In the turbulent times of the Anglican Church, mission ministry in Africa has suffered.  African churches are most often Scripturally faithful.  Their faithfulness puts the Africans at odds with those parts of the Anglican Church which are not Scripturally faithful, but revisionist in their application of the Gospel message.  Without financial support from revisionist Anglican churches, African churches suffer.  Bible colleges close.  Ministry to the poor, to those orphaned, and to victims of HIV/Aids, suffers.  In many cases, financial aid from revisionist churches comes with conditions that African churches find unfaithful as they see it.

So, times are hard, again.  OFM cannot replace those lost dollars.  OFM tries to help Africans themselves to do what needs to be done, through education of church leaders.  We ask you to pray for the work of OFM, which suffers in these times of economic hardship.

Prayer:

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favorably on that wonderful and sacred mystery of your Church, especially your mission ministry of OFM.  By the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility your plan for salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are now being raised up , and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by Him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

AMEN.

Proud members of Class #1, Nyakato School of Theology

Dispatch 3 From Station Mwanza in Tanzania

Pastor Erasto puzzles about the deeper meaning of Ezekiel chapter 37. Notice the copious notes that he has taken in his notebook.

Summer 2008 Fr Francis Wardega

For many, mission ministry has a sort of exotic glamour to it. Such work includes large crowds, healing services, hospitals built, schools visited, and similar events. Such work is very good and very blessed. This ministry is different. We teach. We teach the teachers. We teach the preachers. We teach the leaders. We teach the ones who had no real prior opportunity to learn. There are many such people in Africa.

The bulk of the work is done daily. The schedule: teach 9 am to 7 pm. Teach ministry subjects to the depth that they are useful to the leaders of the parish. Do this every day, less an occasional rest day. The students quickly adapt to the schedule. They write down more notes than is needed. They listen and ask insightful questions. This is a two-week investment in a life that bears fruit in a parish for the next twenty to thirty years. Not glamorous – just effective.

This week, we finished up the class on Ordained Ministry and moved into Fundamentals of Sacred Scripture. Then we ended with Sacramental Theology. These eleven students are different. They have absorbed so much. They talk about different things. They have a whole new and deeper appreciation of the Bible and their personal Bible. Everyone preached once and was affirmed and critiqued. They want more. “Can you stay for three months?” Sorry. They were very proud to pose for their class picture.

As available, I go to local churches to meet the people there and celebrate the liturgy. Last Sunday, I visited St John in Nyamanoro. I preached in both Sunday liturgies. Each service had a 25 person choir, a different choir for each service. They worship with contemporary African worship music, choreographed. It is Motown gone Jesus! Such music keeps the young people in the Anglican Church instead of being attracted to other, more seeker friendly churches.

The work this trip will soon be finished in this diocese, until next year. Next on the schedule is a ten hour bus journey to Dodoma, the national capital in the center of the country where I will be working with Bishop Daudi Chidawali again. I will be teaching at his Bible College in Buigiri where I taught last year.

One unusual experience. I was invited to dine with Bishop Kwangu and a visiting bishop. As we sat and

Fr Francis preaches at St John Parish in Nyemanoro, Sunday Aug 17

talked, I realized that somehow, many red fire ants crawling on me. I tried to be a good guest as long as I could but the others noticed my discomfort. I ended up trying to stand still while two Anglican bishops and one bishop’s wife killed so many ants that were feasting on me! That was my lesson in humility that day.

Thank you for your support. God and you make this possible. Please keep on supporting this mission. Please sustain this good ministry. It works!

Fr Francis Wardega Office of Foreign Missions

Missionary Priest in Africa 18401 Canal Rd

www.connectionkenya.wordpress.com Clinton Twp MI 48038

Africa e-mail: jambofrfrancis@yahoo.com

]]> http://connectionkenya.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/tanzania-2008-dispatch-3/feed/ 0 connectionkenya Proud members of Class #1, Nyakato School of Theology Pastor Erasto puzzles about the deeper meaning of Ezekiel chapter 37. Notice the copious notes that he has taken in his notebook. Fr Francis preaches at St John Parish in Nyemanoro, Sunday Aug 17 http://connectionkenya.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/tanzania-2008-dispatch-2/ http://connectionkenya.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/tanzania-2008-dispatch-2/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:14:16 +0000 connectionkenya http://connectionkenya.wordpress.com/?p=121 ]]>

St. Nicholas Cathedral

Dispatch 2 From Station Mwanza in Tanzania

Your mission support is beginning to bear fruit again in East Africa on the southern shores of Lake Victoria. People here in Mwanza, a part of the Anglican Diocese of Victoria Nyanza, were excited to start this mission.

