November/December 2015
David Kellum (retired career missionary to Burundi), Matt Macy (EFM Associate Director) and I just returned a few days ago from a trip to visit our friends in Rwanda and Burundi. We were representing EFC-MAYM, the Missions Mobilizers and EFM. One specific and primary part of our delegation was to spend time with with both yearly meetings discerning their goals and steps for developing their own missions-sending programs as well as all the possibilities related to the EFM Luke 10 movement. The beginnings of this ministry for the churches in both countries has already begun! What an exciting time for our Friends in Burundi and Rwanda what what a privilege EFC-MAYM and EFM have to partner with them as they go and we “go” with them, doing what we can to help and not be in their way!
Our first stop was Kigali, Rwanda where we spent about four days visiting with Brad and Chelsea Carpenter as well as leaders from EFC-Rwanda, including their Legal Representative and Superintendent Leadership as well as their leaders for the Discipleship for Development program. We had a great time with all of these leaders. Brad Carpenter has been a close personal friend of mine and ministry partner since we were in Junior High school together! It was great to reconnect with him in person and hopefully bring some encouragement to him and Chelsea as they faithfully serve in Rwanda along with their two small children. I was also especially encouraged by the hard work that the EFC-Rwanda leaders are doing to move their yearly meeting forward in faithfulness to the Great Commission. They are excited to fund the works that God has called them to in church planting within Rwanda and have great zeal for sending missionaries outside their borders! One of the highlights of my time in Rwanda included conversations with two of the Rwandan leaders who have felt particularly called to help develop EFC-R into a mission sending church as they explore possibilities in South Sudan and elsewhere.
We also had a great five days with leaders from EFC-Burundi (Legal Representative Domitian and Assistant Legal Representative Charles) as well as time with leadership of both Burundi Yearly Meetings, Kwibuka and Kibimba. I was extremely encouraged by everything I saw in Burundi, including the health and vitality of the church and leaders. Their churches are growing and they are faithfully planting new churches. Moreover, God has called them to go to the “ends of the earth” and cross international borders with the gospel in their next seasons of ministry! Burundi Friends have already started their first church across the border in Tanzania among refugees. I was also really encouraged by the desire for a very mutual partnership between their Yearly Meetings and EFC-MAYM.
While in Burundi we stayed a couple nights in Bujumbura but also had the chance to stay two nights upcountry at the beautiful Kibimba Hospital guest house. Our team toured the Kibimba Hospital and saw the expansive work they are doing there with partnership from our Friends of Kibimba Hospital Board. We also had the chance to visit close to a dozen churches that are on the Burundi Sister Church Program list. We have funded the first three on that list but are still looking for partner churches or individuals who are willing to fund the next 7! The good news is that from everything we learned and observed, the Burundi churches are definitely not just waiting for any of our support but moving on quickly without us. Another exciting part of our time in Burundi was the chance to visit the Willard Ferguson Seminary at Kwibuka and Kibimba and to share some words of testimony and greetings to the students.
I had the opportunity to preach on mission sending and mobilization vision at the Kamenge Church on the last morning where were there. Matt Macy then tag-teamed and continued on the challenge to be faithful in missions. It was a wonderful 3+ hour church service with more than a dozen choirs and lots of speeches and greetings from all the special people present. The Kamenge Church has more than 1,000 members!
Our trip also included the planning and coordination for the the upcoming Saltshaker mission trip to Burundi in the summer of 2016. If you or someone from your church is interested in participating in Saltshaker, please check out this link. Registration opensJanuary 1st.
From everything I saw and learned, the Acts 2 vision and dream of a healthy and reproductive church are alive and well with our Friends in Africa.
-Adam Monaghan, Associate Superintendent of Global Ministries
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