Message Points

Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church
Maputo , Mozambique
Nov. 1-6, 2006

Nelson Mandela Appearance, Presence of President, Generous Hospitality

Highlight Council’s First Meeting Outside Continental United States

The surprise appearance of former South African President and Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela capped off a busy and exciting meeting of United Methodist bishops in Maputo , Mozambique . It was the first full council meeting ever held outside United States territory.

Mandela’s Nov. 5 appearance at dinner, with his wife, Gracia Machel, former first lady of Mozambique , highlighted the important role of the United Methodist Church in Africa . Both were educated in Methodist schools. Machel is an active United Methodist. In calling for an increased role for women in Africa , both said the church is leading the way in education, health care, and the fight against HIV/AIDs.

Mozambique President Armando Emilio Guebuza met twice with bishops. On Oct. 31, a 12-member delegation spent 35 minutes with him in his office. On Nov. 1, he attended the opening worship at a government civic center, where he praised the church and asked it to start a new university in his country. Both events received extensive media coverage in Mozambique .

Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, president of the council, presented him with gifts and a resolution of appreciation. During the week, representatives of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry began meetings on broadening the church’s relationship in the country through distance learning and Africa University .

The generous hospitality of Mozambicans was evident everywhere the bishops and guests went. After the opening worship, the host conference catered a banquet featuring local foods on the grounds of the civic center. After a Nov. 4 storm rained out an outdoor cultural celebration, the bash was moved indoors to a local United Methodist Church . For three hours, bishops ate, danced, sang, and celebrated with local United Methodists.

On Nov. 5, bishops split up into 16 groups to visit local United Methodist congregations for worship. At each church, they were presented with gifts and enjoyed traditional Mozambican and African dishes.

At one church, Catembe United Methodist Church , in a poor, rural area less than 10 miles from downtown Maputo , members of the congregation celebrated the laying of the first building blocks of a church building by Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase. The growing congregation meets under a large cashew tree.

Bishops Become Africans During First Council Meeting Outside U.S.

Host Bishop João Somane Machado greeted colleagues warmly when they arrived at their headquarters hotel by telling them “when you are in Mozambique , you are an African. Welcome to Africa . Welcome home.”

Vision Pathways Complimented by Bishops’ Adoption of ‘Call to Action’
Acting on a Plan Team proposal, the Council adopted a “Call to Action” for the people of The United Methodist Church.

The Call to Action represents a convergence of the Council’s Seven Vision Pathways with work of churchwide agency executives and The Connectional Table . The four adopted elements are grounded in Wesleyan theology, global in nature, action-focused, and should be readily understood by United Methodists around the world, said Bishop Bruce Ough, plan team chairman.

A United Methodist Call to Action:

ü Live the United Methodist way

ü Start new churches

ü Reach and save children

ü Stamp out the killer diseases of poverty: malaria, HIV/AIDS

Bishop Ough emphasized the Call to Action does not replace the Vision Pathways. In effect, it is a distillation of the work of the Council, general secretaries and The Connectional Table . Bishops who have begun using the pathways document in their annual conference ministries are encouraged to continue doing so, Bishop Ough said.

Bishops Approve Clergy Pension Pilot in Liberia

A pilot pension plan for clergy members and surviving spouses of the Liberia Annual Conference was approved by the Council. The proposal will use investment earnings from $1million in over-funding from the pre-1982 United Methodist pension program as seed money to create an income stream.

Many pastors outside the United States who served 20, 30, 40 or more years have little or no pension.

The Central Conference Pension Committee has been collecting information and developing models. The General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits is working on developing funding streams for pension plans, beginning in Africa .

Barbara Boigegrain, top executive of the pensions’ board, said bishops are leading the way in the effort.

The Central Conference Benefit Fund, Boigegrain said, has built to $2.25 million. Annual conferences have donated their share of money they receive annually from the United Methodist Publishing House to start the fund. In two years, she said, earnings from the fund will begin to be used for pension benefits.

Draft plan Would Create Central Conference for United States

In what would be a dramatic change in church governance, a joint task force of bishops and members of the Connectional Table is suggesting the United States become a Central Conference.

The proposal would end the current system that splits the United States from the Central Conferences that govern the church outside the U.S. The existing U.S. jurisdictional conferences would exist within a U.S. Central Conference. Since 1964, the church has had numerous studies, task groups and legislative attempts to clarify the world-wide nature of the denomination.

