‘I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ (Matthew 25:35)

We are delighted to receive an update from the Diocese of Toliara in Madagascar, where the great suffering caused in recent months by drought and famine has led both to an outpouring of generosity from Christians in other places, and to a marked increase in church growth.

The latest newsletter from the Friends of Toliara reports:

“The second stage of the food distribution has now taken place in the deep south of the Diocese, where the worst of the famine is occurring. 800 sacks of rice and 192 sacks of beans were given out in Amboasary, and Fort Dauphin received 100 sacks of rice and 25 sacks of beans. So, 900 vulnerable families received enough food for 30 days. Mr Ialy (Economic Development Coordinator), Rev Donné (Dean of the District) and Deacon Gaston (from the Parish of Amboasary) oversaw the distributions.

“The rice and beans are given to everyone, no matter what their religion. People in these villages are turning to follow Jesus. Gaston reports that the churches in Amboasary Parish are now packed – an “explosion of people”, he said, “with no more room to fit in people. People are being baptized because they are being touched by the love of God and asking, ‘What religion is this that cares? We want to join you’ “.

“The local people have noticed also that we gave everything we had to give. In other cases, soldiers (appointed by the government) kept almost 2/3 of the goods they had to distribute. People are touched by the Diocese’s integrity and trust. So we may think we’re just giving money, we may think we’re only giving foods, but through this, people are being saved eternally by God’s grace.

Discipling new believers with Rooted in Jesus in Ambovombe

“There are many groups of people from the forest who come each Sunday to worship together at the church in Ambovombe, walking in some cases 6 miles to get there.  They are learning about Jesus for the first time.  Seven villages have asked if a church could be planted there, but because of the lack of workers, Dean Donné and Rev Gaston decided they should worship first with the Church in Ambovombe for two months to learn more about Jesus. Gaston’s wife, Oliviah, is leading three Rooted in Jesus groups. Gaston is teaching new catechists and evangelizing. The student catechists are teaching the people about baptism.

“The need is still great however, and the rural exodus has not stopped, with some people walking to Fort Dauphin on foot (around 60 miles). Please pray for rain to fall so that rivers will be filled, the underground water table will rise, and crops will grow, but not so much rain at any one time that it causes damage.  

Rooted in Jesus in Mahabo parish

Meanwhile Sue Babbs, who has recently returned from a nine month assignment in Toliara, reports that the Chapel of Saint Andrew in Mahabo has now completed the Rooted in Jesus discipleship training. They have achieved this just two years after Derek Waller and Revd Florent Lahitody, working alongside parish priest Victor Osoro, trained the first Rooted in Jesus group leaders at Mahabo. The photo shows the group receiving their certificates.

‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ John 13.34-35

Looking back

Rooted in Jesus was translated into Malagasy and introduced to the Diocese of Toliara in 2011, with Rooted in Jesus Junior following in 2017. Back in 2011, the Diocese was yet to be formally inaugurated: it had just three priests, a tiny cathedral built of sticks and thatch, and a handful of churches scattered across a huge area. Now there are over 108 churches in ten parishes, supported by a well resourced central hub and an innovative programme of outreach and training. In a country where 80% of people are yet to hear the gospel, it’s encouraging to read of the huge strides still being made despite the very real difficulties of living in an island subject to an increasing scourge of famine and cyclones.

The diocese is currently led by Assistant Bishop Samitiana Razafindralambo, who has taken over from Bishop Todd and Revd Patsy McGregor following their return to the United States.

You can find out more about the ministry of the Diocese of Toliara by visiting their website here.

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust. The Rooted in Jesus website can be found here.

Have you ever, by any chance, received a startling and unexpected announcement, perhaps one which changed your plans for Christmas??? Here in England we are all thinking again about the next few days – for, they tell us, something bigger than family, more far-reaching than mid-winter feasts, is happening among us: the coronavirus is once again expanding its reach, our hopsitals are full, and we must stay at home.

It may occur to us that this is not the first time ordinary people have sat down and listened to news they didn’t expect to hear. What would it be like, to be looking after your animals in the hills, to be welcoming people to your inn, to be gazing at the night sky – and suddenly to discover that something so momentous was going on that it would change everything? That was the experience of the shepherds in the biblical story, the publicans in the towns, the wise men observing a new star. Perhaps it’s not so hard for us to imagine after all, as we too are forced to change our plans. Perhaps this is a time to pray that we will be able to enter more deeply into the story which we remember at this time of year, to trust more profoundly in whatever future awaits us, and to give thanks for the coming of Jesus into our lives.

But however tough things may be, we are not alone. Bad news paves the way for good news – and that is, after all, what Christmas is all about. Perhaps we will be able to see the ‘Christmas star’ due to brighten our skies for the first time in hundreds of years as Jupiter and Saturn line up this week, and perhaps we will remember that once, a star just like it led the wise to Jesus.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

All of us at the Mathetes Trust wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas.

