Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor
1. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:
Letters to the Editor:
- Dear Dr. Sydnor III,
Greetings in the Joy of the Lord Jesus, the Christ.
The article in the Christian Recorder Online by John Thomas III, which is entitled, “The Challenge: Conquering Babel; Language Translation in the AME Church,” is my point of reference. I am excited by what John Thomas III articulates in the article with only four pregnant paragraphs and thank you for allowing this medium to be of such a value.
Indeed, this is a challenge that the AME Church has to face and deal with. Perhaps, it is not so much the challenge we face in the great meetings of the Church as it is a challenge that we face at the local church, up to the Annual Conference. Very little documentation is accessible to the ordinary member of the Church because all documents of the Church, except in some cases the books of worship, are only available in English.
Be it the constitution of the Missionary Society or the Book of Discipline, only a few is privy to them. They are not a widely available to be accessed by the ordinary members of the Church not just because they have to be transported to the USA and the price to have them is exorbitant but also because of the language problem. In some cases, even those who do have these documents do not read them with clarity and understanding. The consequence of this being, only people a few are familiar with the issues and many ignorant. That may indicate that power rests with the few who can manipulate situations to their favour because they alone are aware.
I will find ways to raise this issue at the next Global Development Council meeting taking place on April 26 – 28, 2005, in Harare. In fact, this afternoon, our Episcopal Committee of the Annual Conferences’ Representatives is seating and I will bring the information to the attention of the colleagues for a discussion.
I trust that the Chief Information Officer of the Church will take the challenge presented by John, “a study would need to be done to determine to determine which languages would serve the most people.” In fact, this is what he could collective do with the GDC.
I thank you God for you and your ministry of information dispensation. Express my gratitude to John Thomas III.
Kind regards.
Rev. Teboho G. Klaas
Acting Director: HIV/AIDS Programme
(Executive Assistant to General Secretary)
South African Council of Churches
9th Floor, Khotso House
62 Marshall House, Johannesburg 2001
Tel: +27 11 241 7811/2/6
Fax: +27 11 838 4818 or +27 11 492 4818
Mobile: +27 82 412 2960
Email: tgk@sacc.org.za
- Editor Sydnor,
I am the Rev. Latisha Stewart Smith.
I am the person who translated the "Spanish Leaflet" printed by the AMEC Publishing house three years ago for distribution in the Dominican Republic at the request of Bishop DeVeaux. It was one of the most rewarding ventures I have undertaken, and I understand it was quite helpful for the AME's in that country.
Like you, I hope that we AMEs begin to research the issues, seek the resources, and apply wisdom toward strengthening the connection with our brothers and sisters who speak foreign languages. I pray that we will see this vision, soon.
In His service,
Rev. Latisha Stewart SmithFounding PastorCastaic ChurchA New Ministry in the AME Church
- Editor Sydnor
I had never realized the seriousness of the "Babel-problem." Now I'm wondering how the A.M.E. Church has survived for so many years in so many foreign countries. There must be some strong attraction to our brothers and sisters there that keeps them in the number. It's quite alarming that they don't have the most important of church materials at their disposal in a language that they can understand. Thanks for providing this food for thought. I hope this matter won't get "thought to death", but acted on quickly in order to solve a problem of great import.
Jeanette T. Johns
2. THE THEOLOGY OF “MAKING ENDS MEET”:
By George R. La Sure, D.Min.
From the inception of the African Methodist Episcopal Church there has always been the necessity to struggle and scrape up enough to pay the expenses associated with the operation of the church and, paying the AMEC budgetary assessment. The love of GOD and the recognized need to have a church has driven families and individuals in the rural and small membership church to do their level best to keep up with expenses and, to always pay their AMEC budgetary assessment on time.
From the beginning the rural and small membership church has mastered the art of “making ends meet.” Always operating from a position of not having nearly enough to fund necessary ministries and needed building improvements, it has consistently and purposefully struggled to support the denomination, first, by paying its budget and then, if anything be left over, to address needed repairs, salaries and ministries. For the rural and small membership church there is the never-ending struggle just to “make ends meet.”
Down through the years the rural and small membership church has responded, in numerous situations, to a series of emergencies caused by consistently inadequate planning on the part of the local church to envision and provide for the necessary on-going needs of the church. There has been far too often the case that the rural and small membership church has had to react to the pressing need to address a particular problem that has been known for a very long time. When an immediate financial need or emergency arises, the rural and small membership church must react and make some provision to meet the problem at hand.
In the midst of reacting to emergency financial needs, the rural and small membership church is always under a great deal of pressure and stress just to make ends meet. In most instances the rural and small membership church does not experience much growth in the number of members or in the total amount of giving. In too many instances, the national economic condition and the continuing out-sourcing of jobs have negatively impacted the financial condition of the church. Many members of the rural and small membership church are not at the highest end of the financial ladder and, many do not have the financial wherewithal to give much more than they presently contribute.