The Book of Discipline would be revised into a general book of doctrine, mission and discipline, deleting all portions that apply only to the United States . Each Central Conference would have a book of discipline outlining rules applicable to its life and ministry. These changes would require approval by the General Conference.

Authority of the General Conference would essentially remain the same. General agencies will remain as agencies for the whole church. The Judicial Council would remain as a general church body elected by the General Conference. The Council of Bishops remains as the council for the entire church. U.S. jurisdictional conferences would continue to elect bishops in the United States .

Central conferences would consider resolutions pertinent to their regions. They could create and fund their own agencies. They could establish mission initiatives appropriate for their context.

(A previous story on this proposal erroneously said the plan would eliminate the U.S. jurisdictional conferences.)

New Thinking Urged on Controversy, Debate Leading to 2008 General Conference

The Council’s Task Force on Unity is asking bishops to open a wider dialogue when speaking to denominational caucuses.

The task force wants bishops to show leadership by making sure theological, jurisdictional, and racial ethnic lines are crossed when they speak at caucus events.

The task force has offered a model “Covenant for Conversation” for the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth .

Stemming from Wesley’s General Rules, the biblical model is based on James 1:19, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger,” and Ephesians 4:15, “to speak… the truth… in love… together.” The elements are:

- To speak: we invite all voices into the conversation

- The truth: it takes all voices to discern the truth; requires “I” statements

- In love: speaking to and about others with generous compassion

- Together: truth and love come only through community, the need to broaden the conversation, not to remain in isolated pockets

Study of Episcopacy Group Seeks Bishops’ Input

The denomination’s Task Force to Study the Episcopacy is seeking input from bishops on a number of suggestions that have arisen out of its work. Bishops are receiving a questionnaire asking them to rate the issues that rose from their work. Participants are asked to give ratings of 1 – absolutely not; 2 – worthy of exploration; and 3 – absolutely. The issues are:

- Limiting bishops’ terms to 8-12 years with an option for re-election.

- Ending a bishop’s term at retirement, and returning the bishop’s membership to the annual conference from which he/she is elected.

- Annual conferences pay for its bishop’s health benefits.

- Reduce the number of bishops in the United States .

- Establish a permanent office of presidency for the Council of Bishops.

- General Conference legislation on the complaint process, administrative leave for ineffective clergy, expanding 8 year assignments to 12 years.

- Designating bishops as a third order.

- Aligning changes in the episcopacy to a strong theology on the bishop’s relationship to making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

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Comments may be directed to Bishop Sally Dyck of the Minneapolis Area.

Bishops Congratulate Democratic Republic of Congo on Democratic Election

Bishops sent a message to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, congratulating it on the country’s Oct. 29 election. In that election, Jean-Pierre Bemba faced off against incumbent President Joseph Kabila.

Calling the election a “glorious occasion,” the Council congratulated Kabila’s government for “this historic accomplishment.” The bishops said they hope the results of the election will be accepted by the candidates and the people. They expressed their prayers for the government and the Congolese people in this new era that is dawning.

Results from the election are scheduled to be announced on Nov. 19.

Mozambique Congregation Knows Church is More Than Building

Worshippers at Catembe United Methodist Church know that a church is more than a building: they’ve never had one.

That will change in the next year or so. For years, the congregation has worshipped beneath a big cashew tree. With three United Methodist bishops participating, on Sunday, Nov. 5 construction began when the congregation laid the first pressure-formed building blocks into the ground.

Missouri Bishop Robert Schnase had the honor of lowering the first blocks into a trench dug by hand in the sandy soil. The Missouri Conference has had a special relationship with Mozambique since 1986. Since 1998, congregations across Missouri have partnered with congregations in Mozambique .

The Catembe congregation worships in a poor neighborhood most easily accessed by ferry and a bumpy ride over winding dirt roads less than 10 miles from downtown Maputo .

A large banner from the Lafayette Park United Methodist Church in St. Louis , proclaiming the spot under the tree as “Igreja Metodista Unida Catembe,” ( Catembe United Methodist Church ) hung from limbs of the tree.

Many of Catembe’s worshippers live in wood and straw huts. They pump water from community wells. Most homes in this neighborhood have no electricity. Goats tied to trees and bushes graze on tall grass throughout the neighborhood.

About two dozen women cooked a celebratory feast of goat, chicken, prawns, rice, bean stew, vegetables, cassava, and sadza, a bread-like staple, on fires built in long trenches.

