CK Foreign Missions

Insignia of the Diocese of Victoria-Nyanza

The Rt Rev Boniface Kwangu, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Victoria-Nyanza in Tanzania, has invited Fr Francis to come to his diocese and teach clergy and lay leaders. Details are being worked out but the trip is tentatively scheduled for August of 2008.

The general plan is for Fr Francis to go to several selected locations within the diocese and teach smaller groups (less than 20 people) of the clergy and lay leaders in the diocese for four-five days each.

The Anglican Diocese of Victoria Nyanza covers the regions of Mwanza and Shinyanga in northwest Tanzania and is essentially, the southern shore of Lake Victoria. The diocese encompasses an area of 7,373 square kilometers. Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania and one of the major ports of Lake Victoria.

Bismarck Rocks in Mwanza Harbor

The Diocese is divided into 6 achdeaconries, 8 deaneries and 50 parishes. It has 208 churches, 55 Pastors and 208 Evangelists.

Please note that American usage of the words “parish and church” may mean basically the same thing. That is not necessarily true in Africa.

In Africa, a parish will usually have a pastor. A church may have a pastor or more often it may have an evangelist or church teacher as a lay leader. Churches may be under the coordination of a local pastor from a different parish or may be under the coordination of an archdeacon or a dean.

Priests and deacons are ordained ministers. Evangelists and church teachers are commissioned ministers. It is rare for Eucharist to be offered every Sunday in most places.

We ask your prayers and financial support of this mission. Estimated costs of this next mission are:

Not all can travel to Africa for Gospel work. Yet all can share in the work and the graces by being a part of the mission through prayer and financial support. As a mendicant missionary society, we beg for your support.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health; I know it is well with your soul. 3 John 2

Fr Francis Wardega
Canon Missioner
Missionary Society of St John
Anglican Province of America
248-345-2651
jambofrfrancis@yahoo.com

The Kingdom of God is bigger than and includes more than any one denomination. The people of OFM desire to serve in the Kingdom of God. OFM serves in Anglican churches and in other churches, which desire to learn of the historical Christian church. Denominational boundaries then become doorways to ministry.

An example.

Shirley Williams, a member of Anglican Church of the Most Holy Trinity in metro Detroit, is an experienced missionary. In the past, she has served God in Africa and in Serbia. More recently, she served on a mission team that went to the West African country of Senegal, a former French colony, which is largely Muslim. She joined a team of people from an Independent Baptist Church and from a Pentecostal Baptist Church. They served people in Senegal from similar churches. OFM was a major financial supporter of this mission trip.

Her almost four weeks in Senegal were split into two separate mission tasks. The first half was devoted to visiting six different villages and giving open-air concerts on the village squares in an effort to lead people to Christ. There she met people from many different African lands including Nigeria, Ghana and the Congo. The people learned gospel songs and together offered worship to the Lord.

A special memory from those first weeks was the visit to Goree Island, the historic outward-bound depot for slaves being shipped to the western lands of North and South America. The still blood stained rock floors gave witness to this tragedy of history.

The second half of the trip was spent in a poor village in the interior of the country. There she lived in a little hut with no running water, and no electricity. She assisted in the operation of a medical clinic and loved the people who came.

Their stories were heart wrenching and touched all the missionaries. Poverty, sickness, starvation, and death were daily visitors. There, she listened to the women who came; they told their stories of abuse, rape and murder, grateful just to have survived. It was unforgettable.

Special memories included caring for and holding a newborn baby girl while her mother recovered from difficult childbirth. The local tradition is not to name the baby until it is four weeks old. Maybe, God will tell Shirley what name was given to the baby.

God blessed this work and this team of His disciples from several churches. This is an example of mission work in the Kingdom of God. Denominational boundaries have become doorways to His service.

The author of this essay has served God in Africa six times over the last few years. Each trip lasted at least a month and included significant contact with God’s people in what we would call the most rural areas.

God’s people in such rural areas do not have the instantaneous communications that we have in America or that many Africans who dwell in the major cities have. Internet access is limited or non-existent in the rural areas. Electricity is limited or non-existent in the rural areas. Television is limited or non-existent in the rural areas. African newspapers are more focused on local politics or their national political happenings. It takes a while for people to get the news.

International church happenings rarely if ever, make the local news in African rural areas. Thus it has been surprising how important it has been to rural African Christians whether I was a faithful Anglican priest or was I a supporter of the homosexual agenda.

Wherever I went, I was welcomed and then sat down in a private area and grilled. Who are you? What do you believe? Will you teach my people about the acceptance of the homosexual agenda? Are you a part of the group that advocates homosexual bishops? Are you a part of the group that supports God’s blessings for same sex “marriages?”

What happens in the mighty churches and large cathedrals of America has an effect in the little mud churches of African villages.

Most African Christians would describe themselves as a people faithful to God’s Word. That precludes acceptance of the homosexual agenda.

