Remembering a promise to the Zimbabwe church

John Byers, pastor of congregational ministries at Messiah Village BIC Church in Mechanicsburg, Pa. and a long-time leader within the denomination, was the BIC representative on an eight-member, Mennonite World Conference-sponsored delegation to Zimbabwe. The trip, which extended from August 16 - 29, fulfilled a promise made at the 2003 global assembly held in Bulawayo, that the worldwide Anabaptist community would not forget the BIC Church in Zimbabwe.

At the request of their hosts, the international team led workshops on leadership training, peacemaking, and HIV/AIDs in the church, and participated in the annual national assembly of the Zimbabwean BIC Church, August 22-26. They also carried a financial gift of $15,000 to church leaders, $5,000 of which was provided through the BIC World Hunger Fund.

Less than 24-hours after returning home, John provided the following reflections on the BIC Church in Zimbabwe.

Q: What most touched your heart during the trip?

A: It was the peoples’ dogged persistence to keep going in spite of very difficult conditions. My heart was moved to see them enjoy worshipping together in spite of the inconveniences they had to endure to do so. I did not hear one hint of “where is God.” Rather, it was “God will see us through.” The Zimbabwean church is alive and strong, even though weakened by circumstances.

Q: Was there something that particularly surprised you?

A: I was surprised by the number of people present at the national assembly and at their willingness to go without food just to be with each other. I sensed that they have a true understanding of the value of being the body of Christ. I was surprised as well that they gave to church plantings in Mozambique, even when dollars are few for personal use.

Q: What do North American churches need to understand about the situation in Zimbabwe?

A: We need to understand that the troubles in that country, unlike those caused by a natural disaster, cannot be repaired by money or even time. Although the Zimbabwe church does need our financial support, theirs is a national problem with political ramifications and time alone will not resolve the issue. As I heard from several individuals, the options for resolution of this problem range from revolution to behind-the-scenes mediation. It is a volatile situation that demands discretion on the part of the people in seeking to resolve the issue.

Another voice from Zimbabwe

Jake Shenk, BICWM regional administrator for Southern Africa, writes: "The general conference in Zimbabwe generally went very well, except for some logistical aspects. A big shock was the number of people attending. Because of the high cost of transport and shortage of fuel everyone assumed attendance would be lower than usual - perhaps 1500 people. Over 3,000 attended! This created challenges for food which intensified when the electricity supply went off - affecting cooking. Without electricity the water pumps also stopped - shutting down the restroom facilities. However, when electricity was restored, conditions were much better.

"...we in Zimbabwe are accustomed to various forms of challenges these days and most people took the situation in stride and enjoyed the conference. The theme of the conference was 'Keeping Our Faith in Times of Trouble'. The messages were inspirational and encouraging... conference business moved quite well... singing was very good and enjoyed by all... A delegation representing MWC attended to show their support for the church in Zimbabwe [which was] greatly appreciated. Another important aspect was attendance by the church planting couple of Mozambique. The blessing of the Lord was upon the conference and, in spite of the problems the people were inspired and encouraged."

Q: What can/should the North American churches do to support our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters?

A: Certainly prayer is absolutely essential. They need our prayers for strength to do daily tasks. Things that normally would take little time now require huge amounts of time. Seeking food requires going to three or four stores, and then you may not find it. Getting bread, if available, means standing in a queue for a long time. Meal preparation is interrupted by power outages. I saw many people walking 15 to 20 minutes one way to get water because the water to their homes was turned off. Travel is hard because fuel is not available to many. People walked down the middle of streets because there was so little traffic.

They also need such simple things as pens, pencils, and paper for school, plus textbooks. One BIC teacher told me he has 40 math students, but no textbooks, desks, or chairs. The students sit on the floor while he tries to teach using the chalk board. Getting these kinds of supplies is a challenge, but the church in Zimbabwe is very resourceful in find a way to access materials is funds are available.

Gifts by U.S. donors in support of Zimbabwe can be made online by credit card at www.bic-church.org or by sending a check to BIC Church Offices, 431 Grantham Road, P. O. Box A, Grantham, PA 17019-0290. Canadian donors should send checks directly to the Canadian Conference of the BIC Church, 2700 Bristol Circle, Oakville, ON L6H 6E1. Please specify “World Hunger Fund – Zimbabwe.”

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