Summer 2007 - Focus on Africa - Brethren in Christ Church

Volume 27, Number 3- <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong><strong>Focus</strong> on AfricaFrom August 16-29, a delegationfrom Mennonite World Conference visitedthe Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe(see picture on page 3), as a gesture ofChristian love and solidarity in the midstof their extreme economic and politicalhardship. In 2003, the Zimbabwe churchhosted the once-every-six-year global assemblyof Mennonite World Conference,and at the close of that assembly, LarryMiller, MWC general secretary, promisedthe thousands of Zimbabwe brothers andsisters in attendance, “We will not forgetyou.” Given the worsening of conditionsin Zimbabwe since 2003, MWC is makinggood on its promise.I have certainly not forgotten Zimbabwe.Almost 60 years ago, I was bornthere, and even though I haven’t livedthere in more than 45 years, Zimbabwein particular and Africa in general, stillclaims a part of my heart. I don’t know ifit’s an aging thing, but the older I get, themore I am aware of just how much of myheart is still there and how I was shapedby those early years of my life, and Iunderstand better the claim Africa had onmy parents as well, especially my father.The news from the continent of Africa,not just Zimbabwe, generally tendsnot to be good—when we hear it, that is.With such things as the war in Iraq dominatingthe news cycles (not to mentionthe 2008 political campaign and all thecelebrity news), even horrendous happeningsin Africa often don’t receive a wholelot of coverage. I have often been frustratedby the relative silence in the U.S., forexample, on the situation in Zimbabwe (infact, some people don’t even know what orwhere Zimbabwe is!). Why is that, I wonder?The cynic in me thinks it’s becauseZimbabwe has no strategic importance tothe United States, or because for the mostpart it’s black-on-black persecution andviolence. When we do hear about Africa,it’s often about repeated droughts andfood shortages, civil war, human rightsabuses, genocidal violence on a grand scalein places like Rwanda and Sudan, refugeecrises, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic grippinglarge percentages of the populationof many countries. There’s a lot to lamentabout Africa.But that’s not the whole story. TheBrethren in Christ have been in Africafor more than 100 years, making the BICchurch there the oldest outside NorthAmerica. The Zimbabwe church is thelargest BIC conference anywhere in theworld, and in the midst of its own struggleshas sent people to other countries inAfrica, such as neighboring Botswana, toshare the gospel and plant new churches.And, as Graybill Brubaker writes in thelead article in this edition, Christianityhas a long and rich history in Africa.One of my favorite series of fi ctionbooks is set in Botswana. The author ofThe No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and itsseven sequels is a Scottish gentleman,Alexander McCall Smith, who was bornin Zimbabwe and lived in Botswana formany years. One of the things he does bestin these novels, besides tell a good story,is capture the special strengths of Africanpeople, in this case in Botswana. The maincharacter, the owner of the No. 1 Ladies’Detective Agency in Gabarone, the capitalcity of Botswana, often muses about traditionalAfrican values in a way that helpsthe reader understand and appreciate thosevalues and paints a positive picture of thestrengths of African culture and society.In the past couple of years, I’ve alsoread several fi rst-hand accounts by individualswho have survived unspeakableviolence and hardship (for example, Left toTell, reviewed in the spring edition; TheyPoured Fire on Us From the Sky; What is theWhat? and A Long Way Gone, reviewed inthis edition). While the authors describetruly awful experiences of escaping genocideand scrounging in scorching desertheat for anything that might be edible,the amazing thing is that they survivewith their humanity intact and are livingtestimonies to the resiliency of the humanspirit.With a continent as large, varied andcomplex as Africa, 12 journal pages barelyscratch the surface, and I’m almost embarrassedby how much is left out. But perhapsthe articles that are here will inspireyou to pay more attention to ways you canbe involved in advocacy, to read and learnmore, to value the strengths and contributionsof African people despite all thenegative stuff we hear, and to pray for thepeople of Africa, especially our Brethrenin Christ brothers and sisters living outtheir Christian faith in often very diffi cultcircumstances. ❦Harriet S. Bicksler, editor

