Districts And Parishes
Ngara District
1. Introduction
Ngara District is located in the Ngara area of Kagera Region. It has three parishes, namely Ngara Mjini, Njiapanda and Lemera.
The parishes are served by the following pastors:
- Rev. Oscar Samwel – Ngara Mjini Parish and District Pastor
- Rev. Theobald Kadihila – Njiapanda Parish
- Rev. Cleopa Rwangoga – Lemera Parish
The three parishes have a total of 21 congregations, distributed as follows:
- Ngara Mjini Parish – 7 congregations
- Njiapanda Parish – 6 congregations
- Lemera Parish – 6 congregations
There are also newly identified mission areas as follows:
- Njiapanda Parish: Ngoma, Chenyemela and Kisabure
- Lemera Parish: Ruhuba, Kagaze and Munkaza
Historical Background
The mission work in the Ngara area began in 1990, when some Christians from other parts of the country who were working in Ngara started looking for Lutheran worship services. At that time, they used to worship in available churches, including Anglican, Roman Catholic and other churches.
In 1991, a group of 50 Lutheran members, served by Evangelist Emmanuel Rwotto, requested spiritual services from Karagwe Diocese. Karagwe Diocese sent an Evangelist called Marco Buchwechwe to assist with the mission work in Ngara.
The first parish was later inaugurated in Ngara as Ngara Mjini Parish, with Rev. Jackson Kanyiginya serving as the first Parish Pastor in 1992.
Two years later, another parish was inaugurated in Njiapanda to serve Christians from Rwanda and Burundi who had escaped the civil wars in their countries.
2. Vision, Mission and Objectives
Ngara District is under the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) – Karagwe Diocese (KAD). Therefore, its vision, mission and objectives are the same as those of the Diocese.
Vision
Karagwe Diocese works towards promoting a Christ-centered society that is joyful, peaceful and holistically empowered.
Mission
KAD is committed to building a strong community through preaching, advocacy and the provision of socio-economic services with integrity and love towards sustainable internal development.
Goals
KAD has set five goals that define its overall development strategy:
- Build a community with a strong and stable Christian faith through proclaiming and teaching the Word of God.
- Build a healthy and educated community by engaging in diaconal activities and providing accessible and affordable social services.
- Improve the economic status of the community through income-generating and environmental conservation activities.
- Enhance the institutional development of the Diocese.
- Enhance gender equality in the community by empowering families.
As part of KAD, the Ngara mission is committed to pursuing the above-mentioned vision, mission and goals in order to contribute to the development of the entire community within and beyond its working area.
3. Partnership
Since 1993, Ngara has had a partnership with the Deanery of Gladenbach, a Protestant Church in Hessen-Nassau.
Through this partnership, many activities have been undertaken, including support for various projects and exchange visits. The partnership is very important because it creates mutual understanding and strengthens relationships between the partners.
The partners from Gladenbach have played an important role in areas such as:
- Education
- Diaconal activities
- Church buildings
- Supporting women's groups
- Supporting youth groups
- Other community development activities
In this partnership, we acknowledge the Kayanga Agreement of 2008, whereby partners from Germany and Tanzania committed themselves to remain members of one body of Christ. Therefore, we commit ourselves to:
- Grow into a community where we worship, learn and serve together.
- Share gifts, insights and responsibilities.
- Call all people to repentance and new life.
- Bear witness to the Kingdom of God by striving for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
- Respond together to the missionary challenges of today.
4. Achievements Since 2016
The Ngara Church District has achieved the following:
- The Word of God has been preached in all congregations.
- A three-in-one staff house was constructed at Katenga Dispensary with support from our partners in Gladenbach.
- The car project for the District Pastor is at the final stages of implementation.
- Funds for purchasing new bicycles for evangelists have been made available.
- The District Office, containing a meeting room, bookshop and women's department, has been completed and is in use.
- The Ngara Church District was officially inaugurated in 2017 by Bishop Dr. Benson Bagonza during the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
- Construction of the parish office at Njiapanda Parish is in progress following the laying of the foundation stone by Bishop Dr. Ralph Jones from the North Western Pennsylvania Synod, USA, in 2018.
- A project named “JITAMBUE” is planned for implementation. It will focus on empowering the community to protect the rights of the girl child.
- A group of five young people and the District Pastor visited Germany in 2020.
- A solar power system was installed at Katenga Dispensary with support from the Gladenbach partners.
- Men's groups have been introduced in all congregations.
- The partnership with Gladenbach-Germany, UKINGA–Kigali, Nyumba ya Mungu–Mwanga Diocese, and all seven Church Districts in Karagwe Diocese is being maintained.
- Construction of church buildings and other building activities continues in the District.
5. Future Plans
The Ngara Church District plans to:
- Continue working with partners in Gladenbach in order to improve the lives of the people and the Ngara community at large.
- Identify new areas for evangelism and establish churches in those areas.
- Continue with projects that have already been started, including the completion of church buildings and other facilities.
- Ensure that every evangelist in the District receives a bicycle to assist him or her in mission work. The District plans to use local income and fundraising to achieve this goal.
- Identify new areas where support from partners is needed and discuss the way forward with them.
- Maintain and strengthen communication between the District and its partners, recognizing that communication is essential and is also one of the commitments in the Kayanga Statement.
- Ensure that reports and minutes are properly shared with partners in Gladenbach.
- Allow all church members to share their ideas and contributions through meetings from the congregation level to the District level.
- Ensure that transparency, responsibility and accountability are highly considered in all plans and activities.
6. Challenges
The Ngara Church District faces several challenges, including:
Geographical Factors
The distances between different points in the District are considerable, ranging from approximately 45 to 120 kilometres, making movement and ministry difficult.
Poverty
Poverty remains a significant challenge for many families in the District.
Lack of Knowledge about Marriage Law
Some community members have limited knowledge and understanding of marriage laws.
Nutrition and Self-Reliance
There is a lack of knowledge and skills concerning nutrition and self-reliance among communities, especially in rural areas.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism remains a challenge affecting individuals, families and communities.
Harmful Traditional Practices and Beliefs
Some traditions encourage harmful beliefs and practices, including:
- Women inheritance
- Witchcraft
- The killing of people with albinism
7. Conclusion
In God's mission, every individual is important, and we love one another as brothers and sisters. We need to maintain this spirit so that we can continue to grow together physically, mentally and spiritually.
Text: Oscar Shubira Samwel