Mennonite Church Guinea Bissau is part of a Mennonite mission presence in West Africa since 2000. The mission began first in Gambia and by 2005 the good news was being carried to Guinea Bissau by new believers from Gambia. Most of the work focuses on the Balanta people but other people groups are also part of the emerging church. The mission is sponsored by Eastern Mennonite Missions and seeks to establish an Anabaptist circle of churches in those two countries plus in the intervening territory of Senegal. Welcome to our blog page and thanks for your interest in learning more about bringing Christ to a part of Africa where the church is weak or non-existent.

Tuesday

Ministry Programs and Activities of the Mennonite Mission Guinea Bissau Projections: 2013-2018

Prepared by:          Beryl Forrester & Andrew Stutzman

      Co-regional Representatives

      For EMM West Africa

November, 2011


Ministry Program: Evangelism & Church Planting

The mission in Guinea Bissau was started in 2005 in the village of Catel, in northwestern Cacheu Region just south of Senegal. From that village the first two missionaries started outreaches in several nearby villages. The first believers in Catel were baptized in 2007. Since then several more have been added to the Catel church and they have been discipled as missionaries. They are now in charge of outreach in at least 8 villages outside of Catel. The outreach includes weekly worship services plus other ministries such as medical access. 

The long term objective is to equip the disciples going out from Catel to be making disciples and raising up leaders in the villages where they minister. The disciples in the second circle of villages will be equipped to be the leaders in their village fellowships providing the village with the gifts of pastoring, evangelism, teachers and other ministries so that village fellowship will grow and mature into a thriving congregation. This model has a ripple effect of workers from a center point, starting new fellowships and from these eventually there will likewise be ministry gifts forthcoming. EMM expatriate missionaries will be needed throughout the projected time to coach African disciplers and participate in village ministries alongside the African workers.

Projections on the ministry:

From the present until 2013 the expatriate missionaries will continue to disciple the Catel missionaries as they go out. More village outreaches will be added as African missionaries become available. Missionaries from the secondary circle of villages will start going out to the third circle of villages.

Throughout this 5 year period expatriate missionaries, as bible teachers well grounded in Anabaptist theology, will be needed as disciplers of disciplers. At some point during this period a missionary training facility along with a Mennonite Church Guinea Bissau center should be established.

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How Beautiful on the Mountains; Teaching Peace in Guinea Bissau

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, "Your God reigns” Isaiah 2:7

This verse from Isaiah creates a significant image of our ministry in West Africa. We are here to bring the good news of peace. Our message has been both given and received as the gospel of peace. We are here as ambassadors of reconciliation and we disciple believers to carry on the ministry of reconciliation. We don’t believe peace is an important facet of the gospel; we believe and preach that peace is the gospel.

We are currently in a series of teachings about peace. We are equipping the men who go out to the villages to be sharing the vision of the peace that God is calling us to enjoy.

How do believers become ministers of reconciliation? We teach that our new relationship with God is possible only through the death and resurrection of Christ and that as he died, we also die to the world and the flesh in order to be raised to a new life with him. We who have come to peace with God are thereby enabled to be reconcilers among those with whom we live. (I Cor. 5)

Continuing to seek revenge, reacting with anger and attempting to repay evil with evil is indicative that the flesh is still dominating one’s life. The gospel of peace is relevant all over the world, but especially so here in West Africa where bullying, intimidation and violence are the culturally acceptable ways of dealing with affronts. When people become disciples of Christ, they become first and foremost people of peace.

Listen to this testimony of transformation of one believer’s life as he began to follow Jesus. His name is Gibriel Mane.

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