Africa, the Most Christian Continent – Again 1By A. Graybill BrubakerThe story of Christianity in Africagoes back to the visit of the Queen ofSheba to King Solomon as recounted in theBible. 2 A son of that visit, Menelik becamethe founder of the longest lived dynastyknown. With a number of breaks, the dynastyreached to the reign of Emperor HaileSelassie whose reign ended in 1974.Tradition in Ethiopia says that anexact copy of the Ark of the Covenant wasmade. As a young man, Menelik visitedthe land of his conception and studied itsworship. When he was leaving to returnto Ethiopia his attendants, with the connivanceof temple servants, switched thetwo Arks and the original one was takento Axum - the modern Ethiopia. There itslocation is well known and heavily guardedtoday. The Christian Churches in Ethiopiahave a replica of the Ark attesting to theirconnection with Judaism.With the Ark went missionaries fromwhich the Yahweh worshipers in the daysof the Apostles came, including the EthiopianEunuch. He in turn took the Christianmessage to Ethiopia. In the early part of thefourth century a ship docked at a port inShalom! A Journal for the Practiceof Reconciliation is a quarterly publication ofthe Brethren in Christ Church. Its missionis to educate and stimulate Christ-likeresponses to the needs of society by providingbiblical, theological, sociological,denominational and personal perspectiveson a variety of contemporary issues.Editorial Committee:Don McNiven, General Secretary,Brethren in Christ ChurchLois Saylor, Elizabethtown, PAJanet Sherk, Mechanicsburg, PAJoel Wenger, Greencastle, PAEditor: Harriet S. Bicksler,127 Holly Dr., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055;(717) 795-9151;e-mail: bickhouse@aol.comPlease direct all correspondence, includingchanges of address, to the editor. A thirdclass nonprofit mailing permit is held bythe Brethren in Christ Church, P.O. Box390, Grantham, PA 17027. Third class postagepaid in Grantham, Pennsylvania.<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 2Ethiopia. All of the merchants, tourists andcrewmen were killed except for two Syrianyouths, Frumentius and Aedesius. TheKing liked their looks and put Frumentiusin charge of the Royal Records and madeAedesius his cup bearer. When the Kingsuddenly died, the Queen made themRegents of the infant Crown Prince, virtualrulers of the land.Frumentius got in touch with themerchants who were Christians as a resultof the salvation of the Eunuch, the Secretaryof the Treasury. 3 A strong churchwas developed. When the young men weregiven their freedom, Aedesius returned toSyria. Frumentius went to Egypt to askfor a Bishop to lead the Ethiopian Church.The Coptic Bishop Athanasius promptlyconsecrated Frumentius as Bishop and hewas back in Ethiopia by 350 AD.At the same time the host of convertsfrom the day of Pentecost fannedacross North Africa and were receptive toorganized Christianity when the CatholicChurch - the only organized church of thetime - brought the message from Rome.By the end of the fourth century a third ofall Africans were Christians. The church inEgypt was a million strong! Africa was theworld’s most Christian continent.But!One fault of the church in NorthAfrica, as opposed to the church in Egyptwhich survived, was that the Gospelremained in Latin and was not translatedinto the languages and cultures of thepeople. The big problem, however, wasthat the church was divided. Two hundredand eighty-six Catholic Districts and 279Donatist Districts were fi ghting, and whenIslam came along the weak church graduallyfaded until by 700 A.D. what wereonce 700 Bishoprics were now 30 or 40 andby 1600 Christianity in North Africa was“only a memory.”In the 15th century two great rulers,Prince Philip of Portugal and Zara-Yaqobof Ethiopia, knew of each other’s existencebut could not cooperate because Islam hadformed a ring around the MediterraneanSea. Prince Philip sent his ships down theAfrican coast “to make increase in the faithof our Lord Jesus Christ and to bring toHim all the souls that should be saved.” Hewanted to join up with Zara-Yaqob, knownas Prester John in Europe, to break thepower of Islam. One hundred years laterthe Portuguese Navy defeated the Arabsat sea in 1543 and brought relief to thebeleaguered Church in Ethiopia, still alivebut very weak and poor from a century offi ghting Islam.The Portuguese sailors, fearful of hugesea serpents and of falling off the edge ofthe earth, gradually went around Africa.At every advance they set up a stone cross,claiming the land for Christ. In 1441 Portugueseships reached Mauritania but didnot reach the mouth of the Zambezi until1498.Missionary priests accompanied theseexplorations and many churches were establishedincluding a great church in the Congo.However, the Portuguese, includingsome of the missionaries, became involvedin the slave trade which discredited theirministry. Two hundred years later no traceof the church in the Congo remained.Two developments renewed the ChristianChurch in Africa. Missionary Orderswere established in the Catholic Church.Especially noted for ministry in Africa werethe White Fathers. The second developmentwas the founding of schools formissionaries and the founding of missionsocieties in established Protestant churches.The two developments were not mutuallybenefi cial as each considered the other apostate.The sad story of their conflict in theKingdom of Buganda - settled in favor ofthe Protestants by the presence of a MaximGun, the fi rst real machine gun - is extremebut not untypical.However, the story of the advance ofChristianity in Africa is remarkable. Thecost in lives and materiel was enormous.One half of the missionaries to West Africafrom 1890 to 1920 either died or wereinvalided back to their homes within twoyears. Without them Christianity wouldnot have taken hold in Africa. However,when they had found and discipled nationalChristians, Africa was won for Christ byAfricans. New Christians, rejoicing in their