The congregation enthusiastically worships, standing to sing and pray. Children sit on straw mats in front of the altar table. The choir sits on wooden benches on this cool, breezy Sunday.

Leaders of other churches in the neighborhood joined in the celebration. Two women representing a Presbyterian congregation and three from a nearby Anglican congregation, flash broad smiles as they shake hands with their visitors. Malanga United Methodist Church in Maputo , mother church of this congregation, is also represented.

“We are moving from worshipping under this cashew tree to laying the first stone today,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Paulo Saubino during the opening of the worship service. “I was happy when they told me ‘let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

Looking at the bishops and other visitors sitting in blue and green resin lawn chairs under the tarp, Saubino said “next time when you come, we will have a church building. You will have a difficult time getting a place to sit.” He explained that every congregation in Mozambique has two budgets: one for finances and one for saving souls.

Worshippers walked from beneath the tree to a nearby field for the laying of the first construction blocks. After Bishop Schnase lowered the first blocks into the trench, District Superintendent Arlindo Romão invited bishops Max Whitfield and Alfred Gwynn to shovel cement onto them. Then other visitors and leaders of the congregation shoveled cement onto the blocks.

These blocks will serve as a cornerstone of sorts. A bible wrapped in plastic was placed between the square of blocks. Romão said the square will be beneath the church’s floor as the building is built.

“This floor will be built on the book of God,” he said through a translator.



United Methodist Bishops Worship With Mozambique Congregations

Split into small groups, nearly 80 United Methodist bishops from around the globe worshipped with 16 Mozambique congregations on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Some of the bishops, joined by spouses and other visitors, loaded into buses and vans at Avenida Hotel in Maputo as early as 7:30 a.m. to get to worship on time.

At most Council of Bishops’ meetings, many bishops arrive early or stay late to preach at local congregations. At this meeting, the bishops did not preach the sermon, but took part in worship, offering greetings and prayers.

At every stop, the bishops and visitors were greeted with smiles, singing and gifts. Many received hand-crafted straw hats. Some were given traditional carved walking sticks. Spouses and other visitors were given hats and straw handbags. Women were presented with the traditional capulana, the sarong-like skirt that Mozambique women wear. Women from the congregations wrapped and tied the capulanas around the waists of their visitors.

Bishops spent several days preparing for their worship experience. They learned a traditional African hymn, Nzamuranza (I Worship Christ), in Xitswa, a native southern Mozambique language, to sing at each worship service.

Bishop after bishop noted the enthusiasm of their host congregations. United Methodist congregations in Mozambique have two budgets, one financial, and one for winning souls to Christ. They also take their weekly offerings seriously. Unlike offerings in most Western churches, United Methodists in Mozambique line up to make their offerings in front of fellow worshippers. Children, the choir, and other groups come forward separately. And they take several offerings each Sunday. After they finish, the result of the offering is announced.



Technology Links Catembe Congregation With Missouri Partner Church

If Sunday was a milestone day at Catembe United Methodist Church in Mozambique , it was a milestone day at Lafayette Park United Methodist Church in St. Louis , too.

The two congregations are partners in the Missouri-Mozambique Initiative.

It was 2 a.m. in St. Louis when the parishioners at Catembe United Methodist Church gathered to break ground for their church building. The eight-hour time difference allowed Carol Kreamer, a member of Lafayette Park who serves as the U.S.-based director of the initiative, time to send photos of the service to St. Louis from Mozambique .

Kreamer, a commissioned missionary from the General Board of Global Ministries, first tried to email the photos taken by Stephen Drachler, a consultant for United Methodist Communications, from the Council of Bishops’ headquarters hotel. When technical glitches foiled that attempt, she and Ezekiel Marcos Nhantumbo, an Africa University graduate who is the Mozambique-based representative for the initiative, went to his office to email the photos a different way: via much slower phone modem

Back in St. Louis , it was “Presence Sunday” at Lafayette Park , where prayers, presence, gifts and service around the world were being celebrated. As time grew short, Chris Finley sat in a pew, receiving four, slowly downloaded photos on his laptop.

After he received them, he hooked his laptop to the projector and showed them to the congregation.

At 10 a.m., the same time that Catembe United Methodist Church had worshipped in Mozambique eight hours earlier, Lafayette Park saw its presence in ministry a half-a-world away.

Draft Plan on the Current System

A high-level group examining the global nature of The
United Methodist Church is suggesting significant
organizational and governance changes for the denomination.


