July prayer focus

During this month, take time to pray for the Masters of Leadership program at Mulungwishi.

The program includes visiting professors, church and secular leaders and  provides adult learning by extension.  The Masters in Leadership Program  brings needed skills to church and secular leaders in the region.

Land issue status

The Lord is so GOOD! Here is the follow up on the land issue. It is a beautiful picture of how the body of Christ is coming together to help Mulungwishi in our time of need.

The Swiss connection

First of all, Connexio (the Swiss Methodist Mission Board) responded to Bishop’s appeal by sending $40,000 immediately as a loan so that we could get the issues taken care of. We then wanted the property surveyed and staked out since there has been so much encroachment on the land. This was done and the survey included all of the mountain in our property. New markers were placed around the property. It was then on to the negotiating process with the government title company. Long story short, it was settled for $37,000. Other expenses brought the total to about $40,000. The money was paid and we hope that within a couple of weeks the new titles will be in our hands. We are so thankful for so many of you praying.

Huge loan to pay off

Now comes the time to bring our financial resources together to pay off the loan. The GBGM is looking into what they can do. A number of friends and churches have contacted us and want to help. One person has put together an article for the Eastern PA Annual Conference paper. Others are contacting friends. It will be exciting to see how the Lord is going to bring this all together.

Status of land title woes

The United Methodist News Service (UMNS) has added an article by Linda Bloom, "Congo Seminary Struggles to Renew Land Title".

The article summarizes the problem as well as the current status: While a loan from Swiss United Methodists has eased the fear of the land being taken, there is now a huge $22,000 debt.

June Prayer Focus

During June, pray for the Katanga Methodist University ... for President Dr. Kasap, faculty, staff, and students. The university, created in 2002, added Schools of Information Technology and Education to the existing Methodist Seminary.

The university provides an opportunity to train young people in a Christian setting while helping them get the skills they will need to become leaders in the new D.R. Congo.

Urgent appeal!

During the last week we were visited by an evaluation team from the Church of Christ in Congo (the equivalent of our National Council of Churches). We had contracted with them to do an evaluation and strategic planning for the University and the mission station. This evaluation was generously paid for by Connexio (the Swiss Mission Board). The most critical assessment that was found was that the titles for the land at Mulungwishi were out of date.

According to the law, the titles need to be renewed every 25 years. Nobody at the University, the mission or the Church at large knew of this regulation. The last negotiations about the land date from the late 1950s when my father was the Legal Representative for the Church to the Belgian colonial government. Since then, nothing has been done by the church with regards to the property. So we find ourselves having missed three renewals (1959, 1984 and 2009). Part of this problem is our fault for not keeping up with the property laws.

Part is due to procedures falling through the cracks with independence, secession of the province and eight different governments since independence in 1960 of which only one was settled through an election process.

Help prevent a takeover

The evaluation team told us to get working on this matter right away because churches in the capital, Kinshasa, have lost their property or have had to pay heavily in court because others have bought the property out from under them after the time had expired. This is particularly dangerous for Mulungwishi because of the minerals that people are trying to extract from our property. Already there are 15 operational pits being mined on the Mulungwishi hill by diggers (freelance prospectors). There is a real fear that a mining company will come in and purchase the land; we could loose the entire complex, have to rent our own buildings or get into a very expensive legal battle.

$45,000 cost!

Because of the urgency, Dr. Kasap, President of the University, came to Lubumbashi and has been working with the land title office of the government. Today, we were presented with the bill of some $45,000 that it would cost to have the property completely surveyed, given complete title to the land, pay back renewals and penalties. Dr. Kasap and I took this bill to Bishop Katembo. Bishop has asked me to write this letter on his behalf to all of our partners in the United States and Europe. It is imperative to get this problem resolved as quickly as possible. It is because of the urgency that he is appealing to you as partners. In the meantime, the church here is mobilizing to see what it can do. Also Church and University authorities will be trying to meet with government leaders to see if the figure can be reduced.

Centennial of Methodism in Katanga

On a personal note, we know so many of you and are so humbled by your generous giving through the years. In July, we will be celebrating the Centennial of Methodist work in this Katanga Province of Congo. Mulungwishi has been called the heart and lungs of the Church in this area. The testimony of what the Lord has done through His servants on this property is immense. I dare add my voice to that of Bishop Katembo’s request for help in this circumstance. The future of the training of the leadership of the United Methodist Church in this area would be severely hampered by the loss of the property at Mulungwishi. Would you prayerfully consider a one-time gift for Mulungwishi in terms of an offering of thanks for the Lord’s goodness to us during the last 100 years? At the same time, and most importantly, pray for the Church here as it steps into the next century of involvement in what the Lord is doing on the earth. “It is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit that the Kingdom is built,” says the Lord (my paraphrase)

How to help

Those wanting to send gifts should send them through the Advance Special Program of the United Methodist Church. It should be sent for Katanga Methodist University #14433A with the designation “Mulungwishi Property”.

May prayer focus

During May, please pray for the Women's School ... for Mama Leone, Mama Kat, the teachers, staff, and students.

 

The Doris Bartlett Women's School provides education and training for the wives of pastors plus others from the surrounding area.

• Photos from the Mama Doris Women's School 

Mulungwishi photos added

I have now completed the scans and posting of photos from the Persons. You may have noticed the changing ones in the mini slideshow in the right column. You can always click on any of those slideshow photos to get to the UMCCongo Flickr account, which has photo albums and the latest photos posted.

Flowers, food, and friendly folks make up the latest additions. Enjoy!