their visiting relatives—will see the Lordthrough me.I feel sure God has called me in theministry of peacemaking and reconciliation.I love to become reconciled withpeople and I want to help reconcilepeople (2 Cor. 5:18-20) with each other.Not that I have obtained all this, or havebeen made perfect, but I press on (Philippians3:12-14.), and I’m confi dent thatGod will continue to work in me (Philippians1:6). ❦Esther Kalambo is a chaplain at MachaHospital in Zambia. Two years ago, she wasable to attend the retreat of the BIC Council onWomen in Ministry and Leadership at KenbrookBible Camp, and was a blessing to all those whoattended and heard her testimony.Global Giants and the Canadian ConferenceBy Brian BellMatthew 9:36 states that when Jesus“saw the crowds, he had compassion onthem, because they were harassed andhelpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”Three summers ago I heard Rick Warrengive a talk about the church’s responseto “Global Giants” as he called them.These fi ve giants were identifi ed as thefi ve biggest problems of the whole worldand they were 1) spiritual emptiness, 2)corrupt leadership, 3) extreme poverty, 4)pandemic diseases, 5) illiteracy and lackof education. As I sat and listened, I had aclear sense that we could not not respond(sorry about the double negative but thatis the way it came across to me). Theseproblems were so large and so overwhelmingthat the church of Jesus Christ, asexpressed in the Canadian Conference ofthe Brethren in Christ, must fi gure out away to respond under my watch as Bishop.I began to think and pray about this andhere is a little of what has transpired sincethat day.In April 2006 at our Canadian ConferenceAnnual Meeting, I shared my sensefrom my experience in the above paragraphand invited our people to attend afall gathering which we titled “The AfricanDream.” This came from a beautifulsong about Africa from the Soweto GospelChoir which we used at that gatheringwith some powerful creative interpretivemovement provided by Jennifer Baker.At this night we also heard from SarahAdams, HIV/AIDS coordinator for MCC,about her work around the world with theGenerations at Risk ministry of MCC.In December 2006 my wife Lori andour daughter Jessica and I had the opportunityto visit Haiti for two weeks wherewe stayed with Mission of Hope. A BICcouple, Travis and Elisha Smith, were ina one-year service role helping to manageThuma Hamukang’andu, bishop of the Zambian Brethren in Christ Church, with Brian Bell, bishopof the Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church.a small orphanage on the campus of Missionof Hope. I had been in Haiti in 1980and now some 26 years later saw little byway of development in this very desperatecountry. I prayed, “how, Lord, how willthese Global Giants be fought”?During the early part of <strong>2007</strong> we hadthe opportunity to continue on with thetheme of the African Dream by invitingthe Bishop of the Zambian BIC Church,Bishop Thuma Hamukang’andu’ to attendour <strong>2007</strong> Annual Meeting. BishopHamukang’andu spent about two weekswith various churches within the conferenceand in his gracious way invited usinto the hearts and lives of the Africanpeople. We were so humbled by his presenceamong us and we continued to learna little bit more about the challenges thatour African brothers and sisters face daily.Still the response to the Global Giants wasnot clear in my mind nor was it likely tobe easy.As of this writing we are planning to<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 5

send a BIC team of people from the CanadianConference on a MCC Learning Tourto Southern Africa countries this comingNovember. Carole Phillips, chair of ourCompassionate Ministries Team in theCanadian Conference, is leading this teamand Lori and I will be a part of the group.Our goal in sending off this team will beto continue to help raise the understandingand our responsiveness to some ofthese huge global issues, and especiallyHIV-AIDS.Over the last two years we also hada rising sense of responsiveness fromone of our BIC churches, the MeetingHouse, about the HIV/AIDS crisis inAfrica. Since the Lord has been blessingtheir work and they have seen substantialgrowth over the past ten years they werekeen to explore the realities of the globalgiants themselves. You can read about thedevelopments they have been undertakingin the accompanying article by DarrellWinger, Community Development Pastorat the Meeting House. Praise God forthe growing sense of responsiveness Godis prompting, not only in our midst butaround the world, as Christians take upthe call to follow Jesus in compassionateministry.So this has been something of myjourney over the past few months and Ilook forward to seeing what the Lord willdo. I ask for your prayers for wisdom andfor all those who are seeking to be a partof the solution of “fi ghting” these giantswho seek to devastate the globe. May Godbe the great deliverer of compassion, careand comfort to so many in our world whosuffer under these challenging times. ❦Brian Bell is bishop of the Canadian Conferenceof the Brethren in Christ Church, withoffi ces in Oakville, Ontario.The Meeting House and Southern AfricaBy Darrell WingerAt the core of our mission at TheMeeting House is compassionate involvementin meeting human need locally andglobally. Locally, we have been thankful forthe variety of opportunities we have hadthrough our network of Home Churches topartner with local needs. Home Churchesprovide thousands of volunteer hours servingin diverse settings in our communities.In addition, this past year well