The mission started with liturgy on Sunday Aug 10, at St Nicholas Cathedral, one block away from the lake. The lake breeze made the temperature most comfortable. I preached and assisted the bishop, Rt Rev Boniface Kwangu, at the service. The bishop asked me to distribute the Holy Eucharist to his people. One young woman was confirmed at the service. This liturgy, one of three liturgies every Sunday, was the English service – the other two services are in Swahili.. It was very powerful to hear the Words of Institution, prayed by the bishop in his British accented, East African English. “Thees ees my boudy, brrroken for you.” Different and the same. Holy.

Our ministry is primarily a ministry of teaching. The need here fits precisely what we do. Here, there are

many priests ordained over recent years with little or no ministry or priestly education. Here, education is hard to get. Bishop Boniface brought eleven priests together to receive the teaching that God has called us to give.

Who are these men. All but two are in their fifties. The other two are in their sixties. All are ordained priests and are pastors of parishes in the diocese. Two came from the island of Ukerewe in Lake Victoria. Here in East Africa, they are addressed as “pastor.” Their names sing an African song, grounded in Scripture, colored by British history. Their names: Japheth, Erasto, Stafford, Zephania, Julius, Boniface, Jesse, Solomon, Iohanna, Abednego, and Josiah. Josiah has a bible school diploma and an M.Div from Cambridge in England. Solomon will be beginning studies at a bible school in Uganda. The rest have a 7^th grade education at best, some less.

They bring to the class many good qualities. A daily prayer life, ministry experience (some have been ordained for over ten years), a desire to learn, and an ability to work. Good investment for your prayers and for your donated dollars. These men will be here for two weeks. These classes are a major step in their lives, and an answer to their prayer.

This week, they learned the basics of the faith – they learned new things. Things like Jesus is both God and man. Things like Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins. Things like the liturgy that they do is a 20^th century version of what the apostles did.. They are like sponges continually soaking up the waters of new life. They also learned the meaning of what it is to be a priest – a calling from God, not a weekend job. They learned that God calls them to higher standards – the highest possible by grace. Their priesthood is being transformed. Their bishop, who sits in on many of the classes, is excited. More is happening much quicker than he expected.

Thank you for your support. God and you make this possible. Please keep on supporting this mission. Please sustain this good ministry. It works!

Fr Francis Wardega

Missionary Priest in Africa

www.connectionkenya.wordpress.com

Africa e-mail: jambofrfrancis@yahoo.com

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.

Canon Harold Hango was there. He is principal of Buigiri School of Theology. We had wonderful discussions on the priestly formation of young men. He is an old style Anglican, around seventy-five years old. He was educated in Nairobi many years ago and has spent his life teaching and forming priests. We had many interesting discussions on the Fathers of the Church and Moses’ ability to write the whole Pentateuch and the authors of the Book of Isaiah. It appears that the school may close at the end of December because of lack of funds to sustain it.

Venerable Bezedell Madeje was also there. He is an older retired priest, a curmudgeon of a man. As a young man he held the national record here for the 400 meter dash for many years. He studied in England and ran for Cambridge. He got his advanced degree from the University of Alberta and was the resident expert on cold (baridi in Swahili) at the dinner. When Tanzania won its independence, he was the first national director of sports for his country and as such, wrote the physical education curriculum, which is still followed in Tanzania to this day. After he retired from national service, he spent years as a principal, starting several new schools around the country. His theological interest is the dual nature of Jesus.

The service in Mpwapwa contained a surprise for me as Bishop Chidawali ordained a deacon to the priesthood. The bishop has translated liturgy and special rituals into Tanzanian Swahili and made copies for the people. I preached on the call of Jeremiah and on some points from Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. I concluded with the dialogue between Jesus and Peter at the lakeside after the resurrection where He emphasized “Feed my sheep”.

We left Mpwapwa and continued toward our second overnight village, Gairo. The roads were very difficult. On the way, we stopped three times for parish visits. We visited a church a Lupeta where Fr. Aloice and his wife Ruth and the people welcomed us. We spoke to the people, talked about recent church history, prayed blessings, exchanged greetings, and left. We also visited two churches, which were no longer with Bishop Chidawali, just to exchange greetings (an African custom).

