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Written by Jewel Showalter
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Wednesday, 10 September 2008 19:00 |
SHIRATI, Tanzania – While Americans grouse about high fuel prices at the pump, a band of Tanzanian church leaders are quietly pedaling their way from church to church, village to village – on bikes, thanks to assistance from Eastern Mennonite Missions.
 Verle Rufenacht, an EMM missionary who teaches in the nursing school at Shirati Hospital in Tanzania, said that with the price of gas well over $8 a gallon and a shortage of vehicles, the recent gift of seven new bikes for evangelists and church leaders was quite welcome.
“New bikes are readily available here for less than $100,” Rufenacht said, “Biking is a practical, popular way of getting around – a method church leaders have used for years. In fact in some of the regions where they work, there are no roads for larger vehicles, but a person on a bike can easily navigate the ever-present foot paths.”
Recently when the North Mara diocese of the Tanzania Mennonite Church (Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania, KMT) received funds from EMM that were designated for evangelism, they decided to purchase bicycles for their pastors and evangelists.
Bishop John Nyagwegwe presided over a special bike dedication service at the church office on August 12. After the assembled group sang a hymn, “Jesus Lover of my Soul,” Nyagwegwe admonished the leaders who were receiving the new bikes to, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock…” from Acts 20:28-32. Then Rufenacht, on behalf of EMM, presented the bikes to the leaders.
Rufenacht explained that one of the bikes went to Pastor Simion Zabulon, who is nearing retirement age. The churches that he oversees are located 14 miles from his home. There is no public transportation to some of the locations, so the bike is a welcome asset to ministry.
The Tanzania Mennonite Church has grown to over 60,000 members since the first EMM missionaries arrived 74 years ago. |
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