over$100,000 has been raised (in addition toour main congregational budget) throughour Home Churches to support compassionateinitiatives.We are also excited about our partnershipwith Mennonite Central Committee,Brethren in Christ World Missions and theWorld Hunger Fund in order to address theBrian and Lori Bell and their daughter Jessica with several orphaned babies they visited while inHaiti on a different project.needs on an international level. We look forcreative ways to promote these ministries,knowing they are key avenues to put compassioninto action.However, in the past 18 months, wehad a growing desire and, in fact, senseof responsibility to discover more directways for The Meeting House to beinvolved in addressing the “global giants”of HIV/AIDS, poverty, hunger and othersocial need and injustice. Of particularconcern for us, as for so many others, is theHIV/AIDS pandemic. Across our community,from the grassroots to our leaders,there has been a rising call to respond. Godhas blessed us with a wealth of resources ata time when there is such an acute need.Many voices from within our communitywere challenging leadership: with all thatwe have, what is The Meeting House doingto serve the local and global poor? Whatare we doing to mobilize the thousands ofpeople and the millions of dollars that Godhas entrusted to our community? We mustget more directly involved if we are to haveany credibility in sharing Jesus.With all of this in mind, leadershipentered into conversation with Joel (ourlead pastor for Mississauga) and JuliannePercy about the possibility of being commissionedto go to Zimbabwe on behalfof The Meeting House to research how we<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 6

might establish a longer-term compassionatepartnership with the church in SouthernAfrica. We knew we wanted to partner, butto do so we needed to learn from nationalleaders, as well as international workers, onhow best to do this. We understood thisarea is complex and we wanted to proceedslowly and wisely.Julianne had been to Africa severalyears before and continued to have a deeplove for this continent and its people.Through her vision and the rising desireof The Meeting House to be involved inthe need created by HIV/AIDS, Joel andJulianne agreed to spend up to one year inZimbabwe. The BIC Church in Zimbabwegraciously consented to partner with us andassigned Julianne and Joel to Mtshabezi toserve alongside the HIV/AIDS team there.The Percys left in the early fall of 2006.During these past months Joel andJulianne have been able to interact withBIC leaders in Zimbabwe and Zambia, aswell as interact with leadership from MCC,personnel serving with BICWM, and staffof World Vision. These months of servingand learning have been very useful andencouraging.Critical to continuing our efforts tobe educated and to further this globalcompassionate initiative, we decided wealso needed to send a team of senior staffto Southern Africa to personally experiencethe context there and to meet withnational and local leaders. Five membersof our management team had the greatprivilege of traveling June 3-17, <strong>2007</strong> toZimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Theteam members were Tim Day, Rich Birch,Verdele Polson, Sandra Nicholas and DarrellWinger. We were thrilled to meet upwith Joel and Julianne in Bulawayo andspend two weeks with them.The purpose of this trip was to learn,interact with leaders, and strengthenrelationships with our church family inSouthern Africa. In Zimbabwe we wereable to spend time at Mtshabezi and inBulawayo. In these areas we interacted withGordon Sitole and Obert Ndlovu who giveleadership to the HIV/AIDS ministry associatedwith the hospital and wider churchcommunity. We enjoyed many hours withRichard Ndlovu, director of the MtshabeziHospital. In Bulawayo we appreciated longconversations with Bishop Danisa Ndlovu,as well as enjoying the hospitality of theNdlovu family. In the city we toured severalHIV/AIDS projects supported bythe MCC “Generationsat Risk” program. MCCcountry directors, Jethroand Doris Dube, sacrificed much time interactwith us and help us betterunderstand the needs inZimbabwe. We were also ableto see the World Vision AreaDevelopment Program at Lupanein northwest Zimbabwe.Spending a few days in Zambiaallowed us to meet with BishopHamukang’andu and his family and tohear the bishop’s heart for his country andthe church. We were thrilled to see thesolid leadership of Gimwell Yooma whodirects the compassion ministry of theBIC Church, along with support from Ronand Erma Herr. What an honor to visitin two different congregational settingsto see local teams who had been equippedby Gimwell and Ron to serve communityneeds created by the AIDS pandemic! Hereare women and men reaching out into thecommunity and showing that the church ison the front-lines of this challenge. It wasgreat to hear how the MCC AIDS kits arebeing put to good use. Many of our HomeChurches had invested signifi cantly in puttingnearly 100 of these kits together in thepast year.Our time in Johannesburg had to becut short, but we still were able to spend aday in one of the largest townships observingthe work of the Khanyisile CommunityCentre and the HIV/AIDS projects there.This work is supported by MCC and wesaw the vitality and variety of the workwith children, youth and their families inthis area.All in all, during these two weeks,we