As we continued our travel, we came across two Peace Corps workers from Texas. We made a short stop to sip a little water, exchange stories and experiences, and then continued on. When Peace Corps workers come to Tanzania, the spend the first 10 weeks in intense seven day a week language study to assist in their total immersion into the culture.

Our next stop was a small village in the foothills of the mountains outside of Gairo. Fr Daudi and his wife Elizabeth and their people welcomed us. It was cool in the mountains. Everyone else wore coats. I was surprised how nice my room was. Good size, brushed dirt floor, a bed frame with a two-inch mattress. I slept very well until the fleas migrated onto me from the cat that crept under my bed as I slept. Ouch.

We had a service at the Primary School across the street. Around a hundred people attended from eight parishes. I selected readings from the first Sunday of Advent, intending to preach on that season. Much to my surprise, eight people were confirmed! I quickly changed my sermon and preached from Acts 8 (Peter and John go to Samaria to pray for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit) and Jeremiah 29 (when you pray to me – I will hear you). Life in the missions! It was delightful to see the people come up to be confirmed holding big pieces of paper in front of them with their confirmation names written down. Their best clothes would have made you weep.

We left the village outside of Gairo and visited three other little churches – one with 65 people, one with 100 people, and one with only 25 people. All three of these churches were dug out churches, with low ceilings. People brought some of their own chairs. I finally received my first live chicken of this trip. Once I noticed that its legs were tied, I was able to easily handle it.

Our last destination for the week was Bahi – due west of Dodoma- up till now we had been in the east. This is a famous city in missionary circles here. Several years ago, Bishop Chidawali was taking Bishop Weeks to Bahi. The road was terrible. The van broke down – seriously. Bishop Chidawali had to leave Bishop Weeks for several hours on the road while he went for help. There is no shade. It was not the best day in Bishop Weeks’ life. I am sorry to tell you Bishop Weeks but the road has since been paved and we got to Bahi in under an hour.

There, people came from three parishes. I preached the readings from the second Sunday of Advent and talked about the seasons of the church year and preparing to remember again the birth of Jesus and also looking forward to him coming again.

It is important to recognize that at every place I go, I face the issues of what happened in church this year. It is in my face in every place. It is the subject of almost all questions. In one place, there was a husband and wife who split over the church issues. In another, an adult daughter has been disowned by her parents who remained in the CEC.

I also face the issue of what is happening in the Anglican Church in America. All of this is not something I can deal with in fifteen minutes. It sometimes takes up to two hours to reconcile everything and to understand everything and to start the holy healing process and start to focus on ministry and holiness in the future. I am often exhausted at every stop.

Back in Dodoma, a new issue arose. The daughter of a neighbor died during a crudely performed abortion. The family was not Christian – they belonged to no church. The family asked Bishop Chidawali for help. We had a very good discussion on ministering to the children of God. Basic prayers were said. No liturgy or blessing was given. No promises were made, only a cry for God’s mercy and his consolation for the family. What so ever you reap, you will sow.

Two weeks on the road. Building new relationships. Starting God’s healing of the past. Starting to put an end to the times of troubles. Starting to resume hope and full Gospel ministry. Some teaching on beliefs and practices, some teaching on ordained ministry, some teaching of Holy Scripture.

Bishop Weeks is currently trying to raise money to replace the aging Hiace (Toyoto) van that Bishop Chidawali uses. Raising funds for mission work is harder now because we who used to be one, have fractured into several jurisdictions. Some hesitate to help at all if it does not immediately serve their current jurisdiction. I have examined the Scriptures. I saw how many times Jesus ministered to people who were not Jews. That teaches me something.

Yes, we are all Christians. The Great Commission applies equally to all of us. We are ultimately in one jurisdiction, the body of Christ. Gospel mission work cannot be entirely denominationally based. We serve the needs of the Body of Christ that we are able to serve. In truth, many of us who are in different jurisdictions may soon be in the same jurisdiction – even Bishop Chidawali. The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is being answered.

Christians from many jurisdictions support this ministry – equally sharing in the graces of God. Let us not be small groups of followers of Jesus, financially impotent because of our size. Let us join together into a larger force that can be exponentially expanded by the grace of God.