Some African Christians have another reason to oppose the homosexual agenda. In their countries (Tanzania and Nigeria among them), Africans Muslims use the homosexual agenda of Christians in America in their Muslin evangelization programs. They tell African Christians - “you are a part of the church that promotes the goodness of homosexuality.” Muslims quote prominent American Christians who are vocal in their support of the homosexual agenda. Since homosexuality is so abhorrent to Africans, to maintain that Christians support it is an invitation to leave Christianity.

We encourage you to support faithful missionaries who go to Africa and offer support to God’s faithful ones there. Let their voices be added to the cry of the faithful in Africa.

Munguu arabariki (God bless you in Swahili).

Fr Francis Wardega
African Missionary

Fr Francis preaches in Tanzania during Advent

If you’ve been following the news at all over the past few weeks, then you know that the country of Kenya is in a state of turmoil. Kenya obviously holds a special place in our hearts since that is where the work of the Office of Foreign Missions had its start. Fr. Francis has shared some of his impressions on the current crisis and the history that has led up to it over on the Ancient Faith New Generation blog. The following excerpt will give you some sense of what is happening.

New Challenges

The time with Bishop Chidawali has ended. There was a last celebration of the Liturgy at the cathedral of King of Kings. Following this the last distribution of things were made; lesson plans, books, and thank you notes with little girls. There were tearful good-byes, “please come again. Your visit was so good”. It brought hope and expectation that the future would indeed be better.

It was a long bus trip to Dar es Salaam. I arrived during rush hour and 98 degree weather. My stay was in a hotel there on the seventh floor - a hotel without a lift (elevator)! I won’t be staying there again. Now I transfer to the next task of ministry.

The next task is to pay an official church visit to the Diocese of Western Tanganyika, the biggest diocese in the Anglican Church of Tanzania, under the leadership of Bishop Gerard Mpango. The Bishop was in Dar and we met at dinner with his wife, Margaret. It was delightful. He has traveled extensively in the USA and Margaret went to school in Michigan. The purpose of the visit to the diocese is to become familiar with the bishop, the diocese and the the people there and for them to get a flavor of who we are in order to begin a long lasting, mutually supportive relationship.

Later I found myself on the flight to Kigoma on the southwest corner of Tanzania. It was a three hour flight. I arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Across the lake, in plain sight, is Congo (old Zaire). Further south along the border is Zambia (old Northern Rhodesia). It is a stable country. Their first president, Kenneth Kaunda, was one of the bright stars in a time of rising democratic African leaders that included Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenyatta of Kenya, Obote of Uganda and Nkrumah of Ghana. Further down the river you will find the country of Mali, which bears no relationship, other than a name, to the ancient historic African kingdom of Mali which was located in western Africa, above Nigeria. Then comes Mozambique, most famous now as the coastal country along the Indian Ocean which produces and bottles Coca-Cola for this part of Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

Another Week on the Road.

We had returned to Dodoma on Sunday evening and were out again Monday late morning for the next week. In the interim, clothes were washed and semi dried, a few hours sleep was achieved, and a bath was taken. As usual, we do not travel alone. The usual two mechanic/drivers were along. Two other priests came. A fresh new choir of only a half dozen came. The vehicle was not as crowded as on the first trip.

Our first destination was Mpwapwa. I was prepared for about the same as last week. No electricity. Dirt floors in mud huts. Difficult roads. But there were some pleasant surprises this time. There was electricity. The homes had walls of cement block with corrugated steel roofs. However, the roads were still difficult.

Mpwapwa was a regional capital under the German leadership before World War One. Prior to that, it had been a distribution center for the African slave traffic going to the Arab nations of the Middle East. Now, it has primary schools, secondary schools, and even a college.

Three parishes combined there to welcome us. It was delightful. There was a formal Tanzanian dinner with all the favorite dishes. I was a gracious guest, eating and enjoying some of everything. When you dine as a Tanzanian, there is a need to wash before you eat and to wash after you eat. Read the rest of this entry »

This is mission ministry in its basic form - circuit riding in an old Hiace van, beat up and rattling, breaking down frequently, moving slowly through African bush country and through the mountains. We are five days on the road and have never exceeded 25 MPH. The mountain roads are twisty, rutted, and washed away from the rains. All in all, a very bumpy ride. The views are beautiful but we find few people in between villages. We travel very slowly with a bishop, an American priest, two driver-mechanics, and a contingent of sixteen other choir members, priests and assorted children. They sing constantly in Chigogo, the local language. I am beginning to dream in some semblance of the Chigogo language! We see few animals - baboons, a leopard, some lizards.

The first destination was DeBarro Parish with Fr. Samual and his wife Maria. They were all gathered to receive us. It was so joyful. The visit started with an hour of praising God, singing and dancing and worshiping in beautiful Chigogo fashion.

Then we ate. God must be protecting my digestive system because I have not gotten sick on the road (I see where they get the water, old wells with hand pumps. And they cook with this water). I eat ugale, which is a pasty bread, rice, some potatoes, very tasty greens, some chicken (coocoo in Swahili) and an occasional banana (ndizi) and mango (embe). They were very proud to serve me tambi - I looked at it and recognized African spaghetti. There are a lot of starch and carbs, hard on my system but that is what they have so I eat it gracefully. Courtesy requires me to eat the plate clean.

