By Rev. Albert E. Biwa, 15th Episcopal District
For ages, ministering in rural communities has represented a sacred calling. However, within the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, misconceptions about rural ministry and leadership in remote areas persist, frequently voiced by those lacking first-hand experience. Such assumptions cast doubt on their grasp of the immense sacrifices and challenges those serving rural congregations face. This illuminating discourse exposes the socio-cultural and socioeconomic obstacles confronting Christian leaders dedicated to rural ministry, specifically focusing on rural
churches within the Namibia Conference of the 15th Episcopal District of the AME Church.
The Namibia Conference encompasses five Presiding Elder (PE) Districts, with only one located in an urban setting while the remaining four span rural territories. Consequently, 17 of the 33 charges within the Namibia Conference are situated in remote rural villages. These churches find themselves in the isolated expanse known as “Nama Land” in the vast Republic of Namibia. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the issues they face, I conducted an indepth assessment of eight rural churches across Namibia’s districts, with revealing findings shared herein.
Namibia is sparsely populated, with the 2023 census tallying 3,022,401 residents. While considered an upper middle-income country, stark inequality persists, as evidenced by an alarmingly high Gini coefficient of 0.56. Furthermore, a staggering 43.3% of Namibians are classified as multidimensionally poor according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Spanning fourteen regions inhabited by diverse ethnic groups, the rural churches under examination are concentrated in the Hardap and Karas regions.
Namibia’s 2023 population and housing census data reveals an accelerating rural-to-urban migration trend driven by persistently high unemployment rates and rampant poverty in rural areas. The nationwide unemployment rate currently stands at 19.63%. In these rural locales, economic activities constituting the primary sources of income are deeply limited – with subsistence farming accounting for a mere 2% in Karas and 3% in Hardap, while Old Age Social Pensions provide 6.8% and 13.3% respectively. This grim economic backdrop has profound ramifications for the AME Church’s rural ministries.
First, the eight rural charges examined in this study are scattered across villages of varying population densities, with only two exceeding 1,000 residents. Accessibility to these isolated churches is solely via gravel roads, which become treacherous during the rainy season – posing a serious challenge. Despite their remoteness, the churches benefit from being connected to the national electricity grid.
Second, church membership averages 151-250 per charge, yet attendance is low at approximately 75 congregants per quarter. This infrequent gathering is necessitated by the daunting logistical hurdles. Demographic data reveals that most households are two-parent families, surpassed only by child-headed homes where minors astonishingly serve as the primary breadwinners. In six of the eight charges, the overwhelming majority comprises the elderly, while younger demographics dominate the remaining two. Notably, church attendees are predominantly female and elderly.
Third, the economic drivers sustaining these villages are limited to farming and, in two cases, shebeens (liquor outlets). Consequently, church members’ primary income sources are farming and/or social pensions. Drought poses a severe threat, as it directly impacts agricultural productivity. Despite government drought relief efforts, only 30-75% of church members benefit, undermining their ability to profit from farming, contribute to church budgets, and maintain a reasonable standard of living.
Fourth, the average monthly income for most charges ranges from a meager $25 to $75, with only two exceeding $103. As a result, pastors receive no monthly stipends, housing allowances, or service benefits like health insurance or pensions. The highest-paid rural pastor earns just $53 monthly, while the lowest receives a mere $13 – alarmingly below the country’s $96 minimum wage for farm workers. This dire financial situation renders charges incapable of sustaining church budgets, let alone providing for their pastors. Exacerbating the crisis, donor assistance is scarce or non-existent, with only one charge reporting a one-time $500 donation. While four charges receive aid from the Council of Churches (CCN) for soup kitchens, merely three churches maintain active social programs: two soup kitchens and one kindergarten.
Fifth, Namibia’s rural areas recognize various traditional authorities. Fortunately, charges and church leaders experience relatively low interference from these entities, except in two villages where the traditional authority wields prominent influence over the area and its cultural norms. In these cases, church leaders engage in mutually beneficial dialogue with the traditional authorities.
Sixth, the health of church members remains a pressing concern, with moderate to high rates of tuberculosis found in villages, although HIV/AIDS rates are reported as low. This has significant implications for the well-being of congregants, particularly the elderly who are especially vulnerable.
Finally, despite all eight churches having established buildings/sanctuaries, none possess parsonages or homes where serving pastors could reside or stay during visits. This compels pastors to seek accommodation with church members or convert their own homes into parsonages if they reside in the village. Compounding this challenge, the churches lack any vehicles at the pastors’ disposal, forcing many to rely on personal transport, taxis, or even hitchhiking to reach these rural areas and fulfill their pastoral duties. Furthermore, training church members remains arduous due to a scarcity of well-educated lay leaders. Only one village offers junior secondary-level education, while the remaining seven provide primary schooling, resulting in most members having only a 7th-grade education.
Based on these findings, rural ministry in the Namibia Conference is confronted with dire and varied socio-economic challenges. The AME Church must introduce a housing agenda for Christian leaders, especially those serving churches in rural places. Furthermore, the Church must introduce a robust minimum salary package sufficient to provide a dignified living for those ministering in rural areas. Moreover, cultivating dynamic partnership programs between churches in Districts 1-13 and their
counterparts in the Global Development Council (GDC) Districts is a necessity. The AME Church must fully embrace the transformative strength inherent in its connectional model and organizational structures. The path forward demands transcending a narrow focus on individual excellence. Instead, the Church must embody connectedness, expanding its reach to reinvigorate existing relationships and forge new, enduring bonds among AME members and congregations across the Global Connection.
