Footprints in the World Imprints of churches on the Way Romans 10:14-17 [Footprints in the World No. 03/ July 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 October 2017. 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 Dear All. Confirmation is a serious matter. Bishop Thomas Wilson is giving the Bible to one of the new confirmands. Old yeast and new sim cards What do mobile phones and sim cards have in common with retreats for clergy and Paul's talk about the old yeast? Maybe the connection is not obvious! That's why we were all ears when we were sitting in a Methodist church on the outskirts of Freetown on Thursday morning with a group of priests listening to Bishop Thomas Wilson's speech. Although he is bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Freetown, he was invited as keynote speaker during the Pentecost retreat for clergy in the Methodist Church. "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast" (1 Corinthians 5: 7), these are the words of Paul in his first letter to the church in Corinth. Even though there are still some who make their own bread, it is still the majority in Europe and in Sierra Leone, who buy their bread in shops or on the street. Thus, the image of "the old yeast" may not be so relevant to most people today. New images are required, whether you live in Sierra Leone or somewhere in Europe. Bishop Wilson Relay Trust - 1 -
told us how he has explained Paul s image to young confirmands by using a new image of a person who is given an old used phone. What are you supposed to do with all the old contacts that the previous owner had in his phone? You can choose to use them, perhaps even abuse them. But basically, it does not make sense Then we can insert our new sim card, which we can use to create new meaningful relationships. to keep another person's contacts. Therefore, it's best to delete them, reset the phone and replace the old sim card. Then we can insert our new sim card, which we can use to create new meaningful relationships. By changing the sim card, you can almost cleanse a phone from one moment to another. Instead of deleting the contacts one by one you can get them all removed at once. Similarly, Paul says that we must be a new dough. The evil in us - our bad habits - must be removed. And it's best to get it done once and for all, so you can start a fresh as a new person. Bishop Wilson's picture made good sense. The technological age has gradually become such an integral part of the culture of Africa that it has become natural to use such images during church services. Bishop Wilson's theme of cleansing and beginning a fresh is in fact a theme that in many ways characterizes this edition of "Footprints in the World". In June, we visited West Africa to meet with the churches in Sierra Leone, Guinea and The Gambia. The purpose was to take the pulse of the churches, to get to know them, so we could find ways in which we could work together in the training of future church leaders. This has been our first important step as an organization, and our thoughts and ideas are gradually taking shape. But the churches we have visited are also engaged in an exciting development. There is a general desire to strengthen the mission both internally and externally - and there are already a lot of interesting activities in the churches. In this edition of "Footprints in the World" we give some glimpses from our visit to West Africa. First, we will take you on a trip to Makeni in northern Sierra Leone, and then you will be invited to a meeting at the bishop's office in Guinea Conakry. Enjoy reading! Shops and Mission It is the rainy season in Sierra Leone and Guinea. Most days the sun is hidden behind a thick cloud cover. Heavy showers cause trouble on the roads, and the open sewers are unable to lead the water away from the streets. We are outside the Anglican church in Makeni, the provincial capital of northern Sierra Leone. We Relay Trust - 2 -
have just arrived after visiting most of the churches in the northern part of the diocese - an area that Bishop Wilson wishes to carve out as an independent diocese in the future. The church in Makeni is the seat of the dean of the northern provinces, Rev. Samuel King (or Rev. Sam). He met us in Masiaka and was part of the entire journey to visit all the parishes in his deanery. Now he has welcomed us in his vicarage, which is located on the church's compound. There is a lot of activity around the house and the church and he is constantly receiving phone calls. It is Saturday and the final day of preparation before the service, where several people are going to be inducted into different offices in the church. Rev. Sam shows us around and proudly introduces us to approximately fifty small shops that serve as a wall around the church. Six years ago, the church entered into an agreement with the local community. The church made land available so that people could build stores with free rent for ten years. But when the ten It will create economy independence and thus greater dignity. In Makeni 50 shops serve as an effective wall around the Church compound. This increases security and it was even a cheaper solution than an ordinary wall. years have elapsed and the church takes over the leases, it will be a great source of income for the church. This will mean a lot for the development in the northern part of the diocese. It will create economic independence and thus greater dignity. We were impressed with this solution, which has been cost-neutral for the church. Rev. Sam is a true entrepreneur who is able to see opportunities. The possible economic freedom can help create the foundations for a new diocese in the northern part of Sierra Leone, where the mission has been on a standstill for many years. But one thing is economy, something completely different is the human resources that are supposed to build up the mission in the north. The diocese in Freetown is engaged in a major project that focuses on the training of priests and evangelists who can help strengthen the mission in the northern part of the country. It is difficult to get priests and evangelists from Freetown to travel into the country. They do not want to leave their family and comfort Relay Trust - 3 -
