It would not be a stretch to say that a good amount of effort has been spent in mission works in East Africa over the years. From the early efforts of men such as Eldred Echols who made his way from South Africa upward through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and eventually reaching Tanganyika (Tanzania’s former name under British rule), until the present efforts centered in Arusha, Chimala, and Dar-es-Salaam; Tanzania has frequently been the location of choice for many mission works in Africa. What makes Tanzania a desirable location from which to conduct mission work should not be viewed from its numerous national parks with exotic wildlife nor its moderate climate. Among the many benefits to the missionaries include the following significant factors:
- The central location offers easier access for people of neighboring countries.
- Generally speaking Tanzania is not an expensive location from which to operate missions.
- It is a favorite location for Western, European, and Asian tourists which brings with it modern communication and better transportation linking it to a small number of major European and Middle Eastern airlines.
- Tanzania is politically a continuously-peaceful country unlike many other African countries that are under constant instability and conflict.
- Missionaries generally enjoy a friendly relationship with Tanzania’s government and people due to tourist generated income from foreigners who favor wildlife-protecting countries.
- And let it not be overlooked that the country of Tanzania is home to nearly 60 million souls!
What this all means to evangelistic mission efforts is greater and more diverse connections with a greater number of people on the African continent as well as relative stability for missionaries.
These reasons and many more draw the attention of mission efforts that are seeking an efficient way to maximize the spread of the gospel of Christ in Tanzania and beyond. Among the places within Tanzania, the village of Chimala was one of the first locations of churches of Christ from which to launch mission efforts effectively. Over the years the mission has grown in influence and size and is likely to develop further in its effectiveness and influence. It is continually growing closer to becoming self-sufficient, self-ruling, and self-supported. For about a year now, one of the first graduates of the Chimala Bible Institute, Menard Swila has been serving as the Chimala Mission Administrator. This has been a first. And with new agricultural plans being implemented, the mission should be able to provide for itself more effectively in the way of being good stewards of the land.
You might be wondering why a mission of the church of Christ would be involved in agriculture. That is a good question. The answer lies in stewardship. Remember, the ultimate goal of the Chimala Mission Hospital and Schools is to “seek and save the lost” with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And a quick glimpse of Chimala’s history will shed a little light on the subject.
After the Lord’s church began to be planted and spread in Tanganyika, the government demanded that the American missionaries provide some type of “social” benefit to help the people or the church would lose its registration. And consequently the missionaries would have to leave. Andrew and Claudene Connally were serving in Tanganyika at that time. When they learned of this dilemma Andrew returned to the States. After discussing the condition with his elders, he began with their approval to raise support to build a hospital which was desperately needed in southern Tanganyika. This action prevented the government from reclaiming the land (over 700 acres) from the Chimala Mission, and the Lord’s church was able to maintain its registration in the country. But for many years now much of the land has been lying fallow.
There is another challenge that factors into this situation: the predicament of multitudes of small village churches without permanent preachers. This has been one of the great obstacles to be overcome by many otherwise successful mission efforts that strive to train indigenous preachers, leaders, and church workers. Most of the Christians in places like Tanzania are very poor rural people with little education