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Celebrating Holiness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Written by: Rev. Chishibanji Célestin
We are grateful to our Lord and the leadership of our church at the Regional Office for the materials that were sent to us for the Celebrating Holiness Initiative 2012. We thank God for what He did and is continuing to do for His people in Lubumbashi, DRC for His glory.
Through the materials that were sent to us and all the churches in Africa, we started teaching and preaching. The Lord being on our side, we had some strong moments that were the culminant points of the Celebration. On June 1, we had a wonderful service under a mango tree with our brethren from Bon Samaritain Church, led by Pastor Aimee Mutombo Nawej. We collected 70,000 Congolese Francs as a contribution to help the work that is going on in building a shelter. The following Sunday, we had a great day of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We had holy communion and we bought biscuits and balloons for the children.
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We had a baptism service were 14 people were baptized into the Lord's family; 3 from Bon Samaritain Church, 4 from Les Premices, led by Chirezi Esperance and another 7 from Bridge Church, led by Rev. Celestin.
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Among these beloved new brothers and sisters who were baptized, we had Mr. Morgan, aged 50 years. He had never been to church before. Mr. Morgan never came to church before because he was the one used by his family for different devil worship rituals. He was not talking to his mother as a condition of success in everything he may be involved in. He finally discovered that he had been cheated by his family. Being married to Madame Angel, they started selling beer. In January of this year, his son was driving a motorcycle and hit the hut they were using to sell the bear, nearly destroying it. The couple regretted the broken hut, but didn't make attempts to rebuild it. Then, in a dream, Madame Angel noticed that the Lord was looking for her and calling her to serve Him. She stated attending the Church of the Nazarene in Lubumbashi and eventually convinced her husband to join her. Both are now very effective members within the church.
We continue to hold services and classes on peace from the Holy Spirit and sanctification. All the pastors are motivated to work with the local people and we will continue of this subject of Holiness revival during the rest of the year. |
| Dr. Stan Toler Mobilizes the Church in Africa for Evangelism
Written By: Dr. Filimao Chambo
Dr. Stan Toler, General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, is providing practical training on Effective Evangelism Strategies for the local church under the theme: "The Power of One."
Since October 2011, over 350 leaders have received training in the Power of One strategies. This past March, Dr. Toler trained pastors and District Superintendents in Africa Central Field, the Horn of Africa Field, and South Field. It is anticipated that those who went through the trainings returned back to their districts or local churches with renewed vision for evangelism. They have also been certified to train others and be catalysts of The Power of One in their home areas.  | |
Dr. Toler instructing leadership on The Power of One initiative.
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Dr. Stan Toler passionately challenges the church to obey Christ's command to evangelize unbelievers, disciple the believers, and multiply churches. The training sessions are enriched with stories of experience and expertise developed during his 40 years of pastoral ministry in Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, USA[1].
The vision of The Power of One initiative is to motivate believers to use their spiritual gifts in praying, witnessing, teaching and organizing events that will introduce unbelievers to Christ.
We maintain that the local church is the representation of our faith and mission, tasked to make known to all people the transforming grace of God through the forgiveness of sins and heart cleansing in Jesus Christ. Our mission first and foremost is to "make Christ-like disciples in the nations," to incorporate believers into fellowship and membership (congregations), and to equip (teach) for ministry all who respond in faith. The ultimate goal of the "community of faith" is to present everyone perfect in Christ (Colossians 1:28) at the last day (Manual of the Church of the Nazarene 2009-2013). Therefore, we strive to prioritize the resourcing of the local church by finding ways to provide and/or facilitate training that focuses on energizing and mobilizing all believers in all local churches to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission; multiplying disciples and multiplying churches. This is a priority and an integral part of the ministry of the Africa Region.
To further facilitate and foster effectiveness, the Church of the Nazarene on the Africa Region declared 2012 a year of Celebrating Holiness. The aim is to disciple the church in biblical holiness; encourage renewed emphasis on preaching, teaching and holy living. We are praying for realization of personal and corporate Wesleyan holiness revival. We believe that this should be the foundation of the growth and multiplication of the churches where disciples are making more disciples in Africa and throughout the world.
[1] Dr. Stan Toler was chosen for the highest elected office in the Church of the Nazarene at the 27th General Assembly at Orlando, Florida, USA, in July 2009, after serving for 40 years as a pastor.
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Malawi Lower Shire District Receives Aide from NTCCA for Flood Victims
Written by: Brittany Leslie
In late January and early February of this year, southern Malawi and Mozambique experienced heavy rains, resulting in widespread flooding. The death toll for these floods was over two dozen, but the aftermath goes far beyond those who died.
The flooding in the Lowershire District of Malawi occurred in the night, leaving inhabitants without much chance to grab even the smallest of belongings. According to Rev. Gershom Kwerakwera, District Superintendet for Malawi Lower Shire, "some lost their house holds." He went on to detail how extensive that actually is: food, plates, pales, blankets, cups, bedding, pots, cattle, crops, and clothes. Rev. Kwerakwera said that some people lost loved ones, others their entire  | |
Members of the three churches wearing their "new" clothes donated to them after flooding by NTCCA students and faculty.