Rev. Sam, dean of the northern province is standing on the right. Next to him are two candidates who are part of the training to become evangelists (and priests) and on the far left is the priest in charge of the church in Masiaka. zones and on top of that they do not know the language and may have difficulties adapting to the culture. Therefore, the diocese is now training local people from the north to become priests and evangelists. They can speak the language and engage with the culture on a different level. It is far easier for them to preach the gospel so it makes sense in the local communities in the north. The new priests and evangelists do not need a long theological education, which may be more important in the capital where there are other demands to a priest. In the rural areas, the priests need practical skills so they can proclaim the gospel and be living testimonies. The bishop and the Theological Board of the diocese have therefore initiated a short but intensive training program that allows a small group of selected candidates to be ordained after receiving training for a year and a half. It is exciting that the church has taken the initiative for a training programme, although it has been difficult to coordinate the process and cover all expenses involved. This is something Relay Trust can support and where there is a specific need and a vision for the future. Therefore, it has also been decided that Relay Trust will support this training initiative for the next year. In the long run, the training of evangelists and priests will probably be part of a larger project that we want to develop in cooperation with the churches. However, it will probably take at least one year before this project is ready, and therefore it is important to support the initiative that is already underway. The church has funded and completed the first third of the training programme. Now they need the last two-thirds before they reach their goal. We look forward to seeing how the northern part of the country will develop during the coming years and whether the project can breathe new life into old churches and maybe lay the foundations for new churches. Everything depends on those who are trained and those who oversee the training. DEATH On Wednesday, July 12, we received the sad news that Rev. Samuel Sao Fomba, a good colleague and minister in Sierra Leone, suddenly died after a short-term illness. Rev. Fomba served as parish priest in Baiima, Anglican Diocese of Bo, from his ordination in 2013 and until his death. He had responsibility for seven churches, spread across a large geographical area. We had the pleasure of working with him during the training of a larger group of lay-readers, a collaboration he took very seriously. Rev. Fomba leaves behind wife and children. May his soul rest in perfect peace! Relay Trust - 4 -
A big mouthful... potential! We are sitting at Bishop Jacques Boston's office in central Conakry (Guinea). In the background, the television is running and opposite us, Bishop Jacques juggles with two phones at the same time. There is a lot to be coordinated and arranged - and therefore one phone is not always enough. You must be able to multitask if you want to be bishop in Africa. Bishop Bishop Jacques Boston is operating two phones at the same time. Jacques is young. He is only 44 years old and was assigned the responsibility for the huge diocese five years ago when he was 39 years old. The diocese comprises two countries (Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau). But although the church in Guinea oversees a large geographical area, the church is small - and most of the mission is currently limited to Conakry, the capital. When Bishop Jacques took over responsibility, the church had very few priests and several of them were already retired. Since bishop Jacques took over responsibility, 6 deacons have been ordained and a smaller group of layreaders (the first in the recent history of the church) have been ordained/installed. This was only possible through external financial support, since the diocese does not have the means to cover the expenses. When When the six new deacons receive their second ordination in October, the church will almost have doubled its number of priests. the six new deacons receive their second ordination in October, the church will almost have doubled its number of priests. This will mean a lot to the church. But there is a need for even more priests and evangelists if the church in Guinea is to grow. During our first days in Guinea we have had many meetings. We have met with priests, lay-readers, and theological teachers. All these different meetings have given us an impression of the specific needs - and an idea of where Relay Trust may be able to support the church. Although the church is primarily located in Conakry, the historical starting point of the church is the Rio Pongo, a large river area a few hours drive from Conakry. This was where the missionaries went ashore, and from here the mission spread up and down the coastline. Initially, the mission had great success. Many new churches were built - and every time a new church was planted, a school and a health clinic were attached to it. It all went very well until Guinea formally became a French colony. The French colonial rule did not like the Anglican church, since it was considered Relay Trust - 5 -