were able to observe seven differentHIV/AIDS projects in the three differentnational settings, most supported by a creativepartnership between the church andMCC. What an honor to meet with womenand men who were leading and serving inthese diverse ministries. We were humbledby their sacrifi ce, dedication and vision.Here were Christ-followers who were refusingto be discouraged and who were fi ndingcreative and appropriate waysto meet the huge need createdby HIV/AIDS, economicpoverty and political instability.We came away remindedthere are many complexities.A “one size fi tsall” approach simply doesnot work. We are brothers andsisters serving together. Wemove forward in humility andlove, not with any easy answers. We desireto be in relationship, as well as desiring to“do” something. We also came away remindedthat we have “generations at risk”in areas of rampant materialism, greed, andselfi shness. We need our African brothersand sisters to help us, as much, if not more,than they need our assistance. To be whoGod is calling us to be, we must fi gure outhow to be in relationship and partnership.We valued this tremendous opportunityto enter into and deepen relationshipswith so many sisters and brothers.By spending time with our BIC familymembers there, we better understand theircultural realities and unique opportunitiesand needs; to feel their passion and pain; toobserve their vision and strength; to experiencetheir warmth, grace, and hospitality.Through the work of Joel and Julianne,as well as our team visit, our desireat The Meeting House has only beenstrengthened to establish a long-term partnershipwith the church in southern Africa.We are determined to come alongside thesecommitted leaders and workers as theyface many challenges. In wanting to blessothers, we know that in fact we will be somuch more richly blessed. ❦Darrell Winger is community development pastorat The Meeting House in Ontario, and previouslyserved as bishop of the Canadian Conferenceand as General Secretary of the Brethren inChrist Church.<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 7

Seeing God’s “Finger-Prints”in Southern AfricaThe Zimbabwe Church’s PeaceWitness Amidst CrisisBy Carl StaufferIntroductionTurning off the main paved road wehit the dirt road with a rumble, dry winterdust swirling as we made our way to theBrethren in Christ Church’s MtshabeziMission, Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. MyZimbabwean associate, Thami Sonile, and Iwere privileged to be accompanied by Mr.Alec Nkomo, head of the National YouthMinistries of the BICC-Zimbabwe. Heshared some of his personal experience ofMatabeleland violence. Alec’s family homeis in Tsholotsho, a rural area in region ofMatabeleland where heavy violence occurredduring the 1980s. Alec, his eyesintense yet bright with energy opened hisstory, “With a surname like ‘Nkomo’ youreally suffered, they lumped you togetherwith the extended family of Joshua Nkomo[The Matabeleland leader of the mainopposition political party].” Alec told oftwo brothers who had to fl ee the country atthe time in question and two of them thateventually changed their names. One ofhis brothers went missing in Matabelelandover that time and the family has neverseen him since. Alec pressed on, “We donot know if our brother is dead or alivebecause we have not buried any bones yet.”With an emotional yet poignant pause,Alec exclaimed, “I still even look for mybrother’s face in the crowds as I walk thecity streets!”The Regional Peace Network –Who are we?The Regional Peace Network (RPN)– Southern Africa, a program of the MennoniteCentral Committee (MCC) is anoutgrowth of MCC’s peace focus in SouthernAfrica since the 1960s. RPN’s mandateis to encourage linkages and empowerpeople and organizational peace resourcesalready active in the Region. To this end,RPN chose 12 African associates to walkalong side the MCC RPN Coordinatorin this important work. Thami Sonile isone of those 12 associate facilitator-trainersthat make up the life and passion ofthe RPN. RPN promotes four streams ofbiblical peace-building: 1) trauma healing,2) nonviolence, 3) restorative justice and<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 84) reconciliation processes. Through itsservices of training, intervention, consultationand resource exchange, RPN has beenprivileged to travel and minister in 20different African countries since its inceptionin 2000. Starting in 2000, RPN hasprioritized the looming crisis in Zimbabwe(along with various other “hot-spots” acrossAfrica). The RPN vision is clear: “To seea Thriving Africa: Spiritually at Peace,Economically Just, and Socially Reconciled.”As a network our aim is to connectideas, people, organizations and resourcesfor peace. For Zimbabwe this has meantvarious activities:• Training Church Leaders (across alldenominations including the BICC) inbiblical peace-building practice• Training local government and politicalleaders in non-violent strategic actionand restorative justice practices• Sponsoring 14 local peace partners ofMCC to attend the six-week Africa Peace-Building Institute (API) in Kitwe, Zambia• Sponsoring 10 BICC pastors andBible teachers from both Zambia andZimbabwe to attend a two-week intensiveseminar in South Africa focusing on “PropheticPeace-making for Pastors” (hostedby MCC-RPN)• Helping the MCC-Zimbabwe offi cesupply 60,000 blankets to the displacedpersons who fl ooded the local