Thank you!

The email from our support team treasurer yesterday informed us that pledges toward our support now total 99.72%! And there is good evidence of a couple recent pledges not included yet in the report. So that means we are finally ready to make definite plans to travel. We have requested tickets to leave September 25. Needless to say, we are happy to have a definite leaving date, but it also means there is a lot of preparation to be completed. We have been busy sorting, storing and disposing of things that we have accumulated, and not quite finished yet.
We are grateful for all those who have contributed towards our financial support, both individuals and churches. It means a lot to feel the trust and encouragement, and we are confident of continuing prayer for us and for the work will take on in Kenya and Tanzania. For that, we say "Thank you and God bless you!"

World Missions Institute

We are in the middle of a 4 week training event put on by Eastern Mennonite Missions at Lancaster Mennonite High School for persons going out for a mission assignment. It is designed for persons going out the first time, which doesn't quite fit us, but we have not attended this before, so we were encouraged to participate. We have enjoyed the interaction with presenters and also with the rest of the group. We find it refreshing to associate with people who are thinking about cross-cultural life and mission work. The group includes both individuals and families, going to Albania, Botswana, Cambodia, Guinea-Bissau, Montenegro, Peru, Sicily, Thailand, and Tanzania.
The training includes theoretical subjects such as biblical foundations of mission, relating to other religions, and cultural dynamics, and more practical subjects such as conflict management and team building. It has been time to build relationships with a variety of people and personalities and to support each other as we face the uncertainties of the future. We have been reminded that people in missions are ordinary, fallible, vulnerable people with a commitment to follow God and serve others in cultures other than their own.
Following the World Missions Institute is the one-week OASIS mission orientation, held at Black Rock Retreat near Quarryville PA, July 16-20. So keep us in your prayers as you think of us during these events.

Business as mission

On June 4-6 I had the opportunity to attend a training by Global Disciples on Small Business Development. The emphasis is using small business in developing countries as a way to build positive relationships with local people and thereby share the Good News and strengthen the local church. It is designed primarily for persons who are starting churches in new areas. Many believers in developing countries have the idea that persons in business are less spiritual than persons in full-time Christian service, and so they tend to withdraw from involvement in the business world. This training emphasizes that God calls us, not to withdraw from the world around us, but to enter into it as persons sent by God into the world, using "what is in their hand" as the start of the their business venture. It includes organizational tools such as developing a business plan and financial management, and also the spiritual tools such as prayer, integrity and vision for ministry. It encourages believers to use "what is in their hand" and develop a bu
When I visited East Africa in March, I heard requests for this kind of training, both to strengthen the financial base of believers and the church, and also as a way to engage in ministry in local towns.
Theologically, this is an incarnational approach to mission. Just as Jesus took on humanity in order to relate to humankind, this is an example of the messenger taking on the "humanity" of the local community through  entering into the business community and bringing God's kingdom near. I am planning to use this as a tool to strengthen the life and witness of the churches in East Africa.

Update

Sometimes it feels like not much has been happening, that we are in a kind of holding pattern, mostly waiting. In the meantime, Gloria is continuing with her nursing job, and Joe is busy with gardening and keeping up with other, mostly church-related activities. And enjoying the grandchildren whenever we get the chance.

We have visited several churches to give presentations about our Africa assignment, and we have a few more scheduled. We are encouraged with the interest in what is happening in the Mennonite churches in East Africa. We share much in common as we try to be God’s people in our own world and we have much to offer each other.

The need often expressed by the African church is for leaders who are equipped. Three phrases I heard repeated on my recent visit were building capacity, training trainers, and sustainable with local resources. The churches are growing at a rate of nearly 10% each year, but they are not able to train enough leaders. We are looking forward to partnering with the church to “build capacity” for leadership training. That includes training models that can be maintained with the limited resources available locally. Up to now, the training has depended heavily on funding from outside the country. The churches are also looking for ways to improve the economic base of its members, and that will strengthen church finances.

We have had conversations with Global Disciples and also with Mennonite Central Committee’s Eastern Africa personnel to address these two needs – effective leadership and small business development.

Many of you have pledged financial assistance towards our support, and we are grateful to you. We have not yet reached our goal, but the pledges are coming in slowly and we hope to be ready to locate in Africa by August or September this year. We are also grateful for your prayers. Some specific items for prayer are:

§  Pray for the bishops in Kenya and Tanzania Mennonite Churches as they consider the needs of the churches and look for ways to develop leadership.

