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A Report on the Annual
Meeting of
Mennonite Church West
Africa
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This report is about the annual gathering of
Mennonites from Gambia, Casamance (southern Senegal) and Guinea Bissau. Usually
we meet at the Kitti Mennonite Church near Brikama, Gambia, where we would
normally expect 60-80 people in attendance. But this year there were travel
restrictions for groups going into Gambia from Guinea Bissau. Thus, we chose to
meet as smaller group of leaders at the mission facility where I live in Bourofaye,
Senegal. The annual conference meets during the week between Christmas and New
Year’s Day because many of our leaders are either students or teachers and it
is during those days that most are free to attend.
The Mennonite believers from the three countries are
a multi-ethnic faith community, representing a half dozen tribal people groups
scattered throughout this region in the westernmost part of Africa. We are an
Anabaptist oriented faith community that has grown out of EMM’s West African
mission.
The two day event was opened with a study of
Ephesians 1 where the Apostle brings to our attention the blessings that we
both give and receive from God the Father through Jesus Christ. The two-way
blessings are expressed as both benedictions and benefactions: both words and
deeds of blessing. In this chapter we learn about God’s blessing upon his
covenant people, both his words and deeds, and we also learn about the words of
worship we return to God and the good works we express through our lives as we
interact with the rest of God’s creation. Both our words and our deeds, but of
first importance, our godly works, belong to the worship we bring to the
Father.
Following that keynote the group discussed specific
issues of faith and practice in the community of Christ that are common in our
life together here in West Africa. An important factor in the formation of a
discipled community of Christ is that we are able to sit in a circle to talk
and discern what God’s will is for us, opening ourselves as to how we can experience
his redeeming work in our lives and community. We gather as equals, listening
to each other and the Holy Spirit, with the goal of faithfulness to our
covenant with God.
I have learned that in this kind of a gathering of
believers, where decisions are made and policies established, everyone owns the
decision. And people are far more willing to be faithful to the policy growing
out of this process than when a decision is made for them by a clerical body
and then dictated to the rank and file of believers. This is one of the
significant functional differences between an Anabaptist faith community and
either the evangelical or Catholic faith community.
1.
We talked about the need for restoration of those who stumble
in their faithfulness to Christ and the community, focusing especially on the
instructions of Galatians 6: 1-2. Our goal is restoration of what is broken
rather than the exclusion of people who err. One brother shared how his church
community helped him walk through a difficult period in his faith in relation
to cultural traditions that are demonic and should be abandoned as Jesus’
followers. He is still in the process of restoration and he expressed his
appreciation for the support and healing he is finding in the fellowship of the
church.
2.
We talked about the threat so prominent in our society of
using our sexuality in ways that is contrary to God’s design for marital
faithfulness between a man and his wife. We discussed ways the church can
especially help our youth understand that sexual relations are only for a man
and a woman united in a lifelong covenant. We lamented that the cultural taboos
which helped previous generations with respect to the sanctity of marriage have
been replaced by permissiveness and pleasure-seeking.
3.
We talked about the appropriate timing for baptism of new
believers. In our context we understand that baptism should not happen until
there is evidence that the candidate is clearly on a track of faithfulness to
Christ. This does not mean we wait until they are perfect but that they are
experiencing transformation into Christ likeness and are submissive to the
counsel of the church in their faith and conduct.
4.
We talked about the challenges of being a fissional people in
the midst of poverty. Nearly everyone in the church does subsistence farming,
combining that with a petty economy enterprise on the side. Keeping one’s nose
above water economically and barely able to provide for the family, leaves
little time and energy for focused faith formation and evangelism. All believers
are eager to share their faith with friends and family but there is little time
to do that along with providing for their households.
As a pioneer
missionary who had a role in bringing the gospel to these people I am deeply
satisfied with what I see in the faith development of these people:
· Everyone is clearly aware of
where they came from (unbelief, animism) to where they are now, on the journey
to the Promised Land as God’s people.
· In their spiritual vision
there is little ambiguity about what is the light of Christ as opposed to the
darkness of Satan.
· They have a sense of urgency
in sharing the joy of life in Christ with others, especially with their
extended family, still without hope in Christ.
· Their self-perception as a
people of God goes above and beyond their ethnicity.
· They have a remarkable
ability to hold in tension the values of peace, forgiveness and humility
towards others, together with maintaining the righteousness/justice God expects
of his sons and daughters.
Other developing news
briefs:
· The book- Animists to
Anabaptists, detailing the story of this West Africa Mennonite mission,
2000- 2014 could possibly be in print and released during April. I am working
with the book editor at Dove publications on final editing.
· My EMM co-workers, the Bakers
and Shirks are in the U.S. making final travel plans back to West Africa and
expect to arrive here by Feb. 10th.
· I am working with a church
group in Togo, a West African nation 1,500 miles to the southwest on providing
with a seminar on Ephesians.
· I now have full-time internet
access from my house in Bourofaye, a major step forward in my ability to stay
in contact with friends and supporters in North America. I particularly enjoy
having Skype conversations with people interested in this work. My Skype
contact is: bjforrester2
Would you like to make a donation to
Beryl’s ministry in West Africa and at the same time become a well –informed
supporter of the work? You can receive a copy of the new book Animist to
Anabaptist, describing the development of the Mennonite Church in West
Africa when it is released early this year. Please make a minimum contribution
of $15 to cover the book and shipping. If you wish to receive a copy of the
book for your donation, please return the slip below to New Holland Mennonite
Church Att. Robert E. Martin. All proceeds from the sale of books go into the
fund that supports Beryl’s ministry. If you’re only making a contribution it is
not necessary to return your address slip.
Name________________________________________________________
Street
address for UPS Delivery_______________________________________
Phone
(required for UPS delivery (_____) ______________________________
Make checks payable to New Holland
Mennonite Church and mail to New Holland Mennonite Church 18 Western Ave. New
Holland Pa. 17557
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