churches ofBulawayo after their homes were demolishedin the government sponsored “OperationMurumbatsvina” (Cleaning up theRubbish)• Accompanying the Christian Alliance(CA) through prayer, consultation andstrategic planning. CA is an umbrella organizationof 70-80 churches (ranging fromCatholic to Pentecostal) who are maintaininga “prophetic” voice and advocating forsocial change in Zimbabwe.One Pastor’s Response to Repression- “I think I need to get arrested again”Senior Pastor Ray Motsi of the BulawayoBaptist Church was fi rst arrested in2002 when he challenged his church toraise the necessary funds and buy 70 tonsof maize (corn) meal and distribute it tothe many hungry people in the rural partsof Matabeleland. This he did in direct responseto the government’s false declarationthat there was no food shortage in Zimbabwe.Pastor Motsi was duly charged with“feeding the opposition.” In 2004, afterattending the “Prophetic Peacemaking forPastors” seminar, Pastor Motsi advised methat he felt he needed to get arrested again,in order to “wake up” the church to theurgency of the crisis in Zimbabwe. Well,in 2006 he had his chance again. This timeMotsi and a number of other pastors fromthe Christian Alliance were arrested andheld for three days in prison. Over thattime, like Paul and Silas, these pastors beganto sing praises and pray out loud in thecells. By the time they were released fromprison, they had witnessed seven inmatesdedicate their lives to Christ!Currently, RPN is managing anexternal Zimbabwe Advocacy Project.This effort will focus on raising awarenessand lobbying for support for a nonviolenttransition in Zimbabwe. The project willbe introduced among churches and civilsociety role players in the four countriesbordering Zimbabwe (Zambia, Botswana,Mozambique and South Africa). Thesegatherings are for the purpose of education,consultation and planning with key churchrepresentatives on how to develop a morecoordinated regional response to the currentZimbabwe crisis.God knows the plans he has for Zimbabwe,plans to give her a hope and afuture…“My hope and vision for the future ofZimbabwe is that one day we would be afree nation. That the sons and daughters ofZimbabwe who are struggling to sing theLord’s song in foreign lands would be ableto gather and partake in the joy of Zimbabwewhich is currently in travail. I dreamof a day when we will be able to re-buildthe broken walls of Zimbabwe, when wewill have a Biblical testimony of nationalredemption. To all Zimbabweans, I say -Let’s not hold our peace until He has madeZimbabwe a praise in Africa!” (ThamiSonile, MCC RPN Associate) ❦Carl Stauffer is coordinator of the RegionalPeace Network in southern Africa for MennoniteCentral Committee. On behalf of the RegionalPeace Network, Carl publishes a newslettercalled Peace Pathways, which is availableonline at http://www.mcc.org/southafrica/peacepathways/.

Encounters in African MissionsComplied By Rachel Peterson“Our fi rst task in approaching anotherpeople, another culture, another religion,is to take off our shoes, for the place weare approaching is holy. Else we may fi ndourselves treading on men’s dreams. Moreserious still we may forget that God wasthere before our arrival.”--- The Primal Vision, John V. TaylorI recently watched a theatre groupfrom Northwestern College perform “SiouxCenter Sudan” – a dramatic rendering ofthe life of missionary nurse Arlene Schuiteman.The play got me thinking about theprofound implications of cross-culturalministry, not only for those being “ministeredto,” but also for those who go.I decided that it would be interestingto pick the brains of some former (andcurrent) missionaries from my church tofi nd out what kind of effect their work invarious African nations has had on theirlives. I asked each of them two questions:(1) Why did you go? and (2) How were youchanged by your encounters? Here are theirresponses.Susan Getty, Zambia, July 2006Why did you go?<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 10Sometimes I feel desperate to seemore of God than what I’ve known before.Cross-cultural experiences are one of thebest ways I’ve found to experience anewthe wonder of our God. The time spent inpreparation and expectation tills the soilof my soul, and when I’m open to see andlearn, God is always faithful to blow openmy mind and heart with His love. Seeingnew places and meeting new people (as wellas deepening relationships with people Ialready know at some level) reminds me ofthe richness of the creation and the Creator!How were you changed by your encounters?As a result of the trip, I’ve discovered thatrelationships, more than anything else, satisfymy desire to serve AND meet my ownneeds. I’ve attempted to readjust my focusfrom task-orientation to people-orientation.Our family has become involved in theprogram at Messiah College that matcheslocal families with international studentsand we’ve developed a close friendship witha young man from Kenya. Not a week goesby but that I’m thinking of Africa and thethings God taught me while I was thereand since I’ve come home.Nancy Hoke, Zimbabwe, 1954-1979Why did you go?I came from a family of missionaries,so from a young age I felt drawn to missionswork. But I knew that I had to have adefi nite call of God to become a missionary;childhood fantasies and wishes were notenough. One evening at the Palmyra Brethrenin Christ Church, missionary David B.Hall gave a call to those wanting to followGod. