to walk alongside
them, including expatriate missionaries. We have discussed this with leaders of
each of the dioceses represented and they are affirming the requests. From our
perspective as missionaries, this is an opportunity for our churches to walk
together in ways that will strengthen both the African churches and the
American churches. The focus of the request is not on material resources,
although there are many economic needs, but on walking and working together to
strengthen God’s kingdom in both Africa and America. Churches in both places
have much to offer in the way of spiritual and relational resources. The vision
of the bishops is to place a local leader and a missionary who will form a
ministry team to strengthen churches and mentor local leaders in these outlying
areas. Pray for the conversations that will continue around this opportunity.
 |
| Bishop Stephen Mang'ana, Dar es Salaam, and the local evangelist baptizing a new believer in a stream near Masasi. |
We have seen a growing sense of mission among Tanzanian and
Kenyan Mennonite leaders. In most of the Mennonite churches in East Africa, church
growth was among people where the first missionaries began, from the Lake
Victoria area. But in the recent areas we visited, most of the believers are
local. Some of the bishops have asked for training in cross-cultural evangelism
and church planting, because they have noted that “what works in Kisumu does
not work in Mombasa.” Bishop Stephen Mang'ana, of Dar es Salaam, explained their vision to evangelize and start churches all along the East African coast, from Mombasa to Mozambique.
