Footprints in the World Imprints of churches on the Way Romans 10:14-17 [Footprints in the World No. 04/ October 2017] Relay Trust is a UK based international Christian charity organization cooperating with churches in challenged countries. Relay Trust is working in collaboration with different church denominations in the global south. Relay Trust aims at supporting the churches through training programmes for future church leaders on all levels. Thereby Relay Trust wants to contribute to the formation of future church leaders who are able to carry the baton of good news to the next generation of Christians. Footprints in the world imprints of churches on the Way is Relay Trust s English newsletter, where we are sharing our experiences from the work in the global south. Everyone can receive the newsletter, which is published four times every year. You can subscribe by sending an email to: abk@relaytrust.org. Find more information on our web-page: www.relaytrust.org The next newsletter will be published in January 2018. Relay Trust Mette & Alex Bjergbæk Klausen Østerbro 74, 3.tv., 9000 Aalborg, Denmark relay@relaytrust.org Tel. +45 31 22 38 20 www.relaytrust.org Mette in Yamoussoukro Cathedral, a copy of St. Peter s Basilica in Rome, build in Ivory Coast Dear All. Relay Trust - 1 - What is a church? In the heart of Ivory Coast there is a church. Or is there? There is a huge building, a copy of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, built by the first president of the country in his hometown. A whole palm plantation had to make way for the colossus. It is constructed by a local architect, built of marble in the same style as its Roman model, but with certain improvements among other things, it is bigger... I ve heard stories about the church. It has been described as a giant white elephant in a village, an enormous ruin-cathedral, built too pompously to be maintained and totally tasteless in its opulence, and of course located in the middle of nowhere so that it did not benefit any church goers. All in all a symbol of power hungry leaders extravagant resource waste. A modern-day version of the Tower of Babel. These are all the rumours, but I was positively surprised. The church is wellmaintained and people are using it. The floor is covered with chairs, and small groups gather to pray at the many side altars. There is no doubt that it is an impressive building, beautifully done and with attention to details. The acoustics are phenomenal, the vent works impeccably, and huge doors are integrated all the way around allowing the entire lower floors to open on hot days. There has even been room for a wooden carving of the Madonna marble statue in Rome. The guide was shining with pride as he showed us around the flawless building.
Support Relay Trust It is now possible to support Relay Trust. We are collaborating with LMF (The Danish Teachers Mission Association) and they will handle donations for Relay Trust. Donations can be transferred directly to their bank account: Danske Bank Holmens Kanal 2-12 1092 Copenhagen K Denmark Account number: 9570 8000484 IBAN: DK7930000008000484 BIC: DABADKKK Remember to indicate that the donation is intended for Relay Trust. The Danish Teachers Mission Association will use 10% of the donation for administration. The remaining 90% is used in Africa, as Relay Trust s administration is covered from other sources. We are grateful for all gifts, as they will enable us to do more in Africa. Please contact us directly if you or your church would like to sponsor a specific project. We are always ready to answer your questions. abk@relaytrust.org I asked my friend, Pastor Raymond, about his view of the church. "If we had the choice, we would have chosen something else," he responded sensibly. "We need roads, schools, hospitals... But now we have the church and we are happy about it." It made me think about what a church is. In our work, we have always emphasized that a church is the congregation, the people who meet for worship, and that the building is subordinate, irrelevant. We have always been sceptical of large-scale construction plans. We build people, not houses. This church is in direct contrast to what we do. It is built by a single person as a memorial. But it is also something else, something far more important. Regardless of our concerns, a building is valuable. A church can make it possible for people to gather and hear the word of God, even in bad weather. But it can do more than that. It reminds anyone passing by of God's love, even if they decide not to enter. And it can give a congregation identity and pride, demonstrating its ability and drawing attention to its presence. We will still build people, the living stones of the church, but we understand the longing for a church in stone - and have also We build people, not houses assisted with some church constructions during our time in Africa. Is this cathedral a church? I don t know. It's on its way to become one as the congregation is growing, little by little. But it is first and foremost a symbol, not just of the president, but of a people. It is a proof of greatness, abundance, and thus a warning of what Ivory Coast can become. It gave a sense of satisfaction and pride to a suppressed people, a new identity as free, after the fall of the colonial powers. It is carved in marble for anyone to see even now several presidents later. It's not a small achievement, regardless of whether or not it is a church. [Written by Mette Bjergbæk Klausen] Relay Trust - 2 -
