John Rowse – June 2022 – Update
Dear praying friends,
My trip to Africa is currently uncertain. I am trying to arrange new plans, since the pastor who was arranging things for me, Pastor Mwambola, and others, especially his bishop, have had their names muddied by the talk of slanderers with no evidence. He (and his bishop) had stood against the Archbishop overreaching his authority, and they are now paying the cost—including a freezing night with 37 others in a disgusting police cell—without charges!—and forced removal by police from his church and home, even without written dismissal.
As far as I am aware, the constitution of the Lutheran Church in Tanzania does not provide the Archbishop or other dioceses the power to intervene in such a way in the decisions of another local diocese. Neither he, nor the council of bishops, are supposed to be dictators, acting with “U-putin” (as the Swahili say). Do pray for Mwambola and his family—all their belongings were thrown out of their house, and he is back to his home village. People just bow to this sort of pressure from above, but not all. Although most of the diocese are with the Archbishop, and the newly-appointed rival bishop, many of the remainder are building their own tent churches. You may recall, we have seen this type of power-play before, both in Tanzania and Uganda. It is happening with the Brethren and Baptists appointing bishops, and even Pentecostals appointing officers with similar status, centralizing control. It is hard for us in Australia to understand a situation where so much of the population is “Christian” that controlling churches can affect control of the electorate. It also sounds strange to us that there should be any sort of working relationship between police and church leadership.
In the meantime, I will be trying to work through another church leader, to try to obtain a 90-day Residence Permit for a Volunteer Missionary Pastor.
Meanwhile, in Zambia, please be praying for Moses and Gertrude on their trip to Mansa and then to Mwansabombwe, in the far west of the northern part of Zambia, near the Congo (DRC) border.
The group in Mwansabombwe are listeners to Moses’ radio Bible studies, who spontaneously have begun meeting together and have now pleaded for him to come. They are eagerly waiting to receive him and are ready to feed them during their time with them there.
Pastor Mulofwa in Mansa who has also been following the programme on the radio is very excited too. His church has agreed to pay for his transport and accommodation from Mansa to Mwansabombwe and back.
Here is Moses’ itinerary:
1. Tuesday 21 June: arrive with my wife and spend the night in Mansa.
2. Wednesday at 2:00 pm: leave for Mwansabombwe with Pastor Mulofwa of Mansa,
At 7:00 pm: a 1-hour radio programme on Luapula Radio.
2. Thursday 23 June at 9.00 am: courtesy call on the District Commissioner and Pastors’ Fellowship Chairperson.
At 2:30 pm: meeting with radio listeners.
At 7:00 pm: another hour radio programme.
3. Friday 24 June at 7:00 pm, meeting again with radio listeners for more teachings on salvation.
2:30 pm: more face-to-face teaching of radio listeners continues,
At 7:00 pm, hour radio programme.
4. Saturday, June 25, 9.00am: meeting with radio listeners,
2:30 pm: teachings continue,
7:00 pm: an hour radio programme.
5. Sunday, 9:00 am fellowship, more teachings, questions and answers, prayers.
7. Three days off from June 27-29.
8. June 30: Gertrude and Moses travel back to Kasama,
9. July 1: We arrive back in Isoka.
10. July 27-31: trip to Mulanga mission in Ishiwangandu district.
Thank you for being with us.
John—with love from Kay