I have ridden in the Hiace van here and I know it is at the end of its natural life. It is my intention to personally send funds to help. I hope that you do too. If we all send a little, something good can happen. As a missionary myself, I must set the example.

End of request. End of sermon.

Thanks so much to all who pray and to all who still support this mission activity in Africa. God’s blessings come on top of your prayers and donations. I could never be grateful enough.

Mungu arabariki – God bless all of you

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.

The journey to Itiso, our next stop was very hard down the mountain and into the bush. The bush is a sort of meandering trail through scrawny thorn bushes. Often, the road is blocked by temporary small ponds. Sometimes there are drive arounds. Sometimes not. Some we successfully forded. We were stuck very badly once. The men had to push – helped by some passing Masaii and Chigogo. We finally got to Itiso. It was even on my map!

Itiso is the remnant of the old African Chicogo kingdom of Itiso. It is a village of perhaps a thousand people. There are two of our churches there, both pastored by Fr Robert and his charismatic wife, Jennifer. They worshipped for over an hour when we arrived. It was late and we ate quickly and slept. Another simple room in a hut maid of mud and sticks, with a mud floor. They cleaned up as best as they could for my stay. No criticism, only a grateful heart. I hope I snored here as well and made them feel good!

The next day we worshipped in their dug out church. It was glorious. I taught on the order of worship from Paul’s letters combining with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We prayed over people, took the mandatory picture of the people outside the church and then it was time to move on.

It was a long drive to our next destination, Henetty. We move through the bush over very hard terrain. The van is now marred and scratched by all the bush. Our break lines sever. They are fixed. A tie rod came off. It was fixed. The charging system malfunctioned. It was “temporarily” fixed (whatever that meant!).

Henetty is a larger village on the Dodoma to Arusha (the gateway to the Serengeti Plain) bus route. It is where Bishop Chidawali was born and he has many relatives there. The pastor is Fr. Ashury. He lives alone since his wife decided to stay CEC. There are many casualties like this in Africa. Split families in confusion. Part of my ministry is to help sort that out.

I spent the next day at the shamba, the farm of the diocese. The have purchased 3000 acres of fertile soil. It is not at present completely cleared. They have cleared and cultivated 100 acres. They are starting to clear another hundred acres. It will take several generations to do the work. They have the time.

The most valuable tools are the labor of the men and the wonderful tractor with its cultivator and carge trailer. What a workhorse! They are still grateful to Barnabas Ministries and Bishop Weeks for this tractor and start every day with a prayer for them. Bishop Chidawali gave me some colored rocks from the land to give to his benefactor, Bishop Weeks.

Four men were working the day I was there. They are preparing to plant sunflowers. Sunflowers are a valuable crop in Africa. They make a universally used oil from sunflowers. If they had the machine to extract the oil, they would clear a lot of funds to help the people and help the diocese. This was an impressive, large operation.

The next order of business was a family wedding. Bp. Chidawali’s nephew was marrying a Masaii girl. Bp. Chidawali’s brother has died so the bishop was the host. Fr. Ashury celebrated the wedding and I preached. I preached on covenant and sacrament. The local Anglican pastor attended and brought his 30 person choir with keyboard and guitar (an honor for Bishop Chidawali). The choir brings a small generator to provide electric power.

It is one of those days I want to remember in my life because it was so unique. The culture of the Africans here is for the groom and bride to sit stoically and never smile and never look to the side no matter what is happening. The people surround them during the service and put garlands and flowers all over them. They have an outdoor reception where they have an elaborate ceremony to eat the cake together. The MC eggs them on to smash the cake but I am told that it never happens. The women then take over and dance this primal fertility (my evaluation) dance to the beat of many drums. The Anglican pastor took me by the hand into the center of this mass of dancers to see this. Nothing immoral just kind of wild. The women took the Anglican pastor and me and all pushed us around and out of the dancing mass with much laughing and glee. I guess it’s part of the program. It was a big hit with the people. Everybody eats and celebrates.

Overnight again in a simple hut. I slept seven hours by the grace of God. More simple food, gratefully received. They are so glad to see me live as one of them, to eat as one of them, to sit and talk through language difficulties.