New web master in Relay Trust Much is happening in Relay Trust. We are busy with a lot of new and exciting projects in West Africa. But without a wellfunctioning platform, which we can use to tell about our work, we cannot run an organization. Therefore we are very grateful that Kenneth Bork Damsgaard has agreed to be our new webmaster. He is a volunteer in the team and will help develop our digital platform and come up with new ideas and solutions. Kenneth is 38 years old, lives in Øster Løgum in Sønderjylland (Southern Denmark). He is married to Ann, who is a vicar. Together they have three children, one dog, one cat, six hens, two guinea pigs and a big garden for the vicarage. Kenneth works at Abena in Aabenraa, where he is responsible for customer data, customer accounts, chat room functions and various IT and administrative tasks. He has a master s degree in media science and Danish. We are looking forward to working with Kenneth and would like to welcome him to the Relay Trust team. A tractor can make a world of difference It can make a world of difference when you have the right tools - not least in agriculture. Here mechanical aids can help increase the yield for the local farmer, so the production is not only from hand-to-mouth but also for the purpose of sale. You rarely see tractors in Sierra Leone. Agriculture is mostly done by using various hand tools and thus there are natural limitations to the level of production. Most local farmers are only able to feed their own families, and there is rarely a surplus that can generate an actual income. In such a production a small tractor can make a world of a difference just like it made a big difference when agriculture gradually became mechanized in Europe. With a tractor you can expand your farm and thus produce more than just to feed your own family. It is part of a major strategy for developing income-generating activities in the parishes Canon Ajayi Nicol, Vicar General of the Anglican Diocese of Bo, receives the new tractor, as it arrives in Baiima, Kailahun Distric, Sierra Leone. In November, the church in Bo presented its wish about a tractor for the community in Baiima. It is part of a major strategy for developing incomegenerating activities in the parishes, so that they can pay salaries, maintain buildings and expand their mission. In the larger cities, Bo and Kenema, there are shopping complexes that generate an income for the churches. But shops do not make much sense in a village like Baiima. On the other hand it is the perfect area for agriculture. They are growing coffee, cocoa, and oil palm. Baiima is a larger village, located in the Kailahun district, also called the bread basket of Sierra Leone. One way of empowering the church in Baiima would be to buy a tractor, which can be used for rental purposes and at the same time increase production on the church farm. This has been a dream for many years. Money was transferred in January. But due to internal problems in the church the project was on a standstill for many months. In the following article we will tell more about these problems. The tractor was bought, but was parked in a garage in Freetown and waited for onwards transportation to Baiima. It has been Relay Trust - 3 -
Relay Trust operation areas: Relay Trust cooperates with three Anglican dioceses: 1) Anglican Diocese of Guinea (which also covers Guinea- Bissau) 2) Anglican Diocese of Freetown (which also includes northern Sierra Leone) 3) Anglican Diocese of Bo (covering the whole of the southeastern parts of Sierra Leone). We are in the process of developing an extensive training programme, which will involve the construction of training centres closely connected to the individual dioceses. At the same time, we are working to identify incomegenerating activities that can help fund the running costs of the training centres. Through these training centres we hope to train the future priests and church leaders and to make sure that training is done in the local context. a big frustration to everyone, and we are therefore relieved that it has now been possible to get the blue tractor all the way to Baiima, so it can be used during this year s harvest and prepare the fields for next year. There was celebration in Baiima when the Vicar General, Canon Ajayi Nicol, arrived with the tractor on Wednesday 13 th of September. The Paramount Chief, king of the area, was present to receive the tractor on behalf of the church and the community. By the end of October we will visit Baiima to see how the tractor is being used. [Written by Alex Bjergbæk