The Tanganyika Annual Conference was held in Manono at the main United Methodist church there from June 16-19.
The North Katanga Annual Conference was held in Kamina from July 7-10.
The theme for both conferences was from the Book of Isaiah 43:18 with Bishop Mande Muyombo officiating.
The slogan was “forget former things” and was an invitation to foresee the future of the church after the General Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The invitation focuses on mission, ministry, love and grace.
“We are the church that acts, agrees to disagree, accepts to live in diversity and provides a prophetic voice,” Muyombo said.
Memorable points included a summary of General Conference by the bishop on how regionalization passed with 78% of the vote. To be ratified, the amendment also will need at least a two-thirds total vote of annual conference lay and clergy voters.
Bishop Muyombo gave the historical background of regionalization taken from the book “Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church,” edited by David W. Scott and Filipe Fernandes R. Maia.
The bishop highlighted five principles:
- Contribution to the development of a responsible, indigenous church,
- Shape the centrality of mission,
- Foster interdependence in mission,
- Be considered in nature and flexible,
- Provision of equality in relationship and mutual search for renewal.
Debates have been going on around the structure of the church and there are some matters that have been discussed that are irrelevant to the North Katanga context, Muyombo said, adding that regionalization is the path to take.
He said there is a need for structural flexibility that allows greater freedom, churches to become autonomous and decentralized regions. Each region will have the power to adapt parts of the church’s Book of Discipline, Muyombo added, including the definition of marriage.
The purpose of going through the decentralized structure was to help delegates understand the rationale of regionalization and think about the next step, which will happen next year on ratification in the Tanzania, Tanganyika and North Katanga annual conferences.
The bishop concluded his episcopal address with an invitation to be part of the church that loves one another in the midst of differences, noting that grace from calvary is bigger than the ocean.
“Let us be flexible, dynamic, be part of a movement, because as John Wesley said, ‘The Holy Spirit is a movement.’”
Both Tanganyika and North Katanga held elections for conference secretary, lay leader and bishop deputy.
A new initiative in Tanganyika is the renovation of churches in some districts and developmental projects like chicken raising and egg production.
In North Katanga, the Yambasu Agriculture Initiative is producing seeds in the Kamina and surrounding areas.
In addition, there was a ground-breaking on a project to increase classrooms at a public health school in Kamina in the North Katanga Annual Conference. The United Methodist Church school trains public health workers for the church and community within the Haut-Lomami province.
Providing information about regionalization legislation and the ratification process is underway in North Katanga, with workshops planned within the districts. On July 12, hundreds of participants attended the first meeting, and similar workshops will follow in the five districts. The goal is to make delegates more knowledgeable about regionalization and deal with disinformation in local churches.
After North Katanga, the series of workshops will happen in Tanganyika and Tanzania.
There was no merger of conferences in the North Katanga and Tanganyika annual conferences, nor closed churches or disaffiliations.
The annual conference approved the treasurer report. There has been an increase in church properties income. After the renovation of buildings, renting is increasing the church budge within the North Katanga Annual Conference.
Those who were ordained were given certificates and credentials.
The annual conference delegates were informed of the central conference session that will happen March 30-April 4 in Kindu in the East Congo Episcopal Area.
Ahead of the central conference, a commission in the North Katanga Annual Conference on Central Conference Matters was formed to look into the creation of a new episcopal area in Congo.
In the Tanganyika Annual Conference, three people were ordained as deacons
In North Katanga, six people were ordained as deacons and nine as elders.
One clergywoman retired in Tanganyika and two clergymen retired in North Katanga.
Conference membership stands at 82,491 in Tanganyika. There are 287 pastors serving 14 districts and 279 local churches.
In North Katanga, membership stands at 2,466,454, with 646 elders, 239 deacons, 1,716 local pastors, 493 local preachers, 1,716 local churches, 493 preaching places and 2,532 societies.
— The Rev. Betty Kazadi Musau, Director of Communication for the North Katanga Conference