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Report From the AME Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
17TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT SONS OF ALLEN ELECTS NEW OFFICERS
By Rev. Royd Mwandu, 17th District Field Representative
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The Sons of Allen (SOA), Men in Ministry of the 17th Episcopal District, held its elective convention with the South West Zambia Conference-Copperbelt East District and Presiding Elder Amigo Mwansa as hosts. The host church was Mother Hughes AME Church Ndola under the leadership of Pastor Winford Chabala. The two-day convention was opened by Bishop David Rwhynica Daniels, Jr.’s administrative assistant, the Rev. Margaret Nkana Mwanza, on Friday, February 25, 2022.
On Saturday, February 26, 2022, Bishop Daniels addressed the Men in Ministry. The bishop introduced Mr. Miller, the Connectional SOA president, who addressed the gathering on the need for men to fulfill their constitutional requirements as enshrined in The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only delegates from Zambia managed to attend. Here are the newly elected 17th Episcopal District SOA executive officers:
President: Br. Robert Chilufya Chitenge
Vice President: The Rev. D. K. Phiri
Secretary: Br. James Simuyemba
Correspondence Secretary: Br. Agrippa Ngwenya
Treasurer: The Rev. Winsford Chabala
Coordinator: Pending bishop’s appointment. ❏ ❏ ❏
the end of his speech, he only briefly mentioned these issues, such as abortion, immigration reform and transgender rights, and climate change. Throughout his speech, he seemed to be trying to speak to issues dear to Republicans — and perhaps disaffected Democrats. Stylistically, he spoke over the applause, seeming to rush through his speech without any pause to allow for more extended ovation and critical points to have their moments. It felt swift even with his mention of the historic appointment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman appointed to the Supreme Court, no recognition of the landmark diversity in the judiciary, and then quickly pivoted to immigration, which he failed to lay out a comprehensive immigration plan.
All things considered, President Biden affirmed what we already know - he is the epitome of white moderation - consistently appealing to the political attitudes of right-of-center Americans and small “C” conservatives who do not support him despite his efforts. Furthermore, his “Unity Agenda,” which supports needed initiatives such as opioids, cancer research, mental health, and veterans care, is more of the same, while necessary, more of what we have heard previously. No innovation, no big legislative agenda, no haecceity, comforting and enduring vision for the country. Democrats need a winning strategy; President Biden has yet to exercise his bully pulpit fully in support of this strategy.
Biden concluded: “Fellow Americans: Look, we can’t change how divided we’ve been ... but we can change how to move forward on COVID-19 and other issues that we must face together.” Regrettably, the president did not provide a framework for change moving forward.
President Biden enthusiastically concluded, “Go get ‘em.” Unfortunately, I am afraid, that is precisely what the Republican Party will do - deliver a shellacking to the Democrats in November.
...From Biden’s p2
Quardricos Bernard Driskell is an adjunct professor of legislative politics at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. Follow him on Twitter @q_driskell4.
REPORT FROM THE AME CHURCH IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
By Rev. Mutabazi Kamutera Seraphin, 17th Episcopal District
Please do receive warm greetings from the African Methodist Episcopal Church – North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This period of nearly over a decade of service, answering the call of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), has been measurably and endlessly blessed. The Spirit has helped our different local churches to grow. We have witnessed a great advancement of God’s work in North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have won souls, ministered to the needy, and empowered and equipped men, women, and children with a convertible knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank and praise God for the souls added to our churches—new conversions and baptisms. We thank God also for the life and labor of those who have endured the hardships faced while serving the needy. The leadership of the Steward Board helped enhance the spirituality and stewardship in the church. The diligent work of the trustees facilitated all the works we have been doing, from the work of painting the churches, providing chairs, musical instruments, finishing toilets, and much more. Organizational ministries, such as the Women’s Society Ministry, Young People’s Department, and Lay Organization, have met needs in their respective churches and surrounding communities.
We remain grateful to each congregation and to all those who gave support to the ministry all these years. We thank God for the incredible work of the Holy Ghost in restoring and replenishing the ministry in the North-Kivu, D.R. Congo. Bless his holy name.
EVANGELISM AND CHURCH GROWTH DEPARTMENT
In the true spirit of the AME Church class leader structure, we organized cells in churches, urging each member to belong to a cell depending on where he or she lives. So, this approach helped us to reach hundreds of people wherever ...continued on p4
...From Report p3 they are. Cell members meet two to three times a week; they organize visits and charity activities for nonbelievers. As a result, people have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When the number of people from the same cell increases, we study the feasibility of making it a church.
Also, by using the “Jesus Film” techniques of Campus Crusade for Christ Ministry, this department showed this movie at least five times, and people received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Many local churches were started from these showings, and the clergy members stepped in for education, edification, and teaching.
We set strategies to take care of the vulnerable (widows and orphans) in the church and in different communities through the contributions of church members. We did not reach to target orphans, widows, and destitute people successfully because the church members are jobless, and it is impossible to get some contributions.
PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
God has enabled us to create some schools though they are operating on rented properties with poor infrastructure and equipment.
Some of the schools are Marry Primary and Secondary School. These schools accommodate children from different poor and vulnerable families and children born as a result of sexual violence as well as unwanted pregnancies
HEALTH SECTOR
The African Methodist Episcopal Church – DRC has created a Health Center in Bukavu, South Kivu, to improve the financial situation of the church and to help the community with health services such as counselling and treatment, to name a couple, even though it operates under bad conditions, in an old building, and with outdated health equipment.
PARTNERSHIP WITH PAN AFRICAN COLLECTIVE – USA
The Project and Development Department has enabled the church to partner with the Pan African Collective – USA to help implement some projects.
