Going to the People: Journey through the 20thEpiscopal District
From January until March, Bishop Ronnie E. Brailsford, Sr. travelled through the 20th Episcopal District visiting churches in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. These are edited updates from Bishop Brailsford that were posted on his Facebook page. For more information on how you can help the 20thEpiscopal District, visit their website at www.amec20.com.
Going to the people: We were blessed to visit three more churches today, bringing the total to 126 churches visited so far. Many have been in challenging rural areas and remote places. However, these three were in the city of Beira. They were Vashti McKenzie AME Church, Richard Allen AME Church, and St. Joseph AME Church. Everyone was very nice and welcoming! I thank God for my predecessors and the work of ministry they have done. At St. Paul, Beira, I had a great time fellowshipping with some of the pastors in Beira, Mozambique, before leaving. It was good dialogue. I must thank P. E. Jose Bussane, P. E. Andre’ Massumane, and the Rev. Santos Bussane for a wonderful job of planning and hosting during my time here.
Going to the schools: We visited Mpindo Primary School in Zimbabwe today. This was the 16thAMEC school visited so far. It is one of 29 AMEC schools that the 20thEpiscopal District has helped with school supplies. Thanks to the support of friends and partners in the USA! The headmaster and teachers are doing a great job. They ranked 10thof 83 schools in the district last year. I want to thank the reconstituted SWZ Annual Conference Board of Education for the wonderful job they are doing in helping our AMEC-sponsored and owned schools. Two of the AMEC’s imprints and legacies are spirituality and education. Let us pray for and support our children. The lives we help to transform today will help to transform the world tomorrow!
Going to the people: This was a priceless and extremely blessed moment in my life and ministry. I am told this mother of the church is 114 years old. That is not a typo. Yes, I inquired of the caretaker, presiding elder, and others several times. They assured me she was born in 1903 and that would make her 114 years old! I was visiting AME churches in the mountains of Mponda and Nyanga today in Zimbabwe near Mutare. Presiding Elder Machiwenyika got a call that this lady wanted to see the bishop as he was coming down the mountains. Of course, I stopped. What an honor and blessing to be in the presence of a 114-year-old person. She is Mother Janet Munyuku. She thanked the bishop for coming to see her but I thanked her for blessing me with her presence. She recognized the Rev. Israel Chimuse as “her son” from the area.
Going to the people: This was our last stop of the day at Tombo AME Church. We had to leave the car and walk nearly a mile to get there due to bad roads. However, the people were so excited to see us. They had waited for hours. They are meeting in a thatch hut but have laid the foundation to build a church. This was the 154thchurch I have visited in 19 months in the 20thEpiscopal District (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and part of Mozambique). It is such a joy going to the people and witnessing their love and appreciation. They are proud to be Christian AMEs!!!
Palm Sunday celebration at McAllister Temple AME Church in Karonga, Malawi. This is the largest church building and largest congregation in the 20thEpiscopal District. This church was built by Bishop Julius McAllister, Sr. Under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Aubrey Simtowe, a hard-working brother, they took in 362 new members, including 258 conversions, this past conference year. This is one example of what can happen in Africa with some help from our brothers and sisters in the United States of America. They had 350 in Sunday School this past Sunday. This report was given by a faithful member, Brother Stain Simfukwe, who is also president of the Malawi North Annual Conference Lay Organization. To God be the glory!