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homes, and for many, the devastation of the floods were felt even in subtle ways, like when the congregations from Nchacha #18, Wiliki and Jongwe were called together to worship. In the Tradition Authority Osiyana area, population 2,200, these three churches represent a total of 421 members. When it was time to return to worship, there were people missing from the services. After some investigation, the problem became apparent. "The floods left [the congregations] without food or proper clothes which they could wear... to church! This now was a stumbling block for them to attend the church services and worship the Lord," said Rev. Kwerakwera.
Unbeknownst to the people of the Lowershire District, a few hundred kilometers away at Nazarene Theological College Central Africa (NTCCA) students were gathering second-hand clothing and anything that could be spared for the flood victims. The students gave and the assistance was profoundly felt by the affected congregations. "We [were able to] intervene through the assistance we got from NTCCA- the students and the faculty." Rev. Kwerakwera said the donation wasn't enough for all the congregants to be 100% but it was enough for people to cover themselves and return to church services freely. "I can see the helping hand of God... through these students and the faculty!" |
| NCM Famine Relief Helps Grandmother Alice
Written By: Phillip Anderson
Flying from Johannesburg, South Africa to Nairobi, Kenya, I always anticipate getting a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro from the airplane window. Unfortunately, there are a couple of factors that can go against this desire. One, I can be seated on the wrong side of the plane and two, the mountain can be shrouded in clouds.
On a recent trip to Kenya to video a story about famine relief, I found myself sitting on the wrong side of the airplane and the mountain shrouded in clouds. However, this actually brought a little comfort as I realized that perhaps, finally during this rainy season, the drought stricken areas of the Horn of Africa and Kenya would get some welcomed rain. As we descended into the city, I could see that everything was green and water lay in every depression and dam. My excitement over the possibility of reprieve from the drought was short lived as we drove east out of the city towards Kitui.
The dryness of the land was evident. The maize was short, stunted. Much of it was tasseled, but had no ears. The majority of the stalks were no more than half a meter tall- far shorter than they should be. A thick layer of dry, red dust covered everything within a few meters of the roads. This was a sure sign that not much, if any rainfall had occurred in the area. We soon crossed a rive that our host, Samuel Oketch, East Field Nazarene
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Dry riverbed. Our guide, Samuel, said this river should be full by this point in the rainy season.
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Compassionate Ministries (NCM) Coordinator, told us would normally be running high in this time of year, but instead, the riverbed was dry and sandy. There was a family digging holes in a low area of the riverbed in search of water as we passed. We traveled further into the countryside and the signs of drought were everywhere. Samuel said that the area had received a small amount of rain at the beginning of the season, just enough to sprout seeds and have plants start to grow, but no more had fallen for weeks and the new growth was now drying up and not producing.
I had come to the region to do a story on how the famine relief effort. Our host brought us to Kiatine and introduced me to Alice Kathitu. Alice is a grandmother who explained that there hadn't been a decent crop in the area for at least 7 years. The locals weren't able to grow enough food to feed themselves, let alone to sell. The money they would normally get for their beans or maize went to pay for school fees, clothes for children and typical household living expenses, but most importantly, the money went to pay for water. With the river dry and no rainfall, the dams in the area were empty. People were walking many kilometers to find water because there wasn't money to pay for it. Alice said she'd lost her daughter to illnesses exacerbated by famine conditions. The death of her daughter left Alice to raise her 4 orphaned grandchildren. For Alice, tragedy compounded difficulty as one day, while fetching water from a distant dam, her 9 year-old grandson drowned.
Not everything was bleak though. The local Church of the Nazarene in the Kaitine area had partnered with NCM to help bring relief to residents. Foods like beans and maize were brought and distributed. NCM and the Kiatine Church of the Nazarene drilled a well and set up tanks and a water distribution system for drinking and cooking water. Residents still had to pay for the water, but at a fraction of the traditional cost. Through the food and water distribution from the Kiatine Church and NCM, many of the residents have sufficient food and water, including Alice and her grandchildren. Life is not normal: drought, hunger and poverty still persist, but there is hope and there is relief. Through the use of the wells in the area, some crops have produced a few beans and there are maize plots that have some water. Life has not been easy and it is still not. The clouds and rain of Kilimanjaro have no graced this eastern part of Kenya, but yet, God is sovereign and working. He is providing Alice and her neighbors with water and food and most importantly, hope.
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Alice Kathitu with her three surviving grandchildren in Kiatine, Kenya.
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Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Swaziland Wins Energy Globe Award
Written By: Betty van den Berg
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries- Swaziland (NCM-SD), was the proud co-recipient of the Energy Globe Award, beating out 1,174 other projects from 115 candidate countries. In a room with 20 other guests, Simon Maphanga, the Chairmans of NCM-SD, could not hide his enthusiasm when receiving this prestigious award. This award, created by the Austrian Trade Commission, is the equivalent of an Oscar Prize for energy efficiency. Is was initiated in 1999 by Wolfgang Neumann of Austria. Through the years, the Energy Globe Foundation has been giving this award annually to present successful, sustainable projects throughout the world.