Klausen] Canon Ajayi Nicol hands the keys to the tractor to the Paramount Chief, who receives on behalf of the church. Update from the Anglican Diocese of Bo, Sierra Leone Since January this year the Diocesan Administration in Bo has been suspected of corruption. Therefore no project funds are being transferred, and Bishop Emmanuel has been suspended while the investigations take place. There is no clear evidence of abuse of funds and no formal accusations have been raised. But the air is thick with rumours. Anti-corruption authorities are investigating the case and the Anglican province has launched its own internal investigation. Bishop Thomas Wilson of Freetown Diocese has been appointed as supervising bishop, and by the end of June he installed Canon Ajayi Nicol as Vicar General of the Bo Diocese. The new Vicar General is a retired priest with many years of experience. Now he has been given the responsibility of the Bo Diocese. He moved to Bo in July and is currently trying to get an overview of the situation in the diocese. Much has happened during the past six months and therefore he is faced with many challenges as he attempts to clean up and find ways forward. Right now the main priority is to find out what has happened, also for the sake of the many partners who in various ways have contributed to the diocese during recent years. In Relay Trust we take the situation very seriously. But we intend to maintain our relationship and collaboration with the diocese and its new administration. We Relay Trust - 4 -
Agricultural project in Guinea In early October we will travel to Guinea to meet with the church's agricultural workers. The church in Guinea has large land possessions in the areas where Christianity originally came to the country. The areas are located approximately two hours drive from the capital Conakry. There is about 50 acres of unused agricultural land. Together with the church we are going to find out, how we can establish an agricultural project. The purpose is to create an income for the church, so it is possible for the church to continue the training of future church leaders. have regular meetings with the other partners of the Bo Diocese. Relay Trust wants to support the diocese in the difficult rehabilitation phase and give the new administration a better chance to carry out its work. Therefore we provide support for house rent of the Vicar General, transportation costs for the Vicar General and salaries for the clergy in the diocese. If there is no money for basic things, a challenging situation will become even more difficult. Relay Trust is visiting the Bo diocese by the end of October to meet with the administration and the various church leaders. We hope this will give us a better understanding of the situation and what is needed to move forward. We will tell you more in our next newsletter. Africa there and back again [Written by Alex Bjergbæk Klausen] Currently we are investigating the possibility of applying farming methods, developed by Farming God's Way, which is a sustainable agricultural programme based on Biblical principles. Through Farming God s Way we may be able to add another learning dimension to the agricultural project, and connect farming projects to church life. Our new project consultant, Anders Bjørnkjær-Nielsen will join us in Guinea. He will be employed by Relay Trust to assist us in project development. He has experience with sustainable trade and agriculture through his own company B4Trees, which is operating in Burkina Faso. In the next edition of Footsteps in the World, we will tell a lot more about the agricultural project in Guinea and also make a presentation of Anders. Stuart (OCA), Kenneth (OCA), Mette (Relay Trust), Akin (Crowther Graduate Theological School), and David (OCA) at Olumo Rock, Abeokuta, Nigeria Now I'm back home after a week's intense journey: 1 stopover, 2 countries visited, 3 tasks solved, 4 theological institutions seen, 5 flights, 6 stamps in the passport, and a host of exciting meetings and new contacts. I went out to gather inspiration and experiences from theological institutions in West Africa and at the same time to get in touch with competent teachers who could eventually become part of our Virtual Faculty. In addition I also wanted to use this opportunity to present our vision to professionals to see their reaction. The opportunity came when a good friend from Overseas Council Australia (OCA) had to visit a number of theological schools and invited me to follow his team. First institution was in Abeokuta in South Nigeria. After the introductory Relay Trust - 5 -
