Current Projects
Spring 2011 Giving Projects Thank-you, and may the Lord bless you for your generosity! Rod Hollinger-Janzen AIMM Executive Coordinator BURKINA FASO AIMM contributes $3,000 annually to help this training take place. Please work with us in supporting this leadership training program! Designation: Basic Biblical Training BF You can encourage CMCO's future by walking with them in providing these needed national meeting facilities. Designation: CMCO Welcome Center. A DVD explaining this project is available on request. The Evangelical Mennonite Church of Congo (CEM) is moving forward with plans to build a Guest House on its Dipumba Plaine property adjoing the Mbuji Mayi airport. The project is conceived as dual purpose, serving the church by having a place to lodge church members or other guests who have come from outside of Mbuji Mayi for meetings, as well as providing a source of income for the church. The church as committed bot gatherinig locally available construction materials, and AIMM has agreed to supply needed manufactured goods. Let's work together with this sister church on this important project. Designation: CEM Guesthouse. 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of a Mennonite presence in Congo, and most importantly of the beginning of the Mennonite Church of Congo. The story of the Congo Inland Mission, now Africa Inter-Mennonite MIssion, and its role in planting a Mennonite church in Congo, is currently known by some people in North America through works like JIm Bertsche's CIM/AIMM: A Story of Vision, Commitment and Grace. However, the stories of Congolese Mennonite believers' active participation in the planting of their church, and their engagement in diverse forms of Christian witness and service over the past 100 years, are virtually unknown in the United states. Even in Congo, most of the memories of Congolese actively engaging in witness for Christ out of Mennonite congregations through this past century are preserved within families or local congregations, and not at a national or even regional level. These realities prompted AIMM to take the initiative, with the active participation of both the Mennonite Church of Congo and the Evangelical Mennonite Church of Congo, in seeking out stories which illustrate Congolese Mennonite Christian witness over the past century. The purpose of this project is to celebrate God's grace at work in the lives of many Congolese Mennonites, at the century mark of their church. We believe that this project will also serve as ongoing inspiriation for the life and work of the church in mission on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the course of 2009, leaders Komuesa and Mubenga each chose several persons to serve as researchers for this project.
All Congolese are researchers except for the church Presidents. From left to right: Dominique Yona (CMCO); Beleji Mwatha Jackson (CMCO); Jean-Felix Tshimbala Nga Wa Mpoyi (CEM); Gregoire Moele Djenke Kaumba (CMCO); President Damien Pelende (CEFMC-only visiting); Jean Boscoe Musakai Kabeya (CEM); Robert Sakayimbo Chibulenu (CMCO); Rod Holling-er-Janzen (AIMM); President Benjamin Mubenga (CEM); Salomon Luku Sa Muya (CEM); President Kalunga Komuesa (CMCO). See photo Together these 7 individuals are familiar with all the major languages used in the Congolese Mennonite churches. After an orientation seminar led by a Congolese expert in oral history, beginning in January 2010 the 7 researchers started their work. By the end of November 2010, they had collectively gathered over 600 oral interviews from across the various geographic regions where Mennonite congregations have been established. The interviews have been stored digitally, along with numberous photographs. Beginning in January 2011, 3 Congolese writers- Beleji Mwatha Jackson, Jean-Felix Tshimbalanga We Mpoyi, and Ndandula Mulebo Vincent- are undertaking the process of writing stories using the collected interviews. In the course of 2011 they hope to develop around 100 stories of Congolese Mennonite believers giving witness in word and deed to Christ living within them.
Each writer has committed to keep a production pace of 3 stories per month. We are anticipating that these stories will be "user friendly", for such things as Sunday School illustrations, sermon illustrations, and more. We further anticipate that we will publish two editions, one in English, one in French, in early 2012 in time for the Centennial celebrations in Congo. This project could not happen without considerable investment. AIMM equipped the researchers with digital recorders, cameras, motorcycles, etc. We helped pay transportation costs. The Congolese churches contributed food and lodging for the researchers, photos and more. The writers will need to be paid for their work. Translation to English is needed. In order to ready the stories for publication, they will need editing. Currently we are in the process of submitting the project to various publishers for consideration. Firstly a long time AIMM mission work in Congo, and subsequently AIMM Executive Secretary (now retired,) Jim Bertsche has been putting his consideratble faith, wisdom, and energy to work to promote this project by speaking to congregations, Sunday School classes and individuals. He is also in the process of writing down some of the many stories he remembers from his Congo experience. Please pray for the writers, that honesty and integrity would mark this work, and that the stories would indeed celebrate God's grace active in Congolese Mennonite believers. Please consider contributing financially to this work.
Still to be Accomplished During the rest of 2011 an additional 20 or more stories will be written. The stories need to be translated into English, a process that has just begun. In November 2011, the three writers will gather with Church Presidents Benjamin Mubenga and Adolphe Komuesa to go over produced materials and make final decisions as to the contaents of the French and English versions of the proposed "CentennialBook". The French version is slated to be published in time for the Centennial celebrations in Congo which are scheduled for July 16-26, 2012 in Tshikapa and Mbuji Mayi. The English version needs to be published before September 2012, as during that month a series of celebrations of the Centennial of both AIMM and the Congo Churches are planned across North America. What is Needed Pray for this project and its positive impact for God's kingdom! Praise God for the generous gifts of many churches, organizations, and individuals for this project! We have received a total of $99,142 in gifts, with an additional $10,000 promised. So far, total expenses have been $66,049. These include the researchers' equipment, their transportation costs, the cost of the seminars and meetings, and the writers' costs. Total budget costs are projected at $130,000. Significant costs still before us include translation of the stories into English; editing; and printing quantities of both French and English versions.
We still need to receive almost $21,000 in gifts for this project. Please give generouly so that these stories of God's grace at work in Congolese Mennonite Christians would be available as an encouragement to the world wide body of Christ! African Missionaries AIMM works with national churches to help nurture their mission vision. We do this by working together with national churches to support selected African missionaries involved in inter-cultural church planting. National churches apply for this assistance and receive support for approved missionaries. This year we expect to partially support African missionaries in Burkina Faso and Congo. Our annual budget for this support is $12,000. You can contribute to strengthening mission vision in African churches. Designation: African Missionary Support.
Rod Hollinger-Janzen, AIMM Executive Coordinator rod@aimmintl.org 574-535-0077
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