Posted 23rd December 2020

As we keep in touch with the Rooted in Jesus family, we have both encouraging and difficult news to share. We are very grateful for those who have sent us their news and prayer needs. Here is a summary to bring you up to date:

Creative solutions to difficult situations

Ven Hectorina Tsotetsi is the Rooted in Jesus coordinator for the Diocese of the Free State, South Africa, and a member of the national training team. She reports: “After the President of South Africa announced that the public gatherings of churches are allowed to operate, I decided to start RinJ small groups in the villages where people do not have access to the internet. As we are aware that not all of people are on social media, it seems like the church leadership has abandoned them. So far I have started new 4 adult RinJ small groups. Three RinJ small groups are operating physically and one is operating online. We make a point of observing covid-19 guidelines. We wear masks every time we are gathering, we sanitize our hands for 20 seconds and we practice social distancing all the time. On Monday and Friday we worship on the mountain because on the mountain there is enough open space for us to make a circle. People are happy because they did not understand prayer at home. We are doing it practically. People are growing spiritually. Even in this difficult time of pandemic of coronavirus they have hope and faith in God. Most of them testified that they did not understand the meaning of eternal life but they understood. They thought that they would have eternal life after death.”

A socially distant Rooted in Jesus groups meets in the Diocese of the Free State

Brian Keel, working with local Pentecostal networks in Kenya, tells how leaders there are responding to the local needs created by the coronavirus pandemic: “Having not been in their churches for some six months, they have been transitioning to smaller groupings in outdoor locations, and this has attracted people who had not been attending church. This has led to additional RinJ courses being facilitated. The news of this has reached the local government, who have asked the network of churches we work with in the Kisumu area to go to villages where they do not have a presence. RinJ and RinJ Junior were put to use, and people have been coming to faith. This course of response has now spread to the coast where there is a greater density of Muslims, but the churches are being asked to go into villages in order to run programmes for children and youth. A blessing is that many of the pastors are school teachers, so are not in school therefore are utilising their time in these outreach programmes.”

And Revd Alfred Mugisa, Mission Coordinator in the Diocese of South Rwenzori, Uganda, writes: “We thank you for the ministry you have supported within the Rooted in Jesus programme since 2008. The diocese by then had about 300 Churches and because of the Rooted in Jesus programme the Churches have increased nearly to 500. We had 51 parishes and now we have 79. We are grateful to God to God for the expansion of the Churches. In our last report we had 137 groups of Rooted in Jesus, 57 adult groups, 60 junior groups and number of children was 1220 who are reciting Bible verses and can be able to preach. Among these group members, most of them are leading prayer fellowships in families during this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Looking to the future

However, across Africa the situation remains extremely challenging – not simply due to the number of cases of Covid19, which remain relatively low (for the current statistics in each country click here) – but because of the impact of the measures taken to prevent its spread. Those countries already suffering from political unrest, poverty and violence are the ones where the impact is likely to be particularly high, pushing many communities over the edge of resilience.

In Madagascar, there have to date been 15,000 cases and 200 deaths. The country is on full lockdown, with no social gatherings and no transportation, but even so the five main hospitals in the capital can no longer cope with the influx of people. Revd Pez Raobison reports from Antananarivo that it is a difficult time, as people struggle with poverty, famine, and illness; he fears that the long term effects of the virus will be devastating – even without a pandemic, the six Dioceses of Madagascar struggle structurally with poverty, illness, vulnerability, unemployment, and famine. Many people cannot afford soap, and have no ready access to water, Pez says; few can afford a stock of essential supplies, and most struggle to raise an income to buy food. If the virus continues to spread, the situation will become increasingly difficult.

The Women’s Centre, Diocese of Toliara, where over 22,000 face masks have now been made by local women

At the same time, we learn that people have not been slow to take advantage of the new opportunities which present themselves even in times such as these. Further south in the Diocese of Toliara, the women’s centre within the cathedral compound has been not only making masks but training others to do so too, with 22,000 sewn so far! And the clergy are embracing new technology, as Bishop Todd McGregor reports:

History was made today in the Diocese! We had our first zoom call with our clergy. This was a real victory and the clergy were so excited to see each other, to meet together and to pray even if via Zoom. Our meeting lasted 2 hours. They have all agreed to do this each month. I can’t believe how excited everyone was to see each other. It was truly a Christ like moment. Good is coming even out of this coronavirus pandemic! It is wonderful that Zoom is enabling clergy, who live and work so far apart, to meet with each other for prayer, support, encouragement and future planning. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8: 28 )

In South Sudan, Bishop Moses Zungo writes to share the joys and trials of the Diocese of Maridi. He reports that life is returning to normal, that churches have now reopened (following heath guidelines), and that a week of witness is being held. But there are still many dangers:

“Despite the fact that people are returning to normal life in Maridi, still the communities are seen to be in danger as many people are not keeping the guidelines for Covid-19. Access to information in the rural areas is limited due to inadequate resources to reach them and the remoteness of the tropical areas. Most of our people are uneducated; they have no access to local media and live by their traditional and cultural aspects. There is a high level of ignorance and unbelief about the truth of the Coronavirus. People in the rural areas go on shaking hands and have not maintained social distancing.”

Bishop Moses draws our attention to the other factors which make daily life so difficult, and asks for our prayer:

Risk of famine : The conflict in South Sudan has damaged the country’s economy, contributing to soaring inflation, as a consequence, food prices continue to rise and many families in South Sudan go hungry.