§  Pray for peace in Kenya. In March, one of the towns in western Kenya experienced tribal violence, probably politically motivated, and Mennonite Bishop Clyde Agola and his church were directly affected. Local authorities are engaging the different parties in dialogue to maintain peace and seek long-term solutions.

§  Pray for understanding between Christians and Muslims in Tanzania. Recently, the president of the country called a conference for dialogue between Christian and Muslim religious leaders. Tanzania is about 1/3 Christian and 1/3 Muslim and so far have avoided serious conflict, and the president wants to promote understanding for the sake of national unity. The Mennonite bishops were involved in planning the conference.

§  Pray that financial resources will be available for this ministry.

Call to Mission 2.wmv

Impressions

In the 2 weeks since I returned from the visit to Africa, I have been sorting through my observations and impressions and trying to put them into a plan for how we will engage. Here are some impressions:

1. Church leadership training and support is a priority for church leadership. According to a 2006 survey, only 12% of Mennonite church leaders in Kenya have formal training in church leadership. In Dar es Salaam, 9 of 16 pastors have theological training. In urban areas, some leaders have secular education, but feel a need for training specific to church leadership and biblical studies.

2. Mennonite Theological College of East Africa (MTCEA) is an important resource for training. Many of the pastors have studied at MTCEA. At the same time, there is a general feeling that MTCEA is not fully meeting the training needs of the churches, both in the low number of graduates and in the training provided. A suggestion that was made repeatedly is to include vocational training in the curriculum to provide church leaders with a source of income as a bi-vocational pastor.

3. Theological Education by Extension (TEE) was effective and provided training for the many lay pastors who lead local churches. It is probably a significant factor in the growth the church has been seeing. Its weakness was that it was not sustainable locally so that within a few years after the missionaries left, the programs ceased to function. Some of the bishops have a plan for extension education in their regions, but there is no large scale TEE program. A program for training local leaders is needed.

4. Several times I heard requests for in-service training and refresher courses for present leaders including training opportunities for spouses, so they can understand what their pastor spouse is experiencing and help them work together as a team.

5. The national economies of Kenya and Tanzania affect the churches’ ability to pay pastors’ salaries. The result is that many pastors need to find other sources of income. Some of the churches have economic development plans to strengthen the church’s income. Nearly all the churches expressed interest in developing the economic base, to benefit both the people and the church budget.

6. Areas of teaching that were requested include basic biblical studies, stewardship, biblical principles of leadership, practical ministry skills, children’s ministry, counseling (especially in relation to HIV/AIDS), economic development, church planting, Mennonite doctrine and history.

Developing these impressions into action plans is the next challenge in front of us. We are continually encouraged by the interest and support we feel from others, and are very grateful. As for financial support, we have been told that approximately 40% of our budget for the first 2 years has been pledged or received, and we are told that is very good at this stage. And the response forms indicate a lot of prayer support. We are making plans to share in several churches, and we are open to invitations. This is a unique opportunity to partner with established churches that are effective and growing, but lacking training opportunities. Again we thank you for your interest.

Reflections

I am sitting in seat 30J of a Boeing 767 somewhere over the north Atlantic on the way home after 3 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania. A full, but rich time. I met with 10 Mennonite bishops individually and several other leaders to hear their vision for training pastors and talk about ways to meet the need. Probably fewer than half of the present pastors have had any kind of specific training to equip them for church leadership. Most of the bishops have aggressive goals to start new churches in their region, but they lack leaders with preparation. It has been inspiring for me to hear them share their vision that they are committed to work towards in spite of limited resources.
It has also felt good just to be back in Africa again. Africa has a kind of wildness, not in a bad way, but in a way that experiences life without frills, where the beautiful and the ugly, the hope and despair, exist together in a rich way. Not much is "sugar-coated" in Africa, you take life as it comes and deal with it, no point in complaining.
Part of the beauty is the richness of relationships. Sometimes it feels like manipulation, that may be part of the ugly, but that is not unique to Africa. But more often, there is the love and acceptance of genuine respect, not because of our accomplishments, but because we are children of the same Father. And the deep spirituality that flavors all aspects of life, not as an add-on, but central to everything they are and do.
So l am returning with a lot of hope, for the future of the African church and for the future of leadership development in Kenya and Tanzania Mennonite Churches. It is personally gratifying for me to be part of this effort and I am looking forward to being involved. I am also grateful for the many who have stated support for this effort. It means much.

Joe Bontrager