The proposal would end the current system that splits the
United States from the Central Conferences that govern the
church outside the U.S. It would end the jurisdictional
conference system and make the United States a Central
Conference.

These proposals come from a joint task force of
bishops and members of The Connectional Table, the key
coordinating arm of the denomination. Since 1964, the
church has had numerous studies, task groups and
legislative attempts to clarify the world-wide nature of
the denomination.

The draft plan given to bishops on Nov. 3 would
revise the Book of Discipline into a “truly general book of
doctrine, mission and discipline, deleting all portions
that apply only to the United States.” Each Central
Conference would have a book of discipline outlining rules
applicable to its life and ministry. Other publications
such as hymnals could be specific to each Central
Conference.

These changes would require approval by the
General Conference. “These changes would strengthen our
unity and missional effectiveness as a united church
working on our continents,” the task force said.
While adding flexibility and support for regional units of
the church, “the changes… do not solve all the problems
facing the church… They do address the fundamental
structures and processes,” the task force concluded.

The power of the General Conference will
essentially remain the same, the task force said. General
agencies will remain as agencies for the whole church. The
Judicial Council would remain as a general church body
elected by the General Conference. The Council of Bishops
remains as the council for the entire church.

Central conferences would consider resolutions
pertinent to their regions. They could create and fund
their own agencies. They could establish their own
educational requirements for clergy. They could establish
mission initiatives appropriate for their context.

The task force is continuing its work. It is
inviting feedback from annual conferences, districts, and
local churches. It has asked the General Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns to engage its
partners in conversations on the ecumenical implications of
a U.S. Central Conference. It is exploring what General
Conference legislation will be required.

The group will make a second report to the
Connectional Table and Council of Bishops in spring, 2007.

Bishops’ Unity Group Urges New Thinking on Division,
Controversy, Debate
Bishops are being urged to take a “cross every
line” approach when dealing with controversial theological
and social issues before denominational caucuses.

The Council of Bishops’ Task Force on Unity
called on bishops to invite colleagues “from a different
corner” to join them when asked to speak on issues before
the special-interest groups.

In its report, the task force said the council
needs to take responsibility to cross theological,
jurisdictional, and racial ethnic lines in bishops’
presence at such events. This is another move to focus the
church on the need and benefit of holy conferencing.

Reflecting widespread concern over the tone of
debate at General Conference, the group is developing a
“Covenant for Conversation” it hopes will be a model, or
“rules of engagement” for the 2008 General Conference in
Fort Worth.

Stemming from Wesley’s General Rules, the
biblical model is based on James 1:19, “Be swift to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger,” and Ephesians 4:15, “to
speak… the truth… in love… together.” The elements are:
- To speak: we invite all voices into the
conversation
- The truth: it takes all voices to discern the
truth; requires “I” statements
- In love: speaking to and about others with
generous compassion
- Together: truth and love come only through
community, the need to broaden the conversation, not to
remain in isolated pockets

The recommendations are elements of a strategy focused
on bishops taking a more proactive role in the time
approaching General Conference. More discussion is
continuing on bishops’ role in leading the church toward
unity, in presiding at General Conference, how annual
conferences handle controversial issues, and their
interaction with caucus groups.

Study of Episcopacy Group Seeks Bishops’ Input on Change
Ideas
The denomination’s Task Force to Study the Episcopacy is
seeking input from bishops on a number of suggestions that
have arisen out of its work. The task force is comprised of
laypersons, clergy, and bishops.

Bishops are receiving a questionnaire asking them to rate
the issues that rose from their work so far. Participants
are asked to give ratings of 1 – absolutely not; 2 – worthy
of exploration; and 3 – absolutely. The issues are:

- Limiting bishops’ terms to 8-12 years with an
option for re-election.
- Ending a bishop’s term at retirement, and
returning the bishop’s membership to the annual
conference from which he/she is elected.
- Annual conferences pay for its bishop’s health
benefits.
- Reduce the number of bishops in the United States.
- Establish a permanent office of presidency for the
Council of Bishops.
- General Conference legislation on the complaint
process, administrative leave for ineffective clergy,
expanding 8 year assignments to 12 years.
- Designating bishops as a third order.
- Aligning changes in the episcopacy to a strong
theology on the bishop’s relationship to making disciples
for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Bishops are asked to provide their comments and additional
suggestions to Bishop Sally Dyck of the Minneapolis Area.