Unsuccessful peace process : Despite a peace agreement, the population of South Sudan has yet to see an end of fighting. Conflict has resulted in a sharp rise in the number of people fleeing their homes and basic infrastructure such as health and education facilities have been destroyed.

Conflict is threatening civilian lives : Tens of thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan as a direct result of the current conflict and millions have been forced to flee. Civilians are the main victims of the fighting, looting and ambushes.

Meanwhile a different but equally traumatic situation prevails in northern Uganda. Revd John Onyao of the Diocese of Karamoja had recently returned from the village of Lopei expressing his joy to see that the church he planted there with the help of Rooted in Jesus has continued to grow even during his absence, with 110 families coming together to welcome John and Bishop Abura. But just a few weeks later, John writes of a resurgence of violence in the region:

The world is broken. Our situation in Karamoja is saddening every day. Last week in Lopei warriors killed 4 people, the following Sunday the locust invaded the villages and destroyed sorghum, sunflower and other crops, leaving the villages in tears. Last Saturday the warriors raided again, taking over 500 herds of cattle; about 300 were rescued, the rest the warriors managed to escape with. Last night in a place called Kangole the warriors shot 2 people of which one died and one has been rushed to hospital. We have been having peace but now things are changing.

And yet even in the midst of this John is able to share that “though we are going through this hard time and places of worship are still closed, the congregation that I am pastoring are meeting and sharing the word of God every time they meet. Testimonies are shared and they pray together. The numbers are being added and for the past 3 weeks I have been meeting with them and share with them the Joy of salvation. This Sunday will going to be with them it will be good time to to hear from them, smile and pray with them.”

Praying for our needs

We have included all these things in our regular programme of prayer, and long for the time when we may again come together to share our faith, comfort one another in our pain, thank God for the good things which are coming out of a bad situation, and pray together for our physical, mental and spiritual needs as we move into an uncertain future. In the meantime we remember that we can turn to God for comfort and help in the darkest of situations:

Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon those who fear him, 
on those who wait in hope for his steadfast love,
To deliver their soul from death 
and to feed them in time of famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
from Psalm 33

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust, working with partners throughout the continent. In South Africa Rooted in Jesus is supported by Growing the Church, and in Tanzania by the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro. To find out more visit the Rooted in Jesus website; or follow us on Facebook.

Posted 14th September 2020.

The Diocese of Toliara is the youngest and southernmost Anglican diocese in Madagascar. Led by Bishop Todd and Revd Patsy McGregor, it has a threefold focus on evangelism, education and economic development. Our connection with the diocese dates back to 2011, when Bishop Todd first invited us to provide training for Rooted in Jesus. We went back in 2013, and again in 2017 in order to train Sunday School teachers to use Rooted in Jesus Junior.

The Diocese of Toliara is linked with the Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli (US), whose rector Revd Richard Morgan joined the Rooted in Jesus team in 2013. Last week Good Samaritan’s live-stream service included a video interview with Bishop Todd, who provided an update on the three-fold ministry of the diocese, shared some of the hardship caused by the coronavirus measures, and asked for our continued prayers.

Making disciples with Rooted in Jesus

When it comes to sharing the gospel, Madagascar offers unique challenges and opportunities. Revd Victor Osoro explained in a recent newsletter how the diocese sets about the ministry of evangelism:

The culture of Madagascar, especially in the rural southern area where the Diocese of Toliara is situated, is quite different from that in the UK, Europe, and the US. Many Malagasy are hearing of Jesus for the very first time when we go out to the small villages to evangelize. While Christianity was introduced to this island nation in the early 1800s, there have also been times when the practice of Christianity was banned. Today, we see a great many people who have never heard of Jesus. They more often practice their Malagasy traditional religion, led by a shaman and a medicine man. So we must start from a very different place. We start from the very basics of the Christian faith and the story of Jesus.

Victor continued with a story which has repeated itself in many places:

One day when we were evangelizing, we came to a village to share the gospel with the village elder. He surrendered his life to Jesus – but he did not stop there. He called all the villagers and shared what the Lord had done in his heart. Everyone present, knowing the past life of the man and hearing what the Lord had done in his life, they too surrendered their lives to the new-found faith. They committed to begin a new walk with Christ. Many of them gave up their trust in the medicine man and put their trust in the Lord. We had to burn all types of charms created by the medicine man for various purposes that they had in their homes! They are now growing as disciples of Christ.

In the interview, Bishop Todd tells Fr Ben that this focus on evangelism has seen the diocese grow from just 11 churches to 110. “We don’t have any problems in growing the church,” he explains; “it’s just in terms of having people growing themselves, and that’s what Rooted in Jesus offers.” There are currently some 200 Rooted in Jesus groups meeting in the various parishes, supported by CMS missionary Derek Waller, and the growth has been exciting.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic

At the moment, of course, the ministry of the diocese has been affected by the current pandemic and the measures taken to contain it – not just for those still waiting to hear the gospel, but also, Bishop Todd says, for the clergy, who depend upon the weekly offerings at church to support their families. Most churches have now been closed for two months, which is causing considerable hardship.