In July 2021, the AME Church – North Kivu spread the gospel by implementing a Food Distribution Project to victims of the May 22 volcano eruption, a project funded by the Pan African Collective – USA. The church sympathized with the victims by offering rice, beans, water, cooking oil, soap, among other staples.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church – North Kivu will never forget this act of charity done by the Pan African Collective members and other contributors such as Bishop James L. Davis and the members of the 2nd Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church for feeding these needy people. They put a smile on the faces of the beneficiaries. They have saved the lives of people both physically and psychologically.
Though our churches operate on rented properties, we have managed to build shelter for church members under the consent of the landowner. AME Church in Masisi South District, built on rented land.
So to advance the work of the Lord further, we ordained and appointed some servants of God to help spread the gospel around the world. We organized some gospel outings to Masisi Sud and Masisi Nord districts to strengthen the work of God.
Distribution of food and other items to internally displaced persons in Mugunga and Buhimba camps, and we visited different orphanages. Bethsaida Health Center in Bukavu – South Kivu.
AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK PROJECT
In partnership with the Pan African Collective, the African Methodist Episcopal Church – Goma, DRC created and implemented the Agriculture and Livestock Project for Vulnerable Returnees in the Masisi and Rutshuru territories. Cornerstone Trust – USA funded the project. Forty families, each of eight to ten members, have benefited from this project. Hence, in general, 320 to 400 lives have been impacted through this project. Additionally, each of the original 40 families is to give their first-born female livestock to another participant family that was not a part of the initial targeted group, which increases the impact to 640 to 800 lives. As each participant cohort repeats the action of passing the first-born, the impacted lives increase exponentially. The project aimed to improve the situations of the vulnerable returnees and their families, through which the beneficiaries received livestock and seeds, and they acquired new skills in cultivation and animal rearing techniques to augment their livelihood. Food distribution to the victims of the Nyiragongo volcano eruption in Goma, a project funded by Pan African Collective.
...continued on p5
...From Report p4 Repeated wars, young people forced to join rebel groups, increased orphans, abandoned children, sickness, displaced families, mass unemployment, poverty, no access to education or economic opportunities, and no constructive day-to-day engaging activities robbed vulnerable people of hope.
The Weaver School is in the Goma City, North Kivu Province, in the Eastern Congo. The school is under the legal authority of the Pan African Collective – USA. The school provides quality education to the most vulnerable children and orphans who could not get an opportunity to go to school. The AMEC – DRC volunteered to help the Pan African Collective purchase and distribute hand sanitizer and chlorinated water for the Weaver Primary and Secondary school to prevent Ebola.
The partnership between AMEC – DRC and the Pan African Collective – USA has been essential in advancing the work of the Lord and the growth of the AMEC-DRC. It has allowed the African Methodist Episcopal Church – Congo to impact many people spiritually, economically, and in other ways. Countless souls have received Jesus Christ as their Savior thanks to this partnership. The partnership has benefited the church members and Goma communities.
MEDICAL MISSION VISITS TO GOMA – D.R. CONGO
The African Methodist Episcopal Church – D.R. Congo has received the Pan African Collective for over a decade to impact church members and local communities through medical mission visits led by the Rev. Dr. Jonathan L. Weaver, president of the Pan African Collective – USA. The mission included humanitarian activities, medical treatment activities, and gospel outreach to AME Churches in Goma.
Through humanitarian actions, the team could visit IDP camps (Mugunga and Buhimba IDP camps) where they provided displaced people with blankets, food items, soap, and water. They also provided humanitarian aid to the vulnerable AME Church members such as widows, orphans, the elderly, and the most destitute church members.
The medical team provided healthcare services to the church members, displaced people in Mugunga and Buhimba IDP camps, and church neighboring communities.
At the same time, the medical team organized gospel revival outreaches in all the AME churches in Goma – Congo, and in different public places in Goma City.
WEAVER PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL – GOMA, D.R. CONGO
After noticing the impact of the AME Church on the local communities through the medical missions led by Pastor Jonathan Weaver, the Congolese local government suggested creating a school named “Weaver School” to expand the presence of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Congo and impact as many people as possible.
So, in September 2015, the school was established by the late Elder KAMUTERA KULU Salomon (May his soul rest in peace!) and Pastor Seraphin Mutabazi of the African Methodist Episcopal Church – Goma, DRC. The school was named after the Rev. Jonathan Weaver, president of the Pan African Collective – USA, to honor his impact on countless lives of Congolese people during his evangelical, charitable, and medical missions in Goma, DRC.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church – Eastern Congo has experienced challenges since its beginning, starting from late Elder Kamutera’s home to reaching far corners of the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the worst experience happened when Bishop Wilfred Messiah divided the church by creating his own Great Lakes Conference with our church members, such as the Rev. Bamba, who rebelled against the church leadership. r For over a decade, no bishop visited the F church; no bishop allowed us to send c a report regarding the church. As a a result, we were left as orphans. r God sent the Rev. Jonathan Weaver and his medical team our way. He has always been there for us. He comforted us through his medical a mission visits yearly. He has preached in all our AME churches in Goma, organizing gospel crusades m alongside AMEC pastors in Congo. Pastor Weaver’s yearly visits to the Congo have strengthened the a church members’ faith, given hope to future generations of Congo, and contributed to the development c of the Congo country. Despite all the struggles we have gone through, we thank God for being with us o and leading us through all the troubles that the AME Church – DRC has experienced. We are proud a and glad to be part of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and we hope to advance the work of a God together. G Our hearts were full of joy after being informed that Bishop David R. Daniels is
The Rev. Weaver with AME Church pastors during Purchase of hand sanitizers and the medical mission in Goma, DRC. chlorinated water for the Weaver Primary and Secondary school for the Ebola response.
...continued on p8