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Nelson Mandela Tells Bishops Achievement No Guarantee of Heaven

South African Leader’s Surprise Appearance Electrifies UM Leaders

A life of achievement is no guarantee of a place in heaven, Nelson Mandela told United Methodist bishops as they neared the end of their historic meeting in Maputo , Mozambique .

Mandela and his wife, Gracia Machel, surprised the bishops with their appearance at dinner on Sunday, Nov. 5. Machel is the former education minister of Mozambique and the widow of Mozambique president Samora Machel, who died in an air crash.

Both Mandela and Machel have deep Methodist roots. Mandela was educated in a Methodist school in South Africa . Machel is United Methodist and attended a Methodist school in Mozambique .

The 87-year-old Mandela spoke with a feistiness in his voice as he recounted his Methodist education and the role of the church in his upbringing.

Mandela told the bishops that when he arrived “I had no idea whatsoever that I would be brought so such a sacred gathering.” He said that to arrive in this setting and praise “what we believe is a superior gift.

The former South African president and Nobel Peace Prize winner invoked the African-American spiritual “May the Work I’ve Done,” as he told bishops of a story he often tells about leaving this earth, going to heaven’s door and knocking. An angel comes forth and asks his identity. He identifies himself as “Madiba.” The angel responds by saying there is no space for him.

His message was that one should be recognized for the work they have done and not for who they are or where they come from.

As Mrs. Machel addressed the bishops, Mandela sat next to Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer of the Iowa Area. He leaned over to talk with and shake the hands of two young boys who had nervously come forward to meet the world leader.

“I am standing here mainly as a Methodist child,” Machel, one of six daughters raised by her widowed mother, told the bishops. Her mother “did the impossible to educate all of us.”

Machel became the minister of education for the country of Mozambique in 1975, the first woman of education in the country.

“From the Methodist church I had an obligation to give back to those who had supported me. I had to give back to the community. My experience as the minister of education was based in linking national policies with communities. In helping communities to fight very actively in building schools, selecting teachers, and supporting the teachers in school,” Machel said.

She cited disturbing statistics on the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and children in Mozambique .

It has been estimated 1-in-5 persons in Mozambique is infected with the AIDS virus. She said that women are the caregivers and sometimes the providers and if they are sick they cannot provide.

“Empowering women . . . through education is a must for us,” Machel said. Her country faces serious challenges. Providing statistics, she said Mozambique is in the top 10 countries affected by HIV/AIDS with 1.8 million infected and of those aged 25-49, the percentage of women infected is 58 percent, “far more than men,” she said. Of those aged 15-34 years who are infected, girls comprise 76 percent of the infected.

“No matter what we can try to do” to tackle the HIV/AIDS problem with women, Machel said, “we will not be able to turn around this problem, in terms of reduction of infection” without educating women regardless of where they live, regardless of the African country about “gender relations.”

“It is a matter of survival for our women,” she said.

Mandela and Machel married on Mandela’s 80th birthday. They have a home in Maputo where the bishops met. It is the first meeting of the bishops outside of United States territory.

After Mandela spoke, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Houston, president of the Council, told her colleagues, “We have been in the company of saints.”

Turning to look at Mandela and Mrs. Machel, she told them “you are hope in action. We stand with you. You have shown us how to make the world a better place.

“Mrs. Machel, you are an inspiration to young girls born poor, particularly United Methodists. We will pray for you. We trust you will pray for us.”

As Mandela and Mrs. Machel moved from their table to leave the dining room, bishops lined up to speak with them, shake their hands or to touch Mandela’s arm.

Their appearance was hastily arranged. Mrs. Machel had originally been scheduled to speak at a cultural event for the bishops on Saturday night. Her appearance was canceled after a last-minute downpour forced the moving of the event into a local church.

Machel was appreciative that the Council of Bishops chose Mozambique to conduct its Nov. 1-6 meeting and despite the issues the country has faced poverty, it “has shown such a resilience . . . to reinvent itself.

“Our people reinvent themselves even before huge challenges,” such as they did when everything was disrupted by the war, she noted. Now, she said “poverty” is the only signal that there were problems. “In about 10-12 [years], this country has changed its face.

“Having you here is an additional recharging of our energies; to know that we are not alone, you are there as leaders. Thank you for clearly sending that message that we are not alone,” Machel said./ UMCom

Council President Exhorts Church to Live the United Methodist Way

Vol 1 No 3 Nov. 3, 2006
Released by UMCOM
Stephen Drachler

United Methodist Council of Bishops President Janice Riggle Huie says the people of the church expect bishops to lead boldly by making disciples and saving lives around the globe.