We worshipped in the little dug out church. Digging our the church allows them not to have to construct high walls. I preached from Acts about how the believers live as one and got along. I talked about who we are, who we were, and how we are now together and what that means. This is kind of like an introductory tour - they get to know us and we get to know them. It is a very good visit with many questions.

I stayed in a little room in a little hut. They had worked hard to give me a space of my own and I was grateful. It is good I prepared for such things and I am told that they were very pleased to hear me snoring. Breakfast was hard boiled eggs and chai tea. We exchanged greetings and were sent off rejoicing in the Lord. There is something about a personal visit that gives meaning to brotherhood.

Read the rest of this entry »

November in Tanzania

The organizational details of church have been worked through and decided. The Gospel Catholic Church has joined the Missionary Society of St. John/Anglican Province of America. That is a big step for them. We have new brothers and sisters, 78 parishes, over eighty clergy, a women’s group, three orphanages, and a school of theology.

The people here had talked for several weeks at the parish and deanery level. Then the discussions continued at a diocesan gathering in Buigiri. Many questions were asked and much discussion happened. Finally, the Bishop and Fr. Francis left the meeting room for several hours and the people there, which included the majority of the clergy and representatives of most of the parishes talked and prayed and decided. The people of the church decided to accept Bishop Fick’s invitation to join the Missionary Society of St. John/Anglican Province of America. Bishop Chidawali also joined personally.

That being done, the focus switched to instruction.

On this blog there are statements of our plan of how we like to work and teach in Africa. Those plans are out the window already. It is good that the Holy Spirit remains.

No more small classes of eight to ten. Here we started with 104! Attendance never lessened over four days. Students include clergy, wives, parish leaders, children and infants. It was like teaching a village. The women were fully participative - asking questions and seeking to respond.

The students spoke two languages, Swahili and a tribal language. Very few of the people spoke or understood English so interpretation was required. The process was slow.

Who are these people? These people are Africa. They are multi-generational - at least four generations were present. They are multi-tribal - at least six tribes. The task of Africa is to combine different tribes into the amalgam of one nation - not always easy. Near by Rwanda is a testimony to its failure. Tanzania is a testimony to its success. Their first president, Julius Nyerere set an example that was accepted by the people.

Read the rest of this entry »

November 16, 2007

Greetings from the southern highlands of Tanzania.  Bishop Daudi Chidawali and his people send greetings and love and prayers to all of you.  He has been hosting Fr. Francis in his home since Nov. 10th.  Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world but the people must be among the happiest.  They have so little - sometimes going a week or more without eating meat.  Most do not have electricity.  The land is clean and the roads are well maintained.

These days are currently spent at Buigiri Theological School, around thirty kilometers from Dodoma.  The school has three rooms:  a classroom with a dirt floor, a dormitory room with a dirt floor where the students sleep on mats on the ground, and a similar made cooking room.  Rev. Canon Harold Hango is the principle, Enoch Chi Bamdo is a teacher, and Mrs. Rhonda Maboraa is another teacher.  The school provides church education for young men and women who are serious about their commitment to Christ and also serves those men who are called to ordained service.  Their educational offerings are very limited.

The lesson plans of Fr. Francis were received gratefully so they may be used in the future.  There is no electricity - only a few desks and chairs, a blackboard that requires a wire brush to erase, and a volunteer to drive away lizards during class.

The first seminar for Fr. Francis was expected to serve 15-25 people.  104 came for the seminar and lived at the school for the four days of the seminar.  Sixty of the attendees were ordained priests and deacons, many with their wives, and other parish leaders.  Less than 10% had any understanding of English. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings from Tanzania!

The sixth Missionary Trip for the Office of Foreign Missions has begun! Fr. Francis has landed in Tanzania and is currently making his way to his start point of Dodoma which is in the center of the country. Bishop Daudi Chidawali met him at the airport and is traveling with him through the vast plateau plain in the center of the country. It is a slow, 8-10 hour journey at best.

Once settled in, Fr. Francis will begin his classes and work with the clergy and other leaders of Bishop Chidawali’s diocese. He will travel around the country, teaching throughout, living and eating with the people in their homes. All of this will be accomplished in a land where education is very hard to get. He will celebrate liturgy in little mud hut churches, preaching the Gospel and offering the Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Salvation.

God sends him. Bishop Fick and the people of the Missionary Society of St. John send him. The Communion of Christ the Redeemer sends him. Good Christian people send him. And the people there receive him and care for him.

Please pray for God’s blessings on this work. We ask for you to pray in your daily prayer. Please also pray in the Prayers of the People in your church on Sunday. This is a land where evil forces have much power - counteracted only by the power of our mighty God.

This trip is scheduled to last several weeks. We are so grateful for those who have already contributed to make this possible. For others, we solicit your donations also. There was a shortfall of approximately $475 to pay for this trip. Fr. Francis went over on faith that the donations will come in. Can you help? Send your donations to Office of Foreign Missions, 18401 Canal Rd., Clinton Township, MI 48038 USA.

Thank you so much