UEM Officers Visit Karagwe Diocese
Rev. Dr. Claudia Wahrisch Oblau is working in the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) which has the head offices in Wuppertal, Germany. She is a head of Evangelism Desk in UEM, and she is responsible for all UEM church members in Europe, Asia and Africa.In her way to Karagwe Dr Claudia spent a week in Bukoba, in the North-Western Diocese of ELCT where she was leading the UEM Africa Workshop on Evangelism since 9th to 16th January, 2010.
This workshop aimed at:-
- Networking and mutual exchange between participants
- Analysis of the main challenges for evangelism in our perspective contexts
- Exchange and leaving from best practice models in evangelism
- Encouragement to contextual evangelism and
- Joint theological reflection on evangelism
The total number of participants in that workshop were 24 including Rev.Claudia and Mr. Polisi Kivava from UEM Regional Office Dar Es Salaam (Africa).
Before ending the workshop all participants shared their experiences on the common challenges in Evangelism and from that sharing they proposed three joint projects to be implemented in UEM Church members this year, as follows:
1. How to respond to the challenges of the Pentecostal movements
How to deal with witchcrafts and spirit beliefs (Re evangelisation of the Church).
2. Role of different categories of Church workers in Evangelism
The role of women and youth in Evangelism
3. Child Evangelism
After the workshop, Rev. Dr. Claudia and Mr. Polisi Kivava together with the participants from Karagwe Rev.Oscar Samwel and Rev. Elieth Kiiza, travelled to Karagwe where the visit program were arranged as follows:-
On 16th Rev. Dr. Claudia had the meeting with the ELCT Karagwe Diocese’s Management team. Opening the meeting, acting Dean Rev. Emmanuel Ngambeki Officially said the word of prayer. The ELCT Karagwe Diocese General Secretary gets time to introduce the Management members before schedule leader, Rev. Anicet Maganya inviting Mr. Polisi Kivava to introduce himself as well as Dr. Claudia.
Then, the acting Dean said a word of welcome and officially greetings on behalf of the Bishop Dr. Benson Bagonza who was in Arusha for official activities.
In his speech Rev. Ngambeki appreciated the work which is being done by the department for Mission and Evangelism in the ELCT Karagwe Diocese (KAD) with the good collaboration with UEM’s Evangelism Desk.
DISCUSSION AND SHARING
The ELCT Karagwe Diocese General Secretary Mr. Erasto Kamihanda leads this session and he said it is a good time for Dr. Claudia who is a head of Evangelism desk in UEM, to visit our Diocese at this time when we are in preparations to cerebrate the Jubilee of one hundred years (100) of Christianity in Buhaya and Karagwe area. Then, he asked other participants to share with the guests their experiences on the work of Evangelism and other activities in the ELCT KAD.
1.Planning and Development Department: The head of the department Mr. Sam Kayongo explained about the project and he said the current program which is going on is SACCOS.
2.Youth Department: Mr. Melckisedeck Iromba is the head of the department and he said that from UEM, Youth Programs has been supported especially on small projects like goats keeping and Music Cassettes shop. Then he said they are waiting for the promise from UEM to fund the program of Educating the youth on Reproductive health.
3. Mission and Evangelism: The former secretary of this department Rev. Anicet Maganya shared his experience on the work which has been going on by the support of UEM. He mentioned some activities like, PA System which is used during open air preaching, Support on open air preaching programs, Evangelists and Pastors seminars, Strengthening Sermon Delivery Workshops for Evangelists, In service program for evangelists, Website establishment, Iron sheets support for roofing the constructed Church buildings (but now it is the 3rd year without receiving those funds).He also said we are receiving funds for Pastors trainings in different professions.
4. Diakonia Department: Being the head of the department, Sr. Petronia Kaihura described on some activities done by this department by mentioning some of them like, Children support, Community development among others.
Before ending this session, the General Secretary reminded that also UEM we are looking forward to establish Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at ELCT Nyakahanga Hospital. He made it clear that everything is well prepared and we are waiting for the program to take off soon in February 2010.
After that session, it was now the time for the guests to say a word of greetings. At this session Dr. Claudia used this time to say about her work in Evangelism desk where she clarified that in the year 2008 the UEM General Assembly focused on some issues including
- Internal and external Evangelism
- Spiritual life of Churches
- Equipping Evangelists and other Church members
- Working together in Evangelism “Joint Programs”
Dr. Claudia also expressed her joy while visiting the ELCT Karagwe Diocese as one of the UEM Church members. She said it was good times for her to see physically the activities which are going on in the sense of Evangelism.
Then, Mr. Polisi said a word of greetings. He gave his thanks to all departments of the ELCT Karagwe Diocese for the good collaborations during preparations and implementations of different projects supported by UEM. In the evening the guests visited Nyakahanga Designated District Hospital of the ELCT.
On 17th UEM guests had a chance to visit Nkwenda Bible School where she attended the Sunday Service accompanied by the acting Dean Rev. Emmanuel Ngambeki, Mission and Evangelism Secretary Rev.Oscar Samwel.
Apart from normal Sunday Service there were certificates giving ceremonies for the In-service Evangelists who was at Nkwenda Bible School for two weeks training.
In the Sunday Service the time was given to Dr. Claudia to give some greetings. In her greetings Dr. Claudia read a word from Isa 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news...” Dr. Claudia said this work of Evangelism is a very important work because it is the one which informs people about the true love of God. She insisted “God loves you”.