“This meeting is a threshold… It is decision time,” Huie told bishops during her presidential address in Maputo , Mozambique . “I believe that a new Pentecost can happen here… I believe the Holy Spirit is calling the people of the United Methodist Church into action.”

“Christianity has changed. The day and time when people went to church because it was expected and ‘everybody did it’ is gone. Christian discipleship is now a matter of decision… [often] made in the face of obstacles and even hostility,” Huie said.

While Christianity has changed, “what I see and hear is the deep human desire for hope,” Huie added. She cited the dramatic growth of persons in Volunteers in Mission ministries after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the tremendous response to the 2005 tsunami in eastern Asia . To date, United Methodists have donated more than $100 million to those efforts.

To succeed, to follow Jesus and make disciples, bishops must take risks, Huie said. “Not many people are going to step out into a new future if the leaders are focused on the rear-view mirror of institutional survival and self-preservation… We need to do a lot of listening and a lot of loving… We will also need to remind people of what they already know: We follow Jesus… God is with us.”

Eleven million United Methodists, she said, can:

# Live the United Methodist way in their daily lives and public witness.

# Begin a new church every day somewhere around the globe.

# Reach and save children all over the globe.

# Lead in the effort to stamp out the killer diseases of poverty: HIV/AIDS.

These calls to action reflect a strategy under development by the Council, the church’s general agencies, and members of The Connectional Table, the denomination’s program coordination group.

Huie concluded by saying, “It is God who gives us hope. The Holy Spirit gives us courage. Jesus expects us to follow him. John Wesley gives us the method. The people of The United Methodist Church expect us to lead.”

Nearly 80 bishops are meeting in Mozambique for the council’s semiannual meeting. It is the first meeting to be held outside the territorial United States .


Bishop Innis Focuses on African Growth, Reality During Sermon

Liberian Bishop John Innis focused on the reality of preaching and leading in Africa during Thursday’s morning service or word and table.

“The church of Jesus Christ called United Methodist is indeed alive in Africa ,” Innis said during his sermon, citing the long history of mission and disciple-making on the continent.

The United Methodist Church has been in ministry in Africa since the 1830s. United Methodists have congregations and missions in two dozen African countries. United Methodist schools, clinics and hospitals play a key role in those countries

“By coming to Africa, we, the bishops, show recognition of the contributions of Africa to our church… The United Methodist Church is a powerful church… it is great [in Africa ],” Innis said.

Christianity is growing rapidly across Africa , Innis said. “Nowhere is there a record of such growth – 350 million Christians in Africa . We are a reality the Christian world cannot ignore.”

Pastors, district superintendents and bishops work under difficult conditions, Innis said, noting they often walk “10, 20 miles… 20 hours to reach our people… When they see us, they say, ‘Jesus is here.’”


Fact Check: United Methodist Church in Mozambique

Ø Methodism in Mozambique started in 1890. 10,000 people attended the 100 year anniversary celebration in 1990.

Ø Growth: The church has tripled in size in Mozambique in the last thirteen years. There are now over 125,000 members in the over 170 congregations of the twenty-three districts. The church works in all ten provinces of Mozambique and is divided into two annual conferences.

Ø Leadership: Bishop João Somane Machado leads both the Mozambique North and Mozambique South Annual Conferences. They are comprised of 23 districts, 50 circuits, over 170 local churches, 132 ordained pastors, 32 Deacons, and 278 evangelists. The Bishop also oversees 29 schools, 1 theological school, some agricultural programs, 1 hospital ( Chicuque Hospital ), 2 clinics, 1 seminary, and 4 bible schools.

Ø Local church life: United Methodist churches in Mozambique are community centers that impact every aspect of people’s lives. People gather at the churches for worship, fellowship and mutual support. Worship services (held in buildings or mud huts, or under trees) are filled with standing-room-only crowds on most Sundays. Worship is a wonderful experience with much music in a longer service than is traditional in the USA .

Ø Social action: Since the end of the 17-year war (1975-1992), the church has dedicated itself to rebuilding the social fabric and restoring property that supports the lives of Mozambicans. While the national government is overwhelmed with paying international debt and repairing the infrastructure following decades of war and natural disasters, the church presents dependability and security in the lives of people. The church is linked to hospitals, schools, trade schools, homeless shelters, and international aid throughout the country. The UMC in Mozambique is also active in ecumenical efforts and provides leadership in the Christian Council of Mozambique .