The rural and small membership church has been particularly innovative down through the years in fostering programs and ministries that have allowed it to remain financially solvent. But, there is an identifiable end to its financial solvency. There is an identifiable limit as to how much it can continue to pay out while being able to carry out necessary ministries, salaries, bills, services, etc. The AMEC budgetary requirement continues to increase, even in the face of a diminishing financial base.
Folk in the rural and small membership church are crying out for an opportunity to establish …
(Read the complete article in The Christian Recorder. You may call 800-648 8724 and make your payment using your credit card. Or, you may send $26.00 check or money order for a one-year subscription to: The Christian Recorder, 512 8th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37203-4181)
3. AFRICA UNIVERSITY APPOINTS FOUR NEW DEANS:
Apr. 15, 2005
NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.
By Andra Stevens*
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) -The board of directors of United Methodist-related Africa University has made school history by appointing women as two of its four new academic deans.
All four appointees came from within the university, and naming female deans is a first for the 13-year-old institution. The directors, meeting April 5-7, appointed deans for the faculties of agriculture and natural resources; humanities and social sciences; management and administration; and theology.
"These appointments have come at an important juncture in the life of this institution," said Rukudzo Murapa, the university's vice chancellor. "Africa University is an acknowledged leader in higher education on the continent. We want to stay in the forefront with relevant programs and a cutting-edge approach to service delivery.
"The board has expressed its confidence in these individuals as key actors in ensuring the success of strategic new initiatives to enhance Africa University's effectiveness and the sustainability of its operations."
Thokozile Chitepo and the Rev. Beauty Maenzanise have been appointed deans of the faculty of humanities and social sciences and the faculty of theology, respectively. Both women are Zimbabweans. Also named as deans were Fanuel Tagwira, agriculture and natural resources, and Jean-Gilbert Ilunga, management and administration.
Chitepo is interested in using research to drive solutions and knowledge of social issues in Africa. She joined the staff in 2004 as acting dean of the faculty of humanities and social sciences and was confirmed by the board of directors, effective April 7. She has more than 15 years of experience in the development sector, working with local, regional and international organizations. Before joining the university, she was program director responsible for the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's southern Africa Program. She holds a bachelor's degree in education (science) from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, and earned both her master's degree and a doctorate in educational psychology from McGill University in Montreal.
Maenzanise returned to Zimbabwe last July to join the faculty of theology at Africa University. She is the first African woman to hold a doctorate in liturgical studies, earned at the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at United Methodist-related Drew University in Madison, N.J. In 1998, she was identified as a promising scholar/leader and supported by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry with a United Methodist Women of Color Scholarship. She holds advanced degrees from Drew University.
"Speaking as a businesswoman and as an African, I think this is absolutely great," said Grace Muradzikwa, chief executive officer of Nicoz Diamond Insurance Zimbabwe and member of the university's board of directors.
"Increasingly, we are seeing African women challenging for positions of leadership and performing extremely well in these positions. The appointment of two female deans puts Africa University in the vanguard of institutions of higher learning and confirms it as a very progressive institution."
Tagwira had served as acting dean of the faculty of agriculture and natural resources since 2004. A soil scientist, he joined Africa University as a senior lecturer in 1992. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology from the National University of Lesotho, a master's degree in soil chemistry from the University of Reading in England, and a doctorate in soil chemistry and fertility from the University of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with Michigan State University.
In addition to his academic responsibilities, Tagwira has served Africa University in numerous capacities, including leading financial aid and computer services committees. His work on new crops, aimed at improving the incomes and nutrition of smallholder farmers, is groundbreaking. The university named him "Researcher of the Year" in 2002. He is widely published and sought after internationally as a speaker and facilitator. He succeeds founding dean Athanasius Mphuru, promoted to deputy vice chancellor.
Ilunga, a Congolese-American, served as acting dean of faculty of management and administration for eight months before being named to his post. An economist, he took over leadership of the business faculty in July. He joined the university's faculty in 1996 and has been a contributor to program and outreach activities. He aims to position the business school better to help African nations struggling with issues of privatization, productivity and efficiency.
"My faculty is set for very big things," Ilunga said. "The priorities outlined in its strategic plan include more action research and the creation of an African center for productivity and efficiency management."
Ilunga, who holds both a master's of arts degree and a doctorate degree in economics from Southern Illinois University, hopes to focus faculty research on the economic performance of African parastatals - state corporations.
United Methodist-related Africa University is in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The university opened in March 1992 and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and diplomas in a range of disciplines, including agriculture and natural resources, education, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, management and administration, peace, leadership and governance and theology. It has more than 1,200 students from 20 African countries.
*Stevens is director of information and public affairs at Africa University.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org .
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
Editor’s comment: The Christian Recorder has a partnership with the United Methodist Communications in which we will share news with each other.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