Relay Trust supports the education of nine priests to serve in northern Sierra Leone Relay Trust has decided to support a training programme, which is initiated and coordinated by the Anglican Diocese of Freetown. Bishop Thomas Wilson of Freetown diocese has long had a desire to strengthen the presence of the church in the rural parts of Sierra Leone. He has a vision that, with time, the northern parts of Sierra Leone will become an independent diocese. Therefore the church has begun the training of new priests. They have financed 1/3 of the programme, and Relay Trust supports the last 2/3. Over time these training initiatives will be part of the institutions that are constructed in a collaboration between the churches and Relay Trust. In October we will participate in part of the training which takes place in Makeni in northern Sierra Leone. In our next newsletter we will share more information about this project. You can support these training initiatives through Relay Trust. Please contact us to learn more about how you can support the training of future church leaders. Contact us at abk@relaytrust.org. It is where the church is growing and desperately lacks trained leaders; presentations I was given the opportunity to present our vision of bringing quality education to lay-leaders in the most remote churches. The assembled teachers listened attentively. They came from all parts of Nigeria and could recognize the presentation of dust and mud far away from the university's polished floors, even though we were sitting in the rector s comfortable and perfectly airconditioned office. It is where the church is growing and desperately lacks trained leaders, - leaders who cannot leave their families and farms and who are not necessarily school-minded and therefore so terribly hard to reach. It touched them on the raw. Here the established universities have to admit defeat although the huge need is well-known. "We want to use modern technology, phones and tablets to make lessons accessible in the form of e-books, audio books, video lectures and image presentations, so that people can access good teachers and new materials wherever they are. We will, as far as possible, use local teachers who can adapt the teachings to the students context. But we will need help. Dr. Tokunbo Bankole, Crowther Theological College, Abeokuta, Nigeria. There was a brief moment of silence. Then everyone began to speak all at once. "That sounds exciting!", "I want to join!", "Me too!" The rector poked the registrar in the ribs, "You dare to volunteer because I need you here! ". He was crestfallen, but had to remove his hand. During the subsequent guided tour around the institution several teachers approached me to put in a good word for their own candidacy. After visiting another institution in Nigeria we continued our journey to Ivory Coast, as we are also in need of French-speaking teachers. Similar reactions. So far our idea has been approved even by internationally recognized institutions. I don t think it will be difficult to identify potential teachers. I also received a lot of inspiration from the visits and had the opportunity to discuss both the form and the method of theological teaching. Therefore I believe the very purpose of this journey has been accomplished. And soon Africa calls again. [Written by Mette Bjergbæk Klausen] Relay Trust - 6 -
Lars Gunnarsson: Mission and mobile technology We are sitting around the table in our apartment in Aalborg. Ideas and thoughts are flying back and forth - and there's a sense of excitement for the many opportunities that the new technology makes possible. Lars has been with us on the sideline since April, but now he has become a part of the Relay Trust team. Lars is 55 years old, born in Sweden, but lives in Austria. He is married and has four children. He is educated as an engineer, and since 1985 he has been working with programming. In 1990 he moved with his family to Swaziland where he worked as a computer technician for TWR (Trans World Radio) for nine years. TWR is a world-wide organization working with Christian media in more than 230 different languages. Lars is still a part of TWR. He has always been inspired by mobile technology and is also part of the Christian network Mobile Ministry Forum, which focuses on the development of mobile technology for use in Chrisitan ministry. It's a little old-school. There are paper and pens on the table - and ideas are recorded in an old-fashioned way. But that's how all strategies begin - even if it is about the fast-growing mobile technology. Lars has taken the train from Vienna to Aalborg to attend three days of intensive meetings, to discuss the thoughts behind the Virtual Faculty and agree to strategies for further development. Lars is a specialist with years of experience in mobile technology and mission. Therefore, he also knows what can be done and what others are already developing. We should not copy what others are doing, but instead deliver our own contribution to the fast-growing mobile technology. The limits of what is possible are constantly changing, so it is important to be updated on the latest developments. Mette og Lars are discussing the development of the Virtual Faculty. Lars has been working for TWR (Trans World Radio) for several years, a worldwide Christian organization. It was among other things the work of TWR which brought him to Swaziland in the 90s, where he lived with his family for nine years. Today he lives in Austria, but is characterized by several different cultures. He was born and raised in Skåne (Sweden), feels more Danish than Swedish, married a Swiss, lives in Austria and has a real passion for Africa. "Now I can focus more on three areas that I am really passionate about: Christian media, mobile technology and Africa. I'm really excited and grateful for the possibility of being able to do that through Relay Trust" Lars explains and continues, "I see my vision and Relay Trust's vision as a perfect match". Relay Trust - 7 -
