TANZANIA TRIP DAY 4
Today, we worshipped at the 9 a.m. Swahili language at Christ Church Cathedral in Arusha. The service was two-and-a-half hours long but vibrant and fun. We loved their contemporary praise band and music composed of 20 singers, guitars bass, and drums. The singers swayed and so did we. Our 18-member delegation wants Christ Church do something similar. Our hope is to offer a contemporary service after we get a third full-time priest on staff.
I preached at both the Swahili and the English-speaking services. The latter last nearly two hours. That’s a lot of worship, especially after struggling to sleep the night before.
I began my sermon in Swahili (thank God for Google translate and four months practicing Swahili on Duolingo). The rest of my sermon was in English and translated by Fr. Clement – a super jovial, affable, and warm priest who did a masterful job of translating.
The highlight of the morning came as the first church service ended. Christ Church chorister Page Setterberg wanted to give something back to the congregation. She stood up and sang part of “Grace Grace.” She was spectacular. It was a great testimony to our Chorister Program at Christ Church and Jamie and Jonny’s ministry.
In between lunch and dinner, we had three hours to nap, read books, or lie by the pool. Afterwards, I met for 45 minutes with Bishop Stanley. He was elected Bishop when he was 40 years old. In the ensuing 11 years, he has planted 476 new churches! Some worship under a tree. Others have raised $10,000 to build a church building.
He has 138 clergy. Only a few can earn enough to support a family. Others farm to support themselves while serving the church. Some oversee as many as 11 churches.
Among the biggest issues facing the Diocese of Mt. Kilimanjaro are water scarcity and famine. Some walk six to eight hours to find water. The cost of digging a borehole ranges from $18,000-$86,000. Famine is also a problem. Some will starve to death. Climate change is affecting rain patterns and where crops can and cannot be planted, and it is no longer predictable.
Bishop Stanley is an impressive leader. The Diocese is rapidly growing. They are fortunate to have him. He attributes the growth to vision and leadership and to preaching the gospel. We see some issues differently (such as homosexuality, which most Africans oppose), but we share a similar church growth outlook.
With love and prayers from the backseat of a Land Cruiser in Tanzania,
Marek