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

Retired Bishop Joram Mbeba

As we began our travel back toward Nairobi, we passed the town of Magu, home of retired bishop Joram Mbeba and his wife, Lydia. We received a warm welcome and a snack of dried whole tilapia fish. We could only stay for a short visit, but were refreshed by their hospitality. Their bodies are aging, but their spirits are bright. We enjoyed relating to them while we were in Africa, and again when they attended Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Retired Bishop Joram Mbeba (center), his wife Lydia, and I in their home

Tanzania

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting places where our family lived and people we knew. This includes Shirati, a village in northwest Tanzania where the Mennonite missionaries first started. In the first 3 years, they began ministries of evangelism, medical care, primary school education, and training leaders for the emerging church.

Wth 2 young leaders under the tree in Shirati where the first church services were held

From Shirati, we traveled to Musoma and to the village of Nyabange, the location of Mennonite Theological College of Eastern Africa (MTCEA). Again, I met several people we knew from our time there in the 1970's and 80's. MTCEA is facing the challenge of a struggling national economy that affects financial support from the churches. But every place I visited, I consistently heard words of appreciation for the college and the need for education and training for church leaders. MTCEA has provided leaders, but not in the quantity needed for the expanding church. There are buildings that are aging and some need renovation. I met with the college board as they discussed ways to improve the financial base and strengthen the academic program.

Mennonite Theological College of Eastern Africa chapel and library.

Sunday, March 10, we were in Shinyanga, a town further south which has recently been designated as a new diocese. We worshiped in a new congregation, Nguzo Nane Mennonite Church, the second week they met. They have started a small discipleship training school. There were 29 people present in Sunday morning worship and I was inspired by the intensity of their singing and praying.

Preaching at Nguzo Nane Mennonite Church, Shinyanga TZ

Mwanza Diocese has a young bishop who is challenging the churches to reach out to the surrounding communities. They have identified 17 villages without a church where they want to do evangelism and start new congregations. But the big need is training for workers. They emphasize the importance of prayer in engaging in ministry.

Meeting with Mwanza bishop Albert Randa (left) and his leaders

In front of Mwanza (TZ) Mennonite Church with the bishop (center) and other leaders

Kenya Mennonite Church

I have just returned from about 10 days in western Kenya and Tanzania with Mennonite church leaders. Most of my time in Kenya was in the Kisumu area. Sunday morning I preached at Obwolo Mennonite Church, one of the first Mennonite churches in Kenya, and the location of the bishop's office for Kisumu West Diocese of Kenya Mennonite Church.

Gueth Mennonite Church is a new congregation with a building  built using traditional methods

On Monday I had the privilege to visit retired bishop Musa Adongo, who was in active leadership when we were in Kenya 21 years ago.

Retired bishop Musa Adongo (3rd from left) and present leaders of Kenya Mennonite Church

Kenya Mennonite Church is active in the communities they serve with various development programs, including nursery schools for local preschool children.

Gogo (Kenya) Mennonite Church which also provides a nursery school during the week

Update on travelers checks

A few days ago I wrote about the difficulty I am having cashing some travelers checks I have had for about the past 8 years. Apparently these are not the preferred way of traveling with money, now it is the debit card. But today I was successful in cashing them at a Nairobi bank. First, the teller asked me if I brought the receipt where I bought them. Obviously not, which I explained. So she took the checks, I am sure she checked the signature thoroughly and did a background check, and finally agreed to cash them. So I ended up with $100 worth of Kenya shillings, which I will probably need in the next few days. So from now on, it will be debit cards for me.

Nairobi II

I spent most of this week in Tanzania, first in Dar es Salaam and then in Arusha. In both places, I met with the Mennonite bishop and some of the pastors to hear their concerns about training pastors and what will be most helpful to them. I experienced a lot of interest in leadership training and some things already being done. But there is need for better basic training and upgrading the Bible "college" to have better prepared leaders for today's world. Both of these areas have better educated people, many of whom have jobs in government or business and have degrees or other advanced training. Most of them also have internet access. I returned to Nairobi Thursday afternoon and spent today, Friday, catching up with myself. I went to have lunch with a couple we knew from before, Bishop Joash Osiro and his wife, Rebecca Osiro. Joash is bishop in an area in western Kenya, and Rebecca is pastor of Nairobi Mennonite Church, the only female ordained pastor in the Mennonite churches here. It was such a good experience to sit and talk with them.

The traffic in Nairobi is really heavy, and gets very congested as rush hour. I am intrigued at the way they drive, although some might find it scary. It gets especially interesting at the traffic circles. It reminds me of an ice hockey game in slow motion, except they keep from hitting each other (most of the time). It consists of a constant weaving in and out of cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and pedestrians crossing the street. I want to call it a "dance" the way they all interact, somehow always aware of each other, and showing respect and waiting for whoever "got there first." Of course, they all try to get there first. Eventually, we get where we are going. If we could learn to give each other space in our interactions with each other day by day, maybe a lot of things would go more smoothly.

Tomorrow I am taking a a bus to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on Lake Victoria - a 6 hour ride. I will be there for a couple days, first to worship with them on Sunday, and then we have a meeting planned with some of the bishops and pastors of western Kenya on Tuesday. I expect a different experience there than in the cities I have been in so far, because most of these churches are in rural areas, and even the pastors usually have only a primary school education (grade 8 or less). Almost none of them have internet access, although I am sure most of them have cell phones. It is a strange thing, the way the technology has entered the society and is helpful for communication. Following the visit to Kisumu, I will take a few days to visit Shirati, Musoma, and a couple other church centers in the Lake Victoria region. I am not sure how much internet access I will have there.

As I am writing this, it is 8 pm and I hear the Muslim call to prayer. Not a bad reminder. Too often we do not take the time for prayer that we should.

Joe

Arusha

From Dar, I traveled by bus to Arusha, where there are also a number of Mennonite churches. They have a goal to add 3 new churches in the next year. Here is Arusha Mennonite Church with the bishop, Joseph Mutorela.

Arusha Mennonite Church operates a pre-school and works with Compassion International child adoption program. Here is the Compassion International staff in their office in the pre-school building, along with me and bishop Mutorela.

Dar es Salaam

I have just returned to Nairobi from a trip to Dar es Salaam and Arusha in Tanzania. It felt good to be back in Tanzania again, a country we called home for 8 years. I had good meetings with the Mennonite bishops and some of their pastors in both locations. They have a lot of interest and energy to put into leadership development.
There are at least 6 Mennonite congregations in Dar es Salaam city, and a total of 20 churches in the region.Here is a picture of Upanga Mennonite Church in Dar es Salaam, with bishop Steven Mang'ana.

And there is Menno the peacock, a permanent resident of the church grounds.