Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 16 Home Page
In five years, the Mennonite Brethren church in the Congo (formerly Zaire) has doubled its membership. Yet leadership training has not kept up, and there is a great need for pastors. In 1989 over 40 pastors graduated from the Bible school at Nzashi Mwadi. The leadership of the MB Church finally recognized this school, giving it the status of an institute. Of the 40 graduates, 18 have been ordained.
Two of these ordained pastors were from across the border in Angola. After graduation, they went back and in four or five years established 14 churches with 1165 members. There are still only the two pastors. They are assisted by untrained "elders" who help in the teaching of new converts. The people are very poor. These elders are embarrassed to stand in front of their little congregations because of their ragged clothes. This area of Angola has been Unita rebel territory for many years and has been cut off from Luanda, the capitol of Angola. Political forces and distance have kept the Christians of Luanda from associating with this frontier group. All their provisions must be brought in from the Congo at inflated prices.
Former missionary John Esau, with the approval of Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services, is seeking to raise above-budget funding to help the Bible school in Nzashi Mwadi in three areas.
1. The Angolese churches have selected five candidates to study for three years at Nzashi Mwadi, beginning in January, 1997. Each student needs $50 US per month for one year, and then they expect to get a bursary. This project comes to about $3050 US.
2. The school employs one teaching director, one professor and two staff. The total of their salaries for a year is $3100 US.
3. The 16 students from the Congo at the school must look for support from their respective churches. This is difficult because the people are very poor. If it were possible to come up with another $3000 for them, it would make the school a happy place. The students had attempted to grow their own food, but local diamond workers would come and steal everything. Now all that is left for them is to buy it.
John Esau
Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 16 Home Page