by Rev Melinda, National Director of SOMA Australia
I’ve just returned from three weeks in East Africa and Kenya – and my mind is still swirling in an attempt to process all that I experienced.
So, … Let’s start at the beginning. This mission report is the formal one. That is, I’ll try to explain what we did and the impact of what occurred. In part 2 of the mission report, I’ll add my personal reflections.
Life changing experiences are never easy to put into words, and this is even more the case when the experiences involve journeying through the intrepid terrain of the spiritual climate of East Africa.
Why was Tanzania chosen to be the missionfield?
SOMA has a long history of working with the Anglican Church in Tanzania. The East African Revival that broke out in Rwanda in the 1930s, impacted the growth of the Anglican Church in Tanzania and Kenya in the 1940s to the 1970s.
However, when SOMA attended the 2023 Lambeth Conference, a number of Bishops from East Africa were keen for SOMA to return to their Dioceses to re-dig the ancient wells of the Spirit, as over time they had become clogged.
Eight bishops in total expressed interest in having a SOMA team come to teach on the person and work of the Holy Spirit to their clergy.
The six Bishops of Central Tanganyika, Tanzania were: Bishop Given Gaula, of the Diocese of Kondoa, Bishop Dickson Chilongari of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Bishop Raphael Haule from Ruvuma, Bishop Joseph Mgomi from Ruaha, Bishop Luziet Kingamoko of Mpwapwa, and Bishop John Luppa from Rift Valley.
The structure of the mission designed by SOMA was a ‘train the trainer’ model, or more specifically, ‘teach the teacher’.
Each Bishop was asked to bring their best teachers to learn core teaching on eight topics: Holiness, Forgiveness, the Person of the Holy Spirit, Being filled with the Spirit, the Nine Spiritual gifts, the Healing Ministry, the Spirit Realm, Prophecy and Deliverance. This initial training seminar was held in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.
Although this initial seminar was scheduled for 30th and 31st May, the communication was muddled and the deanery representatives arrived a day early, thrusting the entire SOMA team into action.
Each of the topics were allocated to different team members and I was assigned the topic of holiness.
As the first seminar progressed, all participants grew in receptivity and eagerness to learn and apply each of the topics heightened. Upon conclusion of this initial seminar, the SOMA team was broken up into teams, with each team commissioned to travel back to the Bishop’s home diocese, with their newly trained clergy to conduct further seminars with representatives from all deaneries.
I was allocated to accompany Bishop John Lupaa from the Diocese of Rift Valley, and was accompanied by Rev Lilian, the wife of Bishop Given from the Diocese of Kondoa. In Africa, Bishop’s wives are called ‘Mama Bishop’. Also on our team was Rev Samuel Sudhe from Kenya.
Our first seminar in the Diocese of Rift Valley was held in a village called Itigi. Members from five regional deaneries attended, bringing the total number of participants to around 150.
The Anglican Diocese of Rift was formed in 1991, being carved from the Diocese of Central Tanganyika. The Diocese has 12 deaneries, 52 parishes and 268 congregations. The Diocese also has a hospital and a College of Allied Health Sciences and a guest house.
As team leader, I allocated certain topics to each team member and I was responsible to run the activation sessions and answer any questions that arose.
As we progressed through the activation sessions of being filled with the Spirit, moving in prophecy, praying for the sick and ministering in deliverance, we heard testimony after testimony of visions, words of knowledge and freedom from demonic oppression. Given the African’s heightened awareness of the presence of witchcraft and sorcery in their villages, the ministry of deliverance was especially relevant to them. We gave adequate time to answering questions and demonstrating how freedom may be obtained in an Anglican way that is pastorally sensitive. Such guidance was important as without it, clergy often resort to copying the Pentecostal methods so prevalent on YouTube.
After attending the Sunday service, we shook hands with more than 300 parishioners and received beautiful gifts (some material and a bag of peanuts). Then, we set off to Manyoni to run the same seminar for the representatives from next seven deaneries.