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and Iobeyed.God confirmed my call many times.When I traveled with the Houghton CollegeChoir, we sang an anthem based onIsaiah 6. Each time we sang the words,“Here I am, send me,” I sang them frommy heart. Two years later, I was on my wayto Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) to servewith BIC missions.How were you changed by your encounters?I have been enriched by workingwith people of another culture. I havemade wonderful friends with Africans whohave inspired me in their walk with Godand their faithfulness to Him. I have alsolearned to understand and sympathize withthe struggles of a people under colonialism.Political and racial tensions duringZimbabwe’s struggle for independence setthe stage for my work. Sometimes I wentinto class, and instead of teaching I’d justlisten to the students. Most of them identified strongly with the nationalistic cause,and unfortunately, these feelings were oftenmisinterpreted by the church and Brethrenin Christ missions.One of the last times I visited a Bulawayoschool during the war, I heard smallchildren singing the hymn, “Peace, PerfectPeace.” Tears came to my eyes as I realizedthat peace was very far from them, perhapsfor a very long time.Ultimately, it was the political conflictthat forced me out of the country in 1977,and again in 1979 after I had returned toteach in a different college. These experienceswere very traumatic for me, but theyalso deepened my spiritual life. I havelearned to trust my Lord in times of difficulty. My experiences have also given mea lifelong interest in God’s work around theworld.I still keep in touch with formerstudents, and at the present time I amvery saddened by the situation in presentZimbabwe. Through websites, I learn ofthe diffi culties facing the church and thelack of food in the area where I taught. Icontinue to pray for a change of leadership.Kathy and Richard Stuebing, Zambia,1969 to PresentWhy did you go?I (Kathy) felt God’s call to missions inAfrica when I was about 11. Coming froma missions-minded family certainly helpedmy awareness of the need for missions andthe rewarding life God gives to missionar-

ies, and my family and church supportedme in my call. As I got older, I realizedmore clearly that the abundant life Christgives us is the best thing I have to offeranyone, and learning more about Africaincreased my desire to share Christ in thatcontext.Then God confi rmed my call by bringinginto my life my husband, Rich, whoalso felt clear call to serve God in Africa.We soon realized that God was calling usto serve him there together. We have stayed(into our 38th year) because of the certaintyof God’s continuing affi rmation of his callto us and also because of the wonderfulfulfi llment we’ve had in our relationshipsand work in Zambia.How have you been changed by your encounters?The clearest change is that my faithhas deepened immeasurably through seeingGod’s faithfulness in an incredible array ofsituations over our years in Zambia. Godremoved barriers and opened the way for usto minister in a strategic place. He has metour physical needs during times of severefood shortage, he has given us peace andprotection when armed men attacked ourhouse, he has given us insights from scripturethat have met cultural and relationalneeds in beautiful ways. My walk with theLord is much deeper today as a result.I have also experienced the deepfulfi llment of seeing God take my effortsand multiply them to help others in waysI could not have brought about by myself.God has used others to teach me and enrichmy fellowship with them and with him.We have had the joy of being worldcitizens and getting a glimpse of whatit will be when people from all culturesgather around God’s throne in heaven.David and Laona Brubaker, Zimbabweand Zambia; 1957-60, 1964-75Why did you go?The spirit of the Lord works in each ofus to lead us into the place of service thathe has for us. The Lord’s voice will cometo different people in different ways. Forus, it was to go to Africa. The infl uences ofour local congregations, which were verymissions-minded, along with the facultyat Messiah Academy and Junior College,planted in us a great eagerness to participatein taking the message of the gospel topeople of other nations. Even as early as ourhigh school graduation, Dave’s classmatespredicted that he would wind up as a missionaryin Africa. After we were married weheaded to Zimbabwe and Zambia for voluntaryservice (in lieu of military service),during which God solidifi ed and clarifi edthis sense of calling.How were you changed by your encounters?Our priorities changed. We lostinterest in pursuing any other career path.When we returned to the U.S. to obtainthe training necessary to become full-timemissionaries, both of us wound up on goodcareer paths. But as soon as the door openedfor us to return to Africa, we resigned ourjobs without a second thought.Our spirituality deepened, havingcommitted to this spiritual calling. Thedesire for personal possessions and wealthwas minimized. Living among those whosepossessions were so minimal taught usthat we really didn’t need as much, andwe became satisfi ed with less. We alsodeveloped strong bonds with missionaryand national coworkers whobecame like family to us. Inthe midst of cultural differences,we discovered thatpeople are people—no matterwhere they