(Source: Mozambique Initiative: Carol Kreamer , U.S. coordinator)

Mozambique President Praises, Challenges United Methodists

Vol 1 No 2 Nov. 2,2006

Mozambique President Armando Emilio Guebuza opened the Council of Bishops meeting on Nov. 1 by praising the church’s role in the transformation of his nation and challenging it to commit more resources in the struggle to overcome poverty.

More than 300 bishops, spouses, and local United Methodists filled a Maputo convention center assembly hall to open the council’s historic meeting. This is the first council meeting ever held outside U.S. territory.

In a worship service sparked by the energy of three Maputo area choirs, the bishops celebrated the church’s 160-year presence in Africa and its broad influence on the continent’s religious and civic life.

The highlight of the event clearly was the presence of the president, a Presbyterian who demonstrated a deep knowledge the United Methodist presence throughout his nation and a close friendship with the nation’s bishop, João Somane Machado.

Guebuza said the church’s commitment to social justice created the conditions that helped Mozambique become an independent nation and begin to tackle its poverty. Mozambique was a Portuguese colony for 470 years. It became independent in 1975.

“This church has contributed to the rescue of our self-esteem,” he said, adding the United Methodist Church helped Mozambicans “gain the awareness that colonization was not a fact of life.”

“As we learned that foreign domination was not a fact, I hope Mozambicans will also learn poverty also is not a form of divine punishment and can also become something of the past.”

He praised United Methodists for seeking a “culture of peace” and helping the nation develop water resources to battle poverty and malaria, and called for a continued partnership with health and education initiatives. Saying education is the key to overcoming poverty, he specifically asked the church to create a new university in Mozambique .

Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, of Houston, president of the Council of Bishops responded, with a smiling understatement: “I believe His Excellency has given us a challenge for our work this week.” She said the church’s partnership on education and health initiatives would be taken to a new level.

She told the gathering that the council’s meeting in Maputo “expresses solidarity, partnership and continued prayers for you and all the people of Mozambique . It is our honor and privilege to be here during this time.”

Huie presented Guebuza with a resolution that included a pledge that the denomination would continue “to promote the welfare of Mozambique ” and promises of prayer for his continued leadership of the nation.

The Rev. Arlindo Romao, Maputo East District Superintendent told the welcoming gathering that “it was hard to describe the joy we feel when we heard for the first time in the history of the United Methodist Church that the bishops were meeting outside the U.S. and they chose our country. Not Europe or Asia but they chose Africa and our country of Mozambique .”

Romao said United Methodists in are “happy and proud to see that you are here and we see that what we were hearing is a reality. Welcome to our house that is your house.”

“Please see us as only beginners, as pioneers in this task, and if you return, you will see we are doing even better.”


Council Meeting Is National News Throughout Mozambique

The global gathering of United Methodist bishops is big news throughout Mozambique .

Television, radio and newspaper reporters from the national news corps covered the opening of the council’s meeting at the national civil center. Stories from the meeting were on the evening newscasts.

Thursday’s main Maputo newspaper featured a quarter-page sized photo of Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, president of the Council of Bishops, greeting Armando Emilio Guebuza, president of Mozambique during Wednesday’s opening worship service. The headline said “Poverty Not Divine Punishment.”


Children Add Spice to Council Presence in Mozambique

The sounds of young people are vibrating off the walls of hallways and eating areas as the Council fills the Avineda Hotel during this week’s meeting.

A number of active and retired bishops took advantage of the opportunity to visit Africa by bringing children, grandchildren, and a niece to the meeting. Retired Bishop Herbert Skeete and his wife, Shirley, brought two of their grandchildren. Bishop Ann Sherer brought her grandson. Bishop Thomas Bickerton and his wife, Sally, brought two of their sons, and Bishop Minerva Carcano brought her niece.

The young people are participating in worship and spouse and family events. While missing school back in the United States , they are completing homework assignments, and doing special work. At least one is writing a daily journal to take back to school.

Special Report: United Methodist Council of Bishops

Vol. 1 Number 1 Nov. 1, 2006


United Methodist Bishops Gather in Mozambique for First
Meeting Outside U.S.

Individually and in groups, United Methodist bishops from
around the world arrived over the past few days for the
first full Council of Bishops’ meeting to be held outside
United States’ territory. The meeting begins today.