Bishop Todd and Revd Patsy have written more about the impact of Covid-19 on the life of the diocese in their recent newsletter, which you can read here. Please do join us in praying for them, for those who minister alongside them, and for the people they serve.

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust. To find out more visit the Rooted in Jesus website.

Posted 27th May 2020 by the Mathetes Trust.

Rooted in Jesus has now been introduced to eight Anglican dioceses and two denominational networks in Kenya. In recent months training conferences have been held in the Diocese of Butere, the Diocese of Kitale, and the Diocese of Kericho.

The Diocese of Kitale

The Diocese of Kitale lies in north-west Kenya. Created in 1997, it now has 71 parishes and 4 missionary areas, served by 93 clergy. The mission of the diocese is to promote God’s kingdom through teaching, discipling and serving for wholistic transformation, and when Emmanuel Chemengich was appointed its second bishop in 2018 one of his first actions was to request a training conference for Rooted in Jesus.

In September 2019 the Diocesan Synod formally endorsed the partnership with Rooted in Jesus, and at the end of January 137 clergy and lay readers came to St Luke’s cathedral for a four day residential training conference. The conference was led by a team from the US, UK and Kenya, and 126 people were commissioned to start groups.

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Team Leader Richard Morgan writes:

There were many points during various times of worship, prayer and ministry where the Spirit’s presence was very tangible. Participants commented on how this had been a spiritual experience for them and not simply informational. Bishop Emmanuel was a great example to his people. After introducing us, he said ‘Now I’m going to sit down as a student’, took his seat, and faithfully attended every single session of the conference. He was the first to receive a certificate of completion and has already identified some of the people he will invite to the Rooted in Jesus group that he will lead. We pray that the Spirit would continue to deepen these faithful ministers in their relationship with Christ and empower them for ministry in this Diocese.

The Diocese of Butere

One of the team members in Kitale was Revd Capt Benjamin Kibara, who is the Rooted in Jesus Coordinator for the Diocese of Butere. Butere adopted Rooted in Jesus in 2017, and at the end of 2019 they hosted their first Rooted in Jesus Junior conference. 89 Sunday School teachers responded enthusiastically to the training, with much time spent in prayer. An additional conference was held to encourage the existing leaders of the adult groups and train a new generation of leaders, and this was attended by a further 140 people. Team leader Ben Beecroft believes that Butere now has the potential to become a flagship diocese for Rooted in Jesus.

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All this was borne out by Benjamin Kibara in Kitale, where he shared his experience of Rooted in Jesus in a report which those present described as ‘electrifying.’ Benjamin has sent through an annual report which shows that there are now 712 adult and Junior Rooted in Jesus groups spread across the diocese, with new groups being formed by those who have completed the course. ‘Many group members are gradually understanding how to make disciples,’ he says.

Diocese of Kericho

Earlier this month a team from Trinity church, Cheltenham travelled to Narok to lead a Rooted in Jesus conference for the clergy and lay leaders of the diocese. Team leader Tim Grew reports:

Based at St Luke’s in Narok, the Diocesan senior team were delighted that very nearly their entire clergy team were present, each bringing a key lay leader with them, so we were just under 60 delegates in total. Bishop Ernest and his senior staff were present throughout. The level of engagement was high for the duration. All sessions were positive; feedback was excellent. All in all, I’d say that God answered our specific prayers, including being anointed for the responsibility of facilitating the conference, and seeing a high level of enthusiasm and acceptance of the RinJ vision, approach and material.

We had some lovely testimony from folk – one key MU leader saying she’d had a total breakthrough in her sense of being loved deeply by the Father; some healings, including a man’s back that had given him fairly constant pain since a car accident in 2007. He waited 24 hours before sharing, just to be sure! Another man who had been praying and hoping to learn and grow more in the gifts of the Spirit, just delighted as we taught/shared/practised in this area. Praise Jesus.

To find out more about Rooted in Jesus in Kenya visit our website page here.
Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust.

Posted 3rd March 2020.

2019 has been an encouraging year. Conferences have been held by us and our partners in 8 countries, bringing the total number of people now trained to lead groups to just under 16,000. Translation of the books into the appropriate local languages is an ongoing task, and this year we have produced booklets in a further 5 languages. In the course of the year we have received reports from nearly 40 dioceses, and we have a growing number of invitations for next year.

The full report can be downloaded HERE, and we have reported on some of the year’s work in our regular blog posts. To catch up on the highlights and share in some more recent news, read on!

The Diocese of the Rift Valley, Tanzania

The Diocese of the Rift Valley (left) became the first diocese to hold two Rooted in Jesus
conferences in a single year. The first was held in February and the second in November, both led by Jacob Robert. Coordinator George Mbago reported that groups had started in every parish, with 40 doing particularly well, most of which have now moved on to the second book. Groups are led by pastors, catechists and Mothers Union members; others are being formed following the second conference. Perhaps the most striking testimony came from Bishop John Lupaa, who had himself led a group for just four people in a small rural church with a dilapidated building and very few members. Having taken those four through the first book, he encouraged them to start groups of their own. Just under a year on, that church has 84 members and a new building!

