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Brass For Africa

Congo Support Network update 14 July 2007

Future of Brass For Africa

In case you have not yet heard…

In March the Brass For Africa committee was closed due to lack of personnel to continue to run the organisation.

The good news is that BFA will remain as a mission arm of SWAC (Springwood & Winmalee Anglican Churches), but without the Committee to administer it or run events.

SWAC has adopted Archdeacon Ise-somo as a link missionary and will support him by prayer and financially. Roseville Anglican Church also supports Bishop Masimango's ministry. Donations for their ministries can be directed through either church.

[More information]

We will maintain the BFA website and Congo Support Network emails to provide information to enable you to pray and support Christian ministry in Congo.

News from Isesomo

From: Muhindo Isesomo
Sent: Wednesday, 27 June 2007
To: Graham Crew
Subject: Thank you

To pastor Graham Crew and all members at Springwood Anglican church.

Dear brothers and sisters, it was a big pleasure for me to receive greetings from you on two large papers brought by our lovely sister Rowena Bragg whom i met in Tanzania last week.

When i saw the names, signatures and the messages of encouragement from different people, i was very glad and very encouraged spiritualy. Brothers and sisters i tell the truth that the spiritual and financial supports from you, are giving me a new energy for the work of the proclamation of the gospel.

Next month i will go in Aru diocese to train 30 parish evangelists in how to do the mission work.

In august i will go to Kindu diocese to do the same work, in september we will have our 3rd Langham Preaching seminar at Kinshasa for 50 people from different dioceses and in october i will go in the new area of Bandundu to evangelise and train new evangelists and catechists.So ,please continue to pray for me.

Pastor Isesomo
National coordinator for mission and evangelism in DR Congo

Prayer points from Isesomo:

  1. Reinforcing of spiritual capacities for pastors through seminars and networks.
  2. To provide for the means of transport by getting a bicycle to each pastor (we have 479 pastors).
  3. To think about the retirement of pastors by giving 5O iron sheets to each pastor.
  4. Pray for the education of pastors' children especially at the university level because pastors do not have means to get academic fees for them.

News from Rev Stephane Makata

Rev Stephane Makata from the diocese of Katanga has outlined the diocesan five year Plan of Evangelism (2007-2011). Katanga is in east D.R Congo, bordering Lake Tanganyika.

They plan to:

  1. Plant churches
    1. To organize mobile schools of evangelism wherever new churches are started
    2. To mobilize Christians to evangelism through seminars concerning different methods to use in the targeted areas
    3. Training of lay people on spiritual and numerical growth of local churches
    4. Training seminars on church growth for pastors, evangelists, catechists and church elders
    5. Open-air evangelism where new churches are being started
    6. Training groups as evangelists and soul winners
  2. Evangelise Pygmies
    1. integrating the pygmies into society by
      1. Education of children
      2. Adult literacy
      3. starting carpentry and masonry workshops
    2. organizing mobile schools of evangelism
    3. training pygmy pastors, evangelists and catechists
  3. Resolve Conflicts in north Katanga by
    1. Organizing seminars on peace and reconciliation
    2. Informing Christians about Moslem expansion
  4. Translate the Common Prayer book into local languages
  5. Distribute Bibles in north Katanga and lastly
  6. Provide 42 pastors, evangelists and catechists with a bicycle.
Pastor Makata calls on us to share with Congolese Christians through prayer and enter into this mission promise for his diocese:

MISSION PROMISE

Believing that God has redeemed you, what do you promise to do towards the task of bringing the Gospel to the people of Katanga in line with Jesus' commission “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”