an English presence in French territory (after all it was called Church of England). Schools, clinics and churches were either closed or confiscated by the new regime, and some churches were taken over by the Catholic Church, which enjoyed a better relationship with the colonial rulers. Many members left the church because of the difficult conditions, and only a few families remained. Thus, the mission of the original Rio Pongo gradually disappeared. The few strong members lived in the capital, where they could maintain the church through their own financial support. When Guinea became independent in 1958 the persecutions stopped. But the church had been weakened greatly and it was now based upon a group of families in the Conakry area. Bishop Jacques mourns the fact that the church has lost terrain, and he is focusing on the rediscovery of its identity, its starting point. The identity is found in the Rio Pongo, where the first missionaries went ashore and where the first church was constructed. We were somewhat impressed when we visited the area and saw the beautiful old church and a lot of well-kept houses. The bishop is already in the process of developing the area and he has a lot of visions. St. James is the first church in Guinea. It was built by missionaries from Barbados in 1856. There is no doubt that it is possible to earn money in the vibrant capital, but the possibility for church growth is relatively limited. There is a lot of competition in the capital. If the church wants to spread and grow, it must focus upon the rural areas. The situation in Guinea is not unlike the situation in the northern parts of Sierra Leone. There is a need to train priests and evangelists who have the courage and who are ready to work in the rural areas of Guinea and who can help plant the churches. But it is a challenging mission, since Guinea is a predominantly Muslim country. It may be difficult to settle a Christian mission in the rural villages, where there is no Christian presence. It will be a pioneer mission, which requires a special kind of training. Another challenge for the Anglican church in Guinea is the language. The church in Guinea is Frenchspeaking. Maybe it is difficult to understand why French should be a disadvantage. But it is in fact a bit of a challenge. Most of the Anglican churches are English-speaking, because the spread of the mission followed the old colonial borders. But there are different examples where Anglican churches have grown in French- Relay Trust - 6 -
NEWS FROM RELAY TRUST Goodbye to Judith In the last edition of "Footsteps in the World" we presented Judith as our new programmer. Unfortunately, Judith has decided to resign and will stop her engagement with Relay Trust by the end of July. We have found a new programmer to help us carry on the work. His name is Lars Gunnarsson and we will introduce him in the next edition of Footprints in the World. We would like to thank Judith for her contribution during the past few months, where she has focused on developing the Web-page and made preliminary research into The Virtual Faculty. We wish her all the best. speaking countries such as D.R. Congo and Cameroon. This is a challenge since French-speaking Anglican churches are in the minority and Anglican training institutions and materials are mainly in English. One possibility is to translate materials. This is a good idea (though expensive), but it is certainly not enough. The world community of the Anglican Church is so important to bishop Jacques that he wants his future ministers to learn enough English so they can engage with the larger Anglican network. It became clear to us that the bishop sees the language as one of the biggest challenges. Normally, French-speaking Africans are proud of their language and therefore not interested in learning English. So, when the bishop and his theology teachers want the priests to learn English, it is probably because they feel left out (even the neighboring Anglican dioceses are English-speaking). This makes sense. In former French colonies, Anglican churches (former Church of England) are a foreign element, and in the same way French is considered a foreign language in the Anglican Church. Thus, Anglican churches in French-speaking countries can feel left out in many ways at the same time. There seem to be plenty of tasks to deal with in Guinea. The big challenge is where to begin. The needs and will are there. It is a big mouthful - but a mouthful with a lot of potential. The church in Guinea is in the process of reforming and regaining its history and identity. It sprouts again. The future looks brighter - and we want to support the church. Support the training of church leaders through Relay Trust and help pass on the baton of Good News! Relay Trust is currently working on establishing a support group for its activities in Africa. We want to make it possible for you to support the training of future church leaders in West Africa. Through the support group we want to establish a more direct contact between donors and sponsored projects. Since all administrative costs are covered by other means, all financial support will go directly to the projects. If you, your church, your company would like to support the training of church leaders in Sierra Leone and Guinea, please contact us (relay@relaytrust.org) for more details. Relay Trust - 7 -
The next steps Much will happen in Relay Trust during the coming months. By the end of August Mette will travel to Nigeria and Côte d'ivoire with a team from Australia. The purpose of the journey is to meet with theological training institutions that might become potential partners of Relay Trust. It is important to establish good contacts with different theological institutions across West Africa, as we may need such institutions for accreditation of our training programmes as well as opening up for the opportunity to send students here for further training. In August, we will also meet with our new programmer, Lars Gunnarsson, and talk about the development of the Virtual Faculty. In addition, we are going to prepare for our next journey to West Africa in October / November, where, amongst other things, we will participate in the ordination of 6 new priests in Guinea. Some exciting steps are waiting! God bless! Relay Trust Members of staff Mette Bjergbæk Klausen Project-coordinator and responsible for partner relations. mbk@relaytrust.org Alex Bjergbæk Klausen Project-coordinator, daily administrator and responsible for PR. abk@relaytrust.org Lars Gunnarsson Programmer and responsible for IT Mette is participating in the prayers for those installed for different positions in the church in Makeni. Bishop Wilson (to the left) is leading the prayers. Relay Trust - 8 -