The Diocese of Mpwapwa

Dustan Mtoro has served as Rooted in Jesus Coordinator in Mpwapwa for 8 years. He reports that there are nearly 300 groups in the diocese, some using the adult programme, some using Rooted in Jesus Junior; many have completed the course, and in everyparish both church commitment and every member participation have risen dramatically. Last year an ambitious fund raising campaign for a new building organised through the RinJ groups raised the sum required within three months.

Dustan has now retired, and his successor Anderson Madimilo adds that “For us it is a success everywhere; it has raised the giving, it has established the faith in our Christians. The number of Christians has grown, because we no longer lose people to other churches as we used to. Because the groups pray together, many people have had their problems solved, their lives changed.”

Rooted in Jesus spreads across Southern Africa

In South Africa Rooted in Jesus is supported by Growing the Church and coordinated by Estelle Adams. In 2019 training was offered in the Dioceses of Lesotho, Natal, Free State and Johannesburg. One year in, Bishop Dintoe Letloenyane of the Diocese of the Free State shared his thoughts about Rooted in Jesus with Bishop Martin Breytenbach:

“I must say we are very excited about this ministry, Rooted in Jesus, which is all to do with making disciples for Christ in his church. In the bishop’s office I lead a Rooted in Jesus group for the staff. We can see that Rooted in Jesus is helping a lot of people to come to the Lord, to know who they are, to develop their faith, and it’s also helping their families, because whenever there is trouble or challenges at home, people know that Christ is there to help them. We have a priest who has really taken the local church by storm through Rooted in Jesus. We have seen how people have given their commitment and their life to the Lord – men who never really thought that they could give their services, they have come to work in the church. We have seen women with spades and forks doing gardening and making vegetable gardens for themselves and to feed the people around them. But it’s really about bringing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, who feeds us, who quenches our thirst, who heals us, who has given the promise that he will walk with us each and every step of our lives. And so we are very excited about Rooted in Jesus.”

In September Estelle reflected: “I can’t contain myself when I see how amazingly this Discipleship tool is working in the dioceses, but also in the lives of individuals.”

Supporting ministry in difficult situations

Many of the countries which have adopted Rooted in Jesus enjoy peace
and stability, if not always prosperity. For others, the situation is more demanding. It is our particular privilege to support those who minister in these challenging situations.

Diocese of Kadugli, South Sudan

In October a Rooted in Jesus conference was held in Kadugli at the invitation of Bishop Hassan, led by a team from the linked Diocese of Salisbury, UK. The churches in Kadugli have undergone a very difficult time due to the political conflict which has dominated the country. A Roman Catholic priest explained that the wars had drawn Christians of all denominations closer. He also said the people were traumatised by war and were much strengthened that Christians had come from England to encourage them. We posted a full report in an earlier post.

Diocese of Katanga, DR Congo

Rooted in Jesus was introduced to the Diocese of Katanga in 2014, and in March we reported how Bishop Elisha Tendwa used it as the basis for ministry in the missionary Diocese of Kalemie. In July we were glad to be able to send some Bibles for the new groups in one of the refugee camps, and in December we received the following report from Coordinator Stephane Makata:

“The RinJ teachings have helped all the parishes in the Diocese; many testimonies have been seen and confirmed among the believers. Through these teachings God will help the church to have the good way to follow and how to remain faithful to Him. The RinJ teachings have helped us reach many goals. The group members and leaders are growing in number, churches are planted (especially in the camp of displaced people). These teachings are helping the believers to take hold of the word of God. RinJ leaders and members have participated in the processes of conflict resolution and peace making; this does not mean only to teach people the word of God but also to teach them how to love their neighbours, forgive them and build peace.”

Diocese of Toliara, Madagascar

The Diocese of Toliara covers a huge, undeveloped area in southern Madagascar, and suffers regularly from drought, violent cyclones and famine. They have been using Rooted in Jesus since 2011, and the programme is now overseen by CMS missionary Derek Waller. During 2019 Derek and his team have provided ongoing training in each of the 10 parishes of the diocese, with people walking long distances both to attend and to lead their groups. Derek reports that in Ankilifaly a group has completed all 4 books, and 6 of the members are now leading groups of their own. Progress is inevitably slow, but people are growing and new churches being planted.

Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique

Another diocese affected by both material and educational poverty is Niassa, in
Mozambique, where Rooted in Jesus has been in use since 2006, when it contributed to a period of great renewal and growth. Relaunched with a new generation of leaders in 2018, it is now supported by coordinator Anold Gezan, who has been conducting day seminars to support the new leaders across the diocese. Next year Bishop Vicente plans
to introduce Rooted in Jesus Junior for the first time. He reflects on the importance of discipleship:

“Our diocese is growing numerically, but how are we growing spiritually? The mandate Jesus gave was to go and make disciples. When Rooted in Jesus was implemented last year it really made an impact. You can see that from the clergy, even in the communities, because we have established small groups and people’s lives have been changed. When you see that, it’s a great joy to you as a servant of Jesus”.