are from—andin our common purpose andeagerness to relate with oneanother, we were blessed with aremarkable oneness. Ultimately, weexperienced more contentment andjoy working in Africa than in any otherendeavor.Jennifer Stallings, Uganda, <strong>Summer</strong><strong>2007</strong>Why did you go?Each year, the Duke Divinity School’sOffi ce of Field Education provides a handfulof students the opportunity to completetheir fi eld education in an international setting.A friend and I were given the uniqueprivilege of being the fi rst women chosenfor placement at Saint Joseph Catholic Parishin Katikamu, Uganda. We are here toteach Bible and theology, along with severalother subjects in the parish’s primaryand secondary schools.How have you been changed by your encounters?While in the throws of typhoid feverthis July, I found myself thinking, “In spiteof how bad this is, I’m still glad I came.”That got me thinking. Typhoid is only oneamong a number of hardships I’ve experiencedhere. I’ve had diffi culty teachingcertain courses – especially fi ne art. I’ve alsostruggled quite a bit with the gender situationin Uganda and the little ways in whichmy full humanity has been denied to meover and over again—even by the peopleI’ve grown to know and love the most.There have been times in which I have feltquite useless and subsequently quite lonely.These feelings subside when I rememberthat my worth is not in my ability to“do” anything, but in the fact that my lifecomes from my Creator. I’m not here to be“useful”— I’m here to be “present” and toenter into life with my brothers and sisters.Entering into life with them has also beenquite diffi cult. While I’ve shared manywonderful memories with my students, theFathers, and others in the Parish, I’ve alsoshared their pain. My students go to classhungry, my parishioners are sufferingfrom AIDS, and the Fathers do theirbest to minister in this setting. Theseexperiences have been hard.But in spite of all the hardtimes, I am still glad that I came.I am only beginning to understandthe ways in which being here isshaping me— forming me into amore faithful disciple of JesusChrist. There can be no resurrectionwithout a crucifi xion, no new life withoutdeath. My prayer is that these experiencesof pain and hardship will give wayto such life... not for me only, but for allof us. ❦Rachel Petersen works at Paxton Ministries inHarrisburg, and is a member of the Grantham(PA) Brethren in Christ Church.<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 11

Brethren in Christ ChurchNon-profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDGrantham, PAPermit No. 21Return Service RequestedP.O. Box 390, Grantham, PA 17027MCC Supports HIV/AIDS Projects Among the Brethrenin Christ in Zambia and Zimbabwefrom the MCC web siteZambia• 1 in 6 adults live with HIV/AIDS.• 244 people a day died of AIDS in2003.• 630,000 children have lost one orboth parents to AIDS.As many as 85 percent of Zambianfamilies live in poverty, and more than 16percent of people have HIV/AIDS. TheHIV/AIDS epidemic is evidenced by largenumbers of orphaned children living oncity streets.Zambia is one of the countries insouthern Africa hardest hit by the AIDSepidemic. The country has also been asource of hope when it comes to fightingAIDS. The church in Zambia plays animportant role in stopping the spread ofAIDS and reducing the stigma surroundingthe disease. The Brethren in Christ(BIC) church in Zambia has an HIV/AIDScoordinator to oversee the implementationof AIDS programming for BIC churchesthroughout the country. The project isproviding general awareness information tochurch members, undertaking basic trainingin counseling and home-based care for<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2007</strong> • Page 12congregations and providing support to orphansand AIDS patients and their families.• $357 Cdn./$313 U.S. provides astart-up grant for one church to implementan income-generation projectto benefi t HIV/AIDS patients in thesurrounding community.• $357 Cdn./$313 U.S. covers thecost of a training workshop on propernutrition for HIV/AIDS patients.Zimbabwe• 1 in 4 adults live with HIV/AIDS.• 466 people a day died of AIDS in2003.• 980,000 children have lost one orboth parents to AIDS.In Zimbabwe AIDS claims more than3,200 lives per week. The HIV infectionrate among adults is about 25percent. Hospitals have been unableto cope with the number of AIDSpatients.The BIC HIV/AIDS project cameabout in 1993 as a response to the fact thathospitals were no longer able to cope withthe number of AIDS patients and wereinstead sending them back home to die.The initial emphasis of the project was oninformation, education and prevention. Asthe AIDS pandemic intensifi ed over theyears, home-based care and orphan supporthave become priorities of the program. Thechurch has established counseling and testingcenters for those wishing to be testedfor HIV as well as programs to prevent thespread of HIV from mothers to children.• $13 Cdn./$10 U.S. per year providessupplemental support to one AIDSorphan.• $149 Cdn./$118 U.S. per monthprovides workshops and follow-up onHIV/AIDS related women’s developmentand gender issues within thechurch.For more information about what MCCis doing to support the ZimbabweBrethren in Christ Church, you canlisten to a podcast by Bruce Campbell-Janzen, MCC Africa co-director, athttp://www.podcastvillage.com/aff/MC-CRD/archive/340/ ❦