Language is hard here. I expected more English speakers. Not so. They speak a combination of Swahili and Chigogo with a little Masaii thrown in for good measure. It is hard to communicate. But there are victories. We had a session where up to seven people worked through a bible study on the Resurrection, both from a Chigogo bible and an English bible. it was exciting to see them stretch to learn. They realized a mistranslation in the Chigogo bible. It spoke of a volcano when Jesus rose. The English bible speaks of an earthquake. Several men are using my Swahili-English/English-Swahili dictionary to learn English so they can better communicate with me.

The young general secretary priest to Bishop Chidawali is using my BCP to assign readings. He has learned how to read the lectionary in English. The Book of Genesis is called Kwanza – “from the beginning.” They are fascinated to learn about African Saints as well; Augustine, John Toltin, Moses the Black.

Another overnight in the hut.

Sunday, we had services. Bishop and I just sat as the pastor and young priest led the service. The local Chigogo and Masaii had a gift; a beautiful hand made African decorated cross and chain. It will fit Patricia very well!

The journey back to Dodoma was one of the hardest in my life. The road was so bad. You entered the road by a security checkpoint where your time is noted and a call made to the exit point. If you are not at the exit in so much time, the military goes to look for you. We broke down three times. Three times they managed to fix the vehicle. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit is at work. We got home to Dodoma (one more breakdown, a puncture) late Sunday night, exhausted.

This has been basic ministry to start a relationship. You cannot be brothers in reality through the internet. Flesh must be touched. The Word must be preached. Worship must be shared. All must see, not just the bishop or the clergy. This is not just a name change. It is a real personal relationship. This is a start. Trust is growing. Tomorrow we go on another five day journey in another direction to do the same. Please pray for us.

Munguu arabariki sana! May God bless you well!

Fr. Francis Wardega

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.

Primary education is compulsory but not always available. When it is available, it is not always affordable, school fees being too expensive. The older generation of leaders was trained in German and British schools and show it, The younger leaders often have what we call a fifth or sixth grade education at best. The older generation is more liturgical, going back to their Anglican roots. The younger generation is more pentecostal, connecting with the move of the Holy Spirit sweeping Africa.

In America, we have learned that as we pray, so will we believe. Africa is different. In Africa, we have learned that as we sing, so will we believe. Music is the language of prayer in Africa. Everyone knows all the verses to all the songs. There is excitement in many of the songs. In the time of worship, each tribe took time to lead worship. That is part of coming together as one. The worship included dancing, singing, jumping, and drum playing. Such things were banned during colonial times because the beat grew to sensual and too militant. The contemporary African church has harnessed the music of the culture into a manner acceptable and suitable for worship. It is not something we would do in most places in America.

What is it like to teach these people? They are intensely interested, clamoring to respond to questions, seeking to ask questions for further development. Their eyes follow you around the room, up and down the aisles. They applaud their brothers and sisters who respond correctly and jeer the ones who goof off. The take many notes – asking for proper spelling.

Sometimes, there must be discussion to arrive at proper translation. There was no appropriate word in Swahili for Holy Chrism – the oil used in Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination. So forever more in Tanzania, the Holy Chrism will be called – The Oil of Christ (in Swahili of course).

With such limited tools, how do you call on the presbyterate of a diocese to abandon their former practice of priesthood being a job and move to a holier calling? The Holy Spirit provided John 10, the story of the Good Shepherd. The contrast between the Good Shepherd and the Hired Worker was taught. They loved it. They connected with it. They understood it. At the end, when the students were asked, “Who will be the Good Shepherd for their people?”, the priests kept popping up and crying out in Swahili, “I will be the Good Shepherd! I will be the Good Shepherd!”, over and over again and people cheered and sang and rejoiced. And then there was silence, in the presence of the Almighty God.

Teaching continues. Coming next is a five-day trip to three different villages, far away. We will stay overnight in three different villages. That will be a challenge. I am told that some students from the first class will follow us to these three villages in hope that new things will be taught.

In every place we go, we speak of the good people in America who prayed and gave money so that classes might be brought to the people of Africa. The African people are so grateful and offer their prayers for all of you. I try to tell them about you but have not yet got past explaining ice on the road.

Whatever good happens on these teaching trips happens because God does it and you support it. You are a party of these things! May God bless all of you.

As the nations of Africa move into the 21st century, a new desire among the people there is rising. For centuries Africa has become, willingly or unwillingly, dependent on Europe and America. Now however, colonialism and the old missionary style must end. There is a new movement to rediscover the strength and conviction that gave rise to some of the first civilizations of the world. The following are some of the quotes that have been the most helpful as the Office of Foreign Missions has developed its ethos.