Diocese of Kondoa, Tanzania

The Diocese of Kondoa in Tanzania is located in an area where 90% of the population are Muslim, which brings huge challenges for the church. The diocese is growing steadily under the leadership of Bishop Given Gaula, and in November held its first Rooted in Jesus conference. Bishop Given hopes that Rooted in Jesus will help the Christians, many of whom have had little formal education, to grow in faith, as well as providing them with a tool they can use to reach out to their communities.

News from Kenya

In October the Diocese of Butere held its third set of Rooted in Jesus conferences. 140 existing and new leaders attended during the first week, and 89 Sunday School teachers came together for the second. Team leader Ben Beecroft reports that the Sunday School teachers (below) responded with great enthusiasm and really threw themselves into all elements of the conference. Both conferences were marked by strong engagement with the sessions and a spiritual hunger to grow. Adult groups are running all over the diocese now, and Ben observes that Butere has the potential to become a flagship diocese for RinJ & Junior in Kenya, with many leaders who could help with RinJ teams elsewhere.

News from Uganda

We first went to Uganda back in 2012. Since then Rooted in Jesus has been adopted by 9 dioceses, of which the most recent is the Diocese of East Ruwenzori. A team from the UK, Burundi and Tanzania visited in May. 171 people attended the conference, with all 7 archdeaconries and 42 parishes represented. Participants included the clergy, Mothers Union leaders, parish Mission Coordinators, Lay Readers and Fathers Union leaders. We posted a full report here.

Other dioceses to report recently include the Diocese of Soroti , where Coordinator Pascal Odele writes that there are now 107 active groups across the diocese – a great achievement during a period of episcopal interregnum. In the Diocese of Karamoja John Onyao reports that he is using Rooted in Jesus to plant a church in his new parish. And in the Diocese of Mityana coordinators John Musaasizi and Jethro Ssebulime have continued to visit parishes to provide teaching and support:

“Jethro and I are very thankful to the Lord Jesus for enabling us to get to Binikira last Sunday. We wanted to find out whether Mark the Rooted in Jesus trainer is still maintaining the same pace of discipleship multiplication. We enjoyed participating in the reality of our expectation. The trained groups that attended church worship yesterday morning made it crystal clear that they had applied all what they learned in their daily life experience, including forming discipleship groups at their local settings. They also gained respect in the communities where they live. Much was testified. They memorized required Scripture and hid verses in their hearts. We tested them by giving them opportunities to recite what they had hidden in their hearts. They not only recited, but they also explained the application of verses in their daily lives. We thanked Mark for being an outstanding discipleship trainer in the entire Diocese of Mityana.”

News from Burundi

Elisha Academy is the Rooted in Jesus Coordinator in the Diocese of Muyinga. He reports:

“The Diocese began when they had almost 25 parishes. But now after using Rooted in Jesus, more than 5 parishes have been inaugurated. This is a result of the Rooted in Jesus mission. This place is a good place for doing this ministry because many people need to hear about Jesus.”

We were delighted that Elisha was able to join the team to East Ruwenzori in May.

We were also pleased to support Peter Kay, who this year ran a follow-up conference for the RinJ leaders in the FECABu network of churches in Bujumbura. Peter reports that some 400 people are currently meeting in 25 groups.

The work of Dignity in Zambia

It has been a privilege over the last 10 years to share Rooted in Jesus with Dignity, a UK charity which plants small community groups in rural areas – initially in Zambia, but increasingly in neighbouring countries. Jo Kimball reports that here are now 763 Life Groups involving over 15,000 people; the groups use Rooted in Jesus alongside Dignity’s material which focuses on ministry to the community:

“We are thankful for the role Rooted in Jesus has played in helping many Life Group members draw close to Jesus. Charles has only been attending Life Groups for 3 months and can already see a change in himself. ‘There are a lot of changes in me since I joined a Life Group. I feel like I have been set free because many of the things I never understood, now I understand them!’”

You can read more of Dignity’s remarkable story on their website.

Conference testimonies

It is always a huge privilege to be a small part of people’s lives, and to hear their testimonies. In the Diocese of Koforidua, Ghana, Augustine Baafi shared his reaction to the conference with disarming honesty:

“I didn’t really want to be part of this conference. But I spoke to my grandfather. He said to me, “Augustine, I want you to be part of this programme.” So I took it with brave courage and I said I am going just to witness and not to be part of it. So I came by, and when I came here, it’s not like an institution or a church programme, but it was more or less like a family. And I’ve learned here that Jesus is not only what we read about in the Bible, but is more like a father to us, a brother, a sister or a mother to us. Jesus is real to us, and whenever we call on Jesus, he’s going to be part of our life and he’s inviting us also to be part of his family, this great and big family that he’s calling us to be with. I came here to be an observer, but I have learned that I’m part of the group, and the big family that God wants me to be part of.”

Augustine is now training for the priesthood.