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(Left to right) NCM-SD Chairman of the Board, Simon Maphanga, NCM-SD Project Manger, Sabelo Dlamini, and NCM Regional Coordinator, Rev. Cosmos Mutowa after receiving the Energy Globe Award.
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The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has been partnering for three years with NCM-SD, constructing solar powered wells and hand pumps for bore holds under the Swaziland RAIN Project, or "Water for a Generation," as it was termed at NCM. The use of this modern technology caught the eye of the Award Grantors. Dr. Beauty Makhubela, the NCM-SD Country Coordinator observed that "the Swaziland RAIN Project delivers so much more than water. It is literally saving a generation from extinction because it has provided clean water to health clinics who can now initiate and sustain treatment for HIV/AIDS and TB, garden projects that feed HIV/AIDS support groups and orphans, and communities that now have an economic future because they have clean water."
As Regional Coordinator for NCM Africa and Executive Director of Helping Hands Africa, Rev. Cosmos Mutowa said, "We have had the privilege of working hand-in-hand with communities who have lived for years without water or with access only to dirty water, and the diseases it brings. It has been humbling to watch the changes these systems bring: students now pass because they are not spending hours each day fetching water for the school instead of learning, patients and nurses in rural communities now have access to clean water and HIV/AIDS care and treatment, people living with AIDS are able to grow their own food to improve their health and their economic status at the same time, orphans are being fed and cared," and all because of clean water.
The Water for a Generation Project represents many life-transforming initiatives that the Church of the Nazarene is carrying out in communities throughout Africa. We praise God for yet another milestone in the work in Africa!
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Celebrating Holiness Adds to Districts
Written By: Brittany Leslie
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Events like this one, in Luapula, Africa Central Field, have been held across the continent as part of the Celebrating Holiness initiative.
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Through the Celebrating Holiness Initiative, churches, zones, and districts have seen the hand of God move in extraordinary ways. "I am happy to report to you that a total of 41 new souls were added to the family in the [Copperbelt] district," exclaimed District Superintendent Rev. Yambayamba.
In the Eastern District Rev. Solomon Ndlovu, District Superintendent, reported that all 60 churches in his jurisdiction participated and prayed. They heard "moving testimonies that relationships that were broken were restored. God is moving our district in mighty and marvelous ways!"
Rev. Mwansa, the District Superintendent for Luapula/Northern District from Central Field had this to say: Our holiness celebration was such a wonderful time of spiritual renewal. I attended a Mansa High Way Zone holiness celebration, which happened at the same time as the Zone Conference. During the three-days... we had teaching on Holiness Living, Mission of the Church, and The Power of One. In the evenings we had evangelistic services which drew so many people from the surrounding areas. On Saturday afternoon, we had a baptism [service] in which 36 people were baptized. In Samfya town, churches came together to worship God and about 600 people were in attendance... We are moving on and God is blessing His work!"
 | | 36 were baptized at the Mansa High Way Zone three-day camp in which training on holiness living, mission in the church and The Power of One were taught. |
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Prayer & Praise
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-For the families of Jay and Katrina Erickson. The Erickson's, from WA, USA were killed while flying for the Chitokoloki Mission Hospital. The Ericksons have helped the Nazarene Church and now leave behind two small daughters, 3 years and 18 months. -Mario Martinez, missionary serving in Equatorial Guinea, has contracted Malaria and Typhoid Fever. -Noah Eskridge, who had surgery to replace a valve in his heart. Noah's mother, Maya, is a member of the board of LUKA, the international non-profit organization which partners with Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene and churches in Zambia in compassionate ministries and building projects. -Rev. Tim and Michelle Eby, missionaries in West Africa, were robbed. Prayers are requested for continued safety as no one was hurt. -The continuing recovery of Rev. Bessie Tsambe, pastor of the Maputo Central Church of the Nazarene in Mozambique. She was hospitalized for treatment to control diabetes. Rev. Tsambe is the mother of Regional Director, Dr. Filimao Chambo. -The family of Loretta Phillips who passed away unexpectedly. She is survived by her husband, Rev. Cyril Phillips and three children. Rev. Cyril is the pastor of Davidsonville Church of the Nazarene in South Africa and is the Roodepoort Zone Leader. -Rev. Chanshi Chanda, Field Strategy Coordinator for Africa Middle Field, was recently in a car accident. Although he is home recovering from his injuries, it will take a while for him to fully recover. -Rev. Francis Mwansa, District Superintendent from the Zambia Luapula/Northern District and Rev. Isaac R. Kalumbila, District Superintendent from the Zambia Northwest District have been suffering from malaria for over two weeks. -Rev. Changa Museya, pastor of the Chamboli Church of the Nazarene in Kitwe, Zambia had a stroke while preparing to go to church. He is at Kitwe Central Hospital but his wife has been informed that his condition is "not good." -Alex Louw, youngest daughter of Mark and Linda Louw had surgery to rep are two broken and one chipped bone in her left wrist. Mark is the Africa West Field Strategy Coordinator and Regional Coordinator for Education and Clergy Development. -Tougida Hayes, long time employee in the Finance Department at the Africa Regional Office was admitted to the hospital with acute bronchitis. |
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