Relay Trust supports the ordination of six priests in Guinea. There is celebration in the Anglican church in Guinea Conakry on October 15 th this year. The number of priests in the church is almost doubled when six new priests are added to the flock. It is a historical event, and therefore many guests, and no less than six West African bishops, are invited. Relay Trust helps the church to cover some of the many expenses associated with such a major event. The new priests must be sent out on their new mission in a proper way. The education of priests in Guinea will continue. There is still a need for many more priests so the church can grow and spread into the interior parts of the country. Today, the church is primarily centered around the capital, Conakry. But the bishop has many visions and wants to evangelize the vast rural areas where there is virtually no Christian presence. Relay Trust wants to support this mission in the coming years. The tiny mini-computers can contain a faculty of knowledge and they are the size of a piece of soap. The next generation of mini-computers, which we introduce in few months are smaller and more powerful. In the coming months Lars will work on developing the hardware behind the Virtual Faculty. The Virtual Faculty should be portable and be able to operate in areas with no or only limited access to the Internet. Lars will work on the development of a small portable device that can transfer media to mobile phones and tablets. We will write much more about this process in our next newsletters. We hope to be ready with a prototype of the portable Virtual Faculty by the beginning of 2018. But we will begin to make tests during our next field trip to West Africa in October. We will bring minicomputers that can deliver data (streaming) to mobile devices (phones, tablets, etc.). Many people have smart phones, also in Africa. This makes it much easier to transfer knowledge and disseminate information. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lars to Relay Trust and express our joy and excitement that he is now part of our team. The next steps [Written by Alex Bjergbæk Klausen] In October we are travelling to West Africa where we will have meetings with the churches in Guinea, Freetown and Bo. It will be a longer journey, where we will begin new projects and training programmes for church leaders. We are going to do preliminary tests of some of the principles behind the Virtual Faculty and make video and audio recordings. It is an important step in the development phase, as we intend to investigate how the new teaching methods are received and what we need to do in a different way. As part of our visit we will participate in the ordination of 6 new priests in Guinea. It is a big event that almost doubles the current number of active priests. Therefore many prominent guests have been invited, and we expect the participation of no less than 6 bishops. The ordination will mark a new beginning for the church in Guinea that has struggled for many years. But there will also be other exciting things on the agenda for our visit. We are going to discuss the possibilities for a new agricultural project in Guinea and have discussions with the church in Freetown about the location of a new retreat and training centre. Furthermore, we will participate in the training of nine candidates for ordination Relay Trust - 8 -
and train group leaders to the lowest levels of our training programme. We are also looking forward to visit Bo Diocese to meet with the administration and the church leaders and to visit the projects that have been supported through Relay Trust, among other things a new multipurpose hall in Gobaru. All in all an exciting mission is waiting ahead of us. Right now, we are looking forward to reuniting with our friends in West Africa - and we look forward to share our experiences when we return to Denmark. During our journey we will make updates on Facebook, where Relay Trust has its own group. You can sign up for the group and get the latest updates. Relay Trust Mette Bjergbæk Klausen International relations mbk@relaytrust.org God s peace! Alex Bjergbæk Klausen Administrator and PR abk@relaytrust.org Lars Gunnarsson Programmer and IT lg@relaytrust.org Kenneth Bork Damsgaard Web-master kbd@relaytrust.org Last year six candidates received their first ordination for deaconate in the cathedral in Conakry. On October 15 th they are receiving their second ordination for priesthood. Anders Bjørnkjær- Nielsen Project consultant abn@relaytrust.org Relay Trust - 9 -