With a delegation of 170, including bishops, general
secretaries, spouses, and staff, the Council has filled the
Hotel Avenida in downtown Maputo.
Bishops and spouses exchanged warm greetings and hugs
throughout the luncheon and dinner hours Tuesday as they
filled the dining room.
Some bishops received a special greeting as they arrived at
Maputo’s international airport on the outskirts of the
city. Local United Methodists surrounded them with song
after they were processed by Mozambique customs officials.
Tuesday, Oct. 31 was a warm and humid day with the
temperature above the 90 degree Fahrenheit mark. More of
the same is expected for the rest of the week, local
forecasters said. Maputo is located on the Indian Ocean on
Africa’s east coast.


Bishops Meet with President of Mozambique;
Share Focus on Eliminating Poverty in African Nation

United Methodist bishops from around the globe met with
Mozambique president Armando Emilio Guebuza in
his office on Tuesday, Oct. 31.


The 11-member delegation spent more than a half-hour with
the president in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, the day
before their semiannual meeting is due to begin.


Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Houston, president of the
Council, told the Mozambique leader the church has a deep
commitment to his country and to Africa. She introduced
each of the bishops to Guebuza. Most of the bishops’
conferences have a direct ministry connection with
Mozambique.
Host Bishop Joao Somane Machado, who has had a long,
cordial relationship with the president, said the visit is
significant in Mozambique.


“The president was happy to know the United Methodist
Church is linking with United Methodists here, and we are
linked to the broader church,” Machado said. “We bring
strength to Mozambique. The bishops’ coming here sends a
strong message.”


Machado said the president told the group his government’s
priorities fit with the church’s priorities.
“The government works closely, in partnership with churches
to tackle poverty,” Machado said.
The Presbyterian president was elected in a peaceful
election two years ago, Machado said. “We changed
governments and not a shot was fired. It is something to be
truly proud of.”
The meeting took place in the president’s reception room, a
bright, airy space inside the presidential compound in
downtown Maputo. Dressed in a bright blue suit with red
tie, and wearing his trademark red AIDS pin, Guebuzza
warmly greeted each of the bishop, gripping some of the
bishops’ hand with both of his.


The bishops’ visit came on a significant day for
Mozambique. Later Tuesday, the president was to preside
over a ceremony finalizing the transfer of the huge Cahora
Bassa hydroelectric dam on the Zambezi river from Portugal
to the Mozambique government. The dam produces electricity
for Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. After 470 years
of colonial Portuguese rule, Mozambique gained its
independence in 1975.
In addition to Huie and Machado, other bishops in the
delegation included: Gregory Vaughn Palmer of Des Moines,
Iowa; Peter D. Weaver, or Boston; John G. Innis of Libera,
Jose Quipungo of Angola; Roy I. Sano of Washington, D.C.;
Solito Toquero of the Philippines; Ann B. Sherer of
Columbia, Mo.; Violet Fisher of Syracuse, N.Y., and A.
Fritz Mutti of Kansas City, Mo.


Mozambique President to Open Bishops’ Meeting in Maputo


Today’s opening worship will have a definite presidential
flavor to it as Mozambique President Armando Emilio Guebuza
is expected to attend and offer greetings to nearly 80
bishops from around the globe.


The worship service will be held at a civic center in
Maputo, Mozambique’s capital.


Mozambique Fact Check
 Land area: 302,737 sq mi (784,089 sq km); total
area: 309,496 sq mi (801,590 sq km)
 Population (2006 est.): 19,686,505; life
expectancy: 39.8; density per sq mi: 65
 Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Maputo,
1,691,000
 Languages: Portuguese 9% (official; second
language of 27%), Emakhuwa 26%, Xichangana 11%, Elomwe 8%,
Cisena 7%, Echuwabo 6%, other Mozambican languages 32%
(1997)
 Ethnicity/race: indigenous tribal groups 99.66%
(Shangaan, Chokwe, Manyika, Sena, Makua, and others),
Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%
 Literacy rate: 48% (2003 est.)
 Economic summary: Gross Domestic Production (2005
est.): $25.66 billion; per capita $1,300. Natural
resources: coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower,
tantalum, graphite. Exports: aluminum, prawns, cashews,
cotton, sugar, citrus, timber; bulk electricity.
 Major trading partners: Netherlands, South Africa,
Malawi, Portugal.(press release from UMCOM)