Three Self-Policy: Henry Venn, Church Mission Society, 1850. Venn thought that 19th century European missionary style represented only a temporary historical phase. The transition would come through “Three Self” policy, in which the African Christian church should be built on principles of self-government, self-support, and self-propagation. The result would be a “native church under native pastors and a native episcopate.” (From The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins)

Independence: Bishop Joshua Ayoo Koyo of Kenya realized long ago that “those outside of Africa who would teach [his] people to depend on them for finances would bring about the death of initiative and hard work in [his] diocese.”

Continental Renewal: Nelson Mandela,

the first African President of South Africa wrote:”Africa is beyond bemoaning the past for its problems. The task of undoing that past is ours, with the support of those willing to join us in a continental renewal. We have a new generation of leaders who know that we must take responsibility for our own destiny, that we will uplift ourselves only by our own efforts in partnership with those who wish us well.

African Renaissance: Current South African President Thebo Mbeki originally coined the term “African Renaissance:. He called upon African people and African nations themselves to solve the many problems troubling Africa. It continues to be a key part of the post-apartheid intellectual agenda.

In his “I am an African” speech in May 1996, following the adoption of a new constitution, Mbeki proclaimed, “I am born of a people who are heroes and heroines.”

“They are patient because history is on their side; the masses do not despair because today the weather is bad. Nor do they turn triumphalist when, tomorrow, the sun shines. Whatever the circumstances they have lived through and because of that experience, they are determined to define for themselves who they are and who they should be.”

In April 1997, Mbeki listed the elements that would eventually be seen to comprise the African Renaissance: social cohesion, democracy, economic rebuilding and growth, and the establishing of Africa as a significant player in geo-political affairs.

What is the Office of Foreign Missions?

An inter-denominational ministry with an innovative vision for the African church giving special attention to the development of healthy relationships, mutual partnerships and effective instruction for the advancement of a new generation of responsible Christian leaders in Africa!

Principles and Practices of the Office of Foreign Missions:

Please note that these have been the ministry practices so far. As the ministry expands into other lands, appropriate adjustments will be made.

• Raise funds to get the teacher to Africa and provide training materials. Small teams (mostly one person so far). This lessens airfare costs, which is the largest individual expenditure of the ministry. Use economy flights – purchase tickets months ahead of time – fly different airlines depending on cost.
• No hotels. Live with African families in their homes. The Africans must know that we are walking with them and are not interlopers. No restaurants – eat African food in African homes.
• Teach in small groups around a common table – develop personal relationship. Teach limited subjects at one time so material may be absorbed. Teach many subjects by coming many times for longer stays. Stay a long time in one location (minimum one month) to teach many small groups the same material. Provide word for word lesson plans to all students. This will help them build a reference library in a place where education is hard to get.
• Africans pay room and board for themselves (personal investment). Africans pay for the room and board of the teacher (personal investment).
• Regularly do communal Morning Prayer and Compline. Teach Africans to lead (emphasizes communion).
• Respect African ecclesiastical rank. These are the men who have been chosen by God to lead the local church. Help the church leaders to take on responsibility for their own welfare, instead of needing funds from America and western Europe.
• Do not complain when roads are poor. Do not complain if services start late. Do Not Complain, Period! In the rural areas, few people have watches, some roads are terrible, and unreliable public transportation must be used (emphasizes respect).
• Recognize that the faith which was passed on to the Africans was sometimes a watered down version and that it will take time to teach them more mature things of the faith.

And perhaps most importantly . . .

• Do not scream if your speeding vehicle kills a sheep in the road!

NOTE:  Building schools, churches, and clinics is not a major part of this ministry.  There are other ministries that have the resources to do such good work.  We do not have such resources.  However, this ministry has contributed partial support to such projects when appropriate.

Jamaa. In Swahilii, Jamaa means companion or friend or family. For the Office of Foreign Missions, it signifies the partnership that you can have with our ministry. There are many ways that you can support or become involved in the outreach of Connection Kenya/Office of Foreign Ministries.

