Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo
share his hopes and prayers for 2001
WE ARE STILL GROWING
We are continuing to grow in numbers day by day. We have
seen, this year, over 4,500 adults being baptised and over 10,000 children. We
have just confirmed over 7,000 people this year and the trend shows that this
steady growth will continue for the
next 5 years. The number of
parishes also continues to grow. We have now 172 parishes comprising 765 congregations.
The pressure to grow in the faith has now become a
priority. The strategy now centres on the type of leaders we train. We have just
finished a three months special programme which has trained over 600 Catechists
with the hope that the congregations will benefit from this theological input.
We have also introduced a year’s advanced course for all catechists to start
next year at our new Matumbulu Bible School.
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
We have also seen the increasing incompetence of pastors
in their teaching, pastoral care, administration and leadership. Many pastors
show signs of ineffectiveness in their ministry. They seem not to cope with the
pressures of ministry. In response we have designed an upgrading diploma course
for over 50 pastors who will join the English diploma course later in their
ministry.
We have also seen the need for the 80 pastors who will
not do the English diploma. We hope to introduce a Swahili upgrading Diploma
course next year, if all goes well. It is estimated that 15 pastors will join
the Diploma Course every year for the next ten years and the same number for new
candidates for the ministry so that as pastors leave for their further studies,
there will be new pastors taking their parishes. We have taken this decision
having seen that most of our pastors have over 25 years to serve before
retirement, and if we do not do something now it is the Christians in the
congregations who will suffer most.
The programme needs a lot of faith and goodwill.
The total cost to educate a student for one year is 350,000 Tanzanian
shillings (Tshs). Each student contributes Tshs 150,000 and the Diocese gives a
grant of Tshs 250,000. For the last ten years the Diocese has been giving these
grants to all students but it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Diocese
to continue to do so. The chief reasons are the last three
years of drought & famine along with the deteriorating economy of the
country, particularly in our Central area.
This calls for prayer and help as we seek new ways of
support. If our friends would be willing to sponsor a student by contributing just £150 a year this would
transform the situation. This amount would be worth rather more than Tshs
150,000.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS - a similar problem
Across the Diocese we have over 1,700 Sunday School
teachers, but many of them are untrained. We thank the Lord for them but the
challenge is, again, to train them. Unlike the Lord Who called His disciples,
trained them, gave them plenty of practical experience and finally sent them, we
send people to do God’s work untrained, unprepared and inexperienced.
No wonder we do not reap great results from
our ministries; these untrained leaders are mostly incompetent in helping their
groups fulfil their purposes and goals.
Starting in March, 2001
we plan to address these problems of leadership by providing a systematic
three weeks course on leadership at regional and deanery levels and then to use
these leaders to teach similar courses at parish levels.
This course could train 90 leaders but it will cost us just over Tshs
3,780,000 (about £3,375). Please pray with us that we may have the funds to do
this.
KONDOA - some encouraging news to close with:
There will be much rejoicing on October 7th, 2001 when we
celebrate the creation of another new Diocese. This day will see the
inauguration of the new Diocese of Kondoa.
We started this project in 1991 when we had only 480 Anglicans in the three
parishes of Kondoa town and district. Since then our faith has been greatly
enriched. All our parishes have contributed money for this outreach and some
sent evangelists to the area. Today the district has some 26 parishes and over
11,000 Christians. On 5th April the Kondoa Synod will meet to elect it’s first
Bishop.
If you would like to be
a part of the exciting work in the Anglican Church in Tanzania please contact
the Secretary of the Central Tanganyika
Diocesan Trust (address below). This Diocese has a wonderful vision to serve
but desperately needs the support, in prayer and donation, of the wider church
community. Here at St Matthew’s in Hull, we do what little we can to give our
support.
Enquiries to Shelagh
Horsman: shorsman@GlobalConnections.co.uk
For those wanting to
contribute towards the mission please send your cheques to
Shelagh Horsman,15
Woodstock Avenue,
Harold Park, Romford,
Essex. RM3 9NF
(UK)
Cheques payable to: Central Tanganyika Diocesan Trust