Barry Blackford shares the difference prayer made to the toddler son of a conference participant in Kadugli, Sudan:

“At the start of one of the morning breaks, a young mother came for healing for her son. He was totally full of fear and refused to leave her side. Whatever she did had to be done with an extra limb attached to her leg. The lad was about 3-4 years old, the same age as my youngest grandson who is totally fearless. We prayed for the lad and cut him off from his ancestral spirits. Within an hour he wandered up to me on his own to give me a high-5 and then ran back to mum. By the time we got to lunch he was going out the front with the other children and by the end of the day he went home with some of the others whilst mum stayed at the conference. Mum had also been unwell when she came and was also healed.”

A young woman named Firoza shared her testimony with the team from Growing the Church in the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, South Africa:

“It has been seven months since I converted from Islam to Christianity. Then one of the parishioners called and asked if I would like to attend a Rooted in Jesus course. Not knowing what to expect, I agreed. “The facilitators explained the difference between a convert and a disciple of Christ. We were divided into three small groups to read and discuss scriptures in the bible. Some of the priests shared beautiful testimonies of what happened to them when the bible was first opened to them. While I was engaging, there was always someone that would share a scripture that would speak to me. We also made acquaintances with people from other parishes. I was intrigued by their enthusiasm and how they wanted to know more about the Word of God. Others shared ideas on how they where going to start small discipleship groups and work from the books received. Rooted in Jesus helped me understand more about the Christian faith, the power of prayer and how to stand firm in the faith. The material in the course has also given me so much peace of mind. It has taught me to live as Jesus did and assured me that whenever I face challenges, God will always be with me.”

Blessing in two directions : team members give thanks

We often say that those who give their time and resources to join Rooted in Jesus teams are blessed in as great a measure as those to whom they minister, and this has continued to be the case this year:

“I have never had such a big lesson in relying so entirely on God. It has been a very exciting and defining moment, and I have never been so free of doubt and so confident in him. Since coming back, this has hugely helped the way I lead in my own ministry and the way in which I approach the unknown, hand things from my control over to his, and to trust everything to him.” – Ben

“The experience has confirmed my struggle – I cannot believe that it’s possible to live an authentic Christian life in this country without a meaningful and sacrificial relationship supporting and being supported by, our brothers and sisters in poorer countries; I’m challenged to believe and trust more, and I have a different perspective on the issues and problems people face in this country” – Andrew

“I was convinced God wanted us to go, and there were indications that God intended to do something, so I had a sense of anticipation. Did he act? YOU BET! It was a real privilege to see God working in power among the participants, and to experience his blessing myself. Furthermore, I found God had additional aims, as he used our visit to encourage believers who were traumatised by 30 years of civil war. I have gained in confidence, and speak with more assurance. I have also become increasingly hungry for God and for means to serve him better.” – John

“The delegates on both conferences were so encouraging and welcoming. It was hard work, we didn’t stop from morning prayers 7am to 3:30pm, but it was so uplifting and enjoyable to be with such wonderful Christian people. I loved every minute of the conferences and prayerfully so did the delegates.” – Sarah

One day I might be able to tell you just how much Rooted in Jesus changed my life.” – Stephen

The last word?

What does it feel like to be involved with Rooted in Jesus? Mike Cotterell reflects:

“Many things happen while on Mission, some planned like the Conferences themselves but then extras, like ‘chance’ meetings that God seems to orchestrate. A conference looks like this: A Team, a group of participants and a location over four days. But another side of the reality is that there are thousands of significant moments: Person to person conversations, individuals listening and in conversation with God. Sharing of testimonies, acts of kindness, encounters with God; whole conference experiences of the presence of God. So, a Conference is a complex network of lives touching each other, with the Holy Spirit an active ingredient, like yeast in a batch of dough. God inspiring his agenda and firing his people; and this against a background of human weakness and negative spiritual interference.”

Mike is a long-standing Rooted in Jesus Team Leader, and a Trustee of the Mathetes Trust.

Finally

We are grateful to all those who have given up their time to go on teams, and to our dedicated group of intercessors who pray for each conference as it happens. We are thankful for the generosity of those who have supported Rooted in Jesus financially this year. And last and most importantly of all, we are hugely grateful to our hosts, who invite us to share in their ministry – for their trust, for their hospitality, and for the privilege of partnership in the gospel.

Remember you can download the full report here.

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Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust. If you would like to help dioceses in Africa introduce Rooted in Jesus please visit our website or click on the link below.

Posted by Alison Morgan, 20th January 2020

A Rooted in Jesus conference was held in Kadugli from 8^th to 11^th October 2019, at the invitation of Bishop Hassan, the suffragan bishop of the diocese. The team was led by Canon Andrew Evans, with Revd Barry Blackford, Christopher Fielden, Ben Jarvis, John Joy and Pete Waterman, all  from the linked deanery of Bradford in the Diocese of Salisbury.

Andrew writes:

“In recent months Sudan has undergone regime change. There is a new Prime Minister and a government shared between civilians and the military which is intended to lead to elections in three years’ time. The people of Sudan have great hopes that this will bring greater freedom, a relaxing of sanctions which are currently crippling their economy, and peace between warring parties.