Having gained momentum at Itigi, the team began with confidence the seminar at Manyoni, a larger town which is where the Cathedral and Diocese offices and guest house are located.
On one of the stone walls of the Cathedral hung a banner exemplifying the power of cross-cultural ministry that occurs within the Diocese. As I was taking a photo of the banner, Bishop John Luppa seized the opportunity to bring the message to life!
Once again, our time in Manyoni was hugely fruitful, with many sharing words of prophecy, many experiencing healings, and some spoke of receiving freedom from demonic-rooted illnesses.
Canon Joseph, who regularly teaches on deliverance in the diocese, gave me a tour of the village in which we were staying, pointing out evidence of witchcraft and sorcery, especially where Islam was present.
As we travelled from one town to the next, I noticed many small mosques had been strategically built alongside the main road. It was not until we dined at the local restaurant, that I noticed the bottled water we were drinking was owned by an Islamic organisation – bringing a steady stream of income to finance more tiny mosques along the main roads.
As the team returned to Dodoma for a final debrief dinner at Bishop Given’s home, we all shared the wonderful stories of Jesus’ healing power, and freedom of those who were previously held captive. Many stories were captured on video and can be watched on the SOMA website. It was wonderful to see each team member glow with the knowledge that lasting relationships had been formed. All Bishops were offering invitations to return. Having experienced the power of the Spirit we all returned home radically different people, than when we first arrived.
Are you interested in experiencing a SOMA mission?
Our God is living and active and has given His Spirit with whom to empower our life and ministry.
If you are interested in coming on a SOMA mission, either within Australia or abroad, please enquire to Rev Melinda at contact@somaau.org.
Do you want to learn more about living in the Spirit?
The core teaching topics included in the SOMA seminar are not only relevant for Africa. RevMel is in the process of preparing the teaching notes for SOMA’s upcoming mission in Kenya.
If you want to learn more about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit and would like to host a “Living in the Spirit” seminar in your parish, please do not hesitate to contact Rev Melinda.
Nairobi, Kenya: CALL2ALL Strategic Summit
At the conclusion of the SOMA Mission, most of the team members went home. However, Rev Henry Blair (of North Ireland) and I jumped on a plane and headed to Nairobi Kenya. Why? We had both registered to attend the International CALL2ALL Evangelistic Strategic Summit the following week.
It was an exciting atmosphere to sit in a room with over 380 Africans to learn how to strategically plan to reach the next generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The worship was vibrant, lively with all participants dancing, waving their arms and singing in both English and Swahili. There were more than 50 different denominations and para-church organisations represented in the room.
The cross-cultural leadership team had worked for months, with representatives from the US and Kenya to compile a program designed to assist every disciple of Christ to transform the world in the seven spheres of society: Family, Government, Economics, Celebration, Education, Media and Religion.
Dozens of free digital and offline resources were shared, most of which were relevant and useful not only in the Africa context but also globally.
All resources were designed to assist every disciple of Jesus to identify five people with whom to share the good news of Jesus using the B.L.E.S.S. strategy. (The strategy was so simple for any disciple of Christ, I knew we could easily implement here at Southlakes).
What became apparent is that the CALL2ALL summit brings together leaders from a plethora of Christian denominations, with the aim of learning how to “finish the task” of fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission.
The strategy combines a number of global mission partners, including YWAM, Dare2Share, Pray4all, and many other mission organisations.
Being in such an atmosphere, where Christians from so many different denominations were united in their desire to reach the world for Jesus, was both refreshing and inspiring. By the time the conference was over, my head was spinning with an overload of information. However, the long journey home gave me time to reflect and prioritise, allowing me to consider how we can streamline our ministries in my own parish at Southlakes, Morisset to ensure we are all fulling the purpose for which Christ called us: to make disciples who will become disciple makers.