1. Get your parish involved. Your parish can become a sponsor of our missionary teacher, Fr. Francis Wardega. Often this partnership begins by inviting Fr. Francis to come and speak at your parish. He brings a wealth of information and a wonderful presentation that will introduce your people to the ministry of Connection Kenya.
2. Become a Missionary “Jamaa”. You can get involved personally with the mission by committing to financial or other assistance. Your support is desperately needed. It is only through missionary partners like you that this ministry can go forward. The support you offer may come in financial contributions or in helping to provide African dioceses with needed clerical and parish items.
3. You can pray. God works great things through the prayers of His faithful. We especially welcome prayers offered not only through the intercession of individuals but in the parish during Sunday worship.

Won’t you join us in this new ministry? Won’t you consider becoming our Jamaa?

You can contact Fr. Francis with financial contributions or to schedual a visit with your parish at: Connection Kenya/Office of Foreign Missions – 18401 Canal Rd. – Clinton Township, MI 48038

Phone: USA-248-345-2651 EMail: jambofrfrancis@yahoo.com

Donations of new or used clergy shirts, collars, vestments, BCPs (1979), or Bibles may be sent to: Fr. Francis Wardega/Connection Kenya/OFM – 8665 Hickory Rd. #E – Sterling Heights, MI 48312

All gifts are tax deductible and contributors will be issued receipts.

Connection Kenya: Trip Two (July-August 2005)

In preparation for the second missionary trip, many parishes and people from around the Midwest donated forty-five Books of Common Prayer. More vestments and things of the altar were also donated.

It was with great anticipation that “the Teacher”, Fr. Francis Wardega, headed to Kenya in July of 2005. How much of the previous trip and instructions would be remembered? Would those who had worked so hard during that first month together have persevered? Would they be back?

Upon arrival in Africa, Fr. Francis discovered that the vast majority of the men had continued and would be returning. Two postulants had been dismissed and two had died from Malaria but the overwhelming majority were back and eager to learn new things. Four new men were taught the subjects from the first trip and then moved into the classes on Prayerbook Use and Liturgy. Forty-two men, clergy and postulants, were taught how to use the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) for personal and parish use. Although the teacher was the initial leader at the first Morning Prayer and Compline, by the end of the time, the local men were leading the services. These men treasured their prayer books. Their interest was so great that of the forty-two men trained, – forty passed the test on how to use the BCP.

The prayer books were like gold in the diocese. Bishop Koyo set up a system where the prayer book belonged to the Diocese and were used by individuals. Upon death or separation from the Diocese, the prayer book would be returned to the Bishop so that this treasure could be passed on.

Another diocese sent two priests to observe the training. They asked for prayer books but all had been distributed. These two priests shared how their diocese had little opportunity to know even the readings for Sundays. Fr. Francis had a calendar with him that showed the Sunday readings. The two priests from the Diocese of the River Nzoia South gratefully accepted the calendar and duplicated it for all their fellow clergy.

The classes on the prayer book that Fr. Francis taught brought a new revelation into the lives of the Kenyan clergy and postulants. Daily prayer had not been a part of their life and they had little knowledge of the liturgical seasons, their meanings, and how such information was to be communicated to the congregants. Holy days and solemn feasts were basically unknown. They had never heard of Epiphany or Maundy Thursday. All Saints day and Ash Wednesday passed each year without any observation. Previously the sermons of the African clergy had been based on whatever they wanted to talk about that Sunday. No one had ever told them that you should base the sermon on the readings of the day and the liturgical season. This was all to change. The excitement of the students at these new and holy concepts filled the room with an almost electric charge.

When it came to teaching the classes on liturgy, the subjects covered included the importance of reverence and preparation and the proper use of the gifts of the Spirit in liturgy. One of the interesting items that was discovered during this time had to do with a miscommunication of liturgical instructions. For a long time the Kenyans had been using a translation of the liturgy in the Luo language (Luo is the common language in Bishop Koyo’s diocese). This liturgy offered two options for the Eucharistic Prayer. However no one told the Africans that they could choose just one, so each Sunday Mass involved a reading of both!

The use of acolytes was also a welcome instruction. Several men were given detailed lessons on how and what to teach acolytes. As acolytes were instructed in the cathedral parish, what started with five young students became a class of almost fifty students, all clamoring for the chance to serve at the altar!

Personal Classes were held for Bishop Koyo and for his wife, Nelly, so that they could learn the things being taught to their men. The personal and parish life of the Diocese was profoundly changed during this trip. Bishop Koyo was very pleased with the improvements in his Diocese. The request of the observers from a neighboring Diocese to receive similar instruction was received and considered. It was decided to try and assist that Diocese on the next trip.