A challenging context

“Kadugli is situated in South Kordofan province where the government have been fighting the rebels in the Nuba Mountains, which lie to the south of Kadugli city and towards the boundary with South Sudan. The rebels are the Nubians, a people who have been Christian for centuries. A large part of Kadugli Diocese lies in the Nuba Mountains and is currently inaccessible from the north. There has been a ceasefire for the past two years, which has resulted in a stand-off between the two sides. If you don’t arrive at Kadugli city by 5pm on any day, access will be denied! Kadugli is still very much considered to be a war zone, although we did not feel at danger at any point.

We arrived in Khartoum in the early hours of 6^th October, saw some sights in the city on that day and departed for Kadugli early on 7^th. The journey took just over ten hours by road, covering a little over 400 miles, with one puncture and a section off-road where the road had been washed away in the rains.

Bishop Hassan had managed to secure for us an invitation from the governor of South Kordofan province, who had arranged for us to be accommodated in a government hostel and to receive food provided by them. This was very generous. This positive attitude to Western visitors would have been unheard of even a few months ago, so this is evidence that things are changing for the better.

Embracing hope

“The Churches in Kadugli city have undergone a very difficult time in the war and they described all Christians as being the targets for the military under the previous regime. As such all the denominations have almost blended into one, as the churches clung together in the face of persecution. The Christians in Kadugli were amazed that six white people from England had been allowed to travel there, and they shared that it was an encouragement more than they could put into words that we had come to express our solidarity with them as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Six denominations were represented at the conference, with 75 people attending in all. The local Roman Catholic priest told us that the wars had drawn Christians of all denominations closer to each other – they had all been perceived as the target by the Islamic government. He also said the people were traumatised by war and were much strengthened that Christians had come from England to encourage them.

The RinJ teaching was enthusiastically received. The delegates readily accepted the need for discipling in the churches and were keen to start the programme. Group working was largely unfamiliar to them as a style of learning. As the conference progressed, they became more relaxed and the groups started to work well.

The picture below shows Andrew making the point, with the aid of a bicycle, that we need more than just teaching; we need training! One of the most exciting aspects of the conference was the work of the Holy Spirit, and the training was evident here. The Holy Spirit’s work over the four days of the conference was gentle, but deep and profound. They were not used to asking the Holy Spirit to come and then waiting in God’s presence, while he began to move. On the first day, some arms were folded, as if they weren’t sure this was OK but as the Holy Spirit came upon them, some people were healed without anybody asking for healing. By the end of the conference people were praying for each other with the laying on of hands and in the power of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit speaks

“There were some wonderful words of knowledge sent to us from Nicky King in the congregation of St Katharine’s Holt – one of a lady dressed in bright yellow and green with similar head covering who had a snake bite. We read this out in the conference and the lady did not seem to be there. Then Barry noticed a lady of that description come in – she had been working preparing food for the delegates. Barry asked her whether she had a snake bite. She did. She had received a bite on the ankle in the past few days. The lady was prayed for and not only received healing for the snake bite but for two other conditions as well.

There was another word – ‘I saw two men fighting. I think it represents 2 areas, 2 districts which have been opposing each other for some time like a long feud that had shown no signs of hope of ending but I saw an angel come with a sword. He separates the 2 men and then puts his sword in the ground. A river appears between them. They each go away from the edge still looking angry but the angel goes to each in turn and tears come. They now come back to the edge of the river and lean across and shake hands. Some kind of important reconciliation going on.’ Nicky had no idea of the situation in Kadugli when she gave that, but the word had a profound effect on Bishop Hassan who was sure it was from God, and there are talks about to happen between the new government and the rebels in the Nuba mountains!

Healing the traumas of the past

“There were many healings and these are just a taste of them. There was a young boy who was so full of fear that he was permanently attached to his mother’s skirt. He was healed and was gradually building up confidence before our eyes and who went home on his own with his friends for the first time ever.

Every time we invited the Holy Spirit to come, more and more people were released.  This was of particular significance for a man who responded to a word about giving ‘locked up hurts (from long ago) to God’ and that God was ready to take them and replace them with joy. As he was wailing and crying out in response it revealed the release of some very deep and unspeakable pain. The next morning the same man was singing his heart out, dancing for joy up and down the aisles – face beaming with smiles. Most surely God had released him and given him some new peace.

There was also a lot of release of pain among the women at the conference, much dating from the war years. Pete prayed for a lady having her 11th baby, who was in pain. God showed him that the baby was on its side and pressing on her internal organs. He prayed, the baby moved and the pain went completely.

Looking ahead

“The aim of the conference was for participants to go home with the confidence to form a group of 12 people to be discipled, just as Jesus did, and to start to deliver the programme which is about making disciples who in turn go and make more disciples. We had a very joyful commissioning of the delegates with lots of proud certificate holders. Each leader was given a Leader’s Introduction and Book 1 of Rooted in Jesus in Arabic, and the programme will be coordinated by Babuj Kanidi, the Diocesan Secretary.

“We started our journey back on the Saturday, making a visit to the church in Dilling on the way. We arrived back in Khartoum as it was getting dark. We had supper with Bishop Hassan’s family and caught our return flight in the early hours of Sunday morning arriving back at Heathrow at 1.30pm.”

To find out more read the report on the Salisbury diocesan website here, or at St Katharine’s Holt, here.

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust.

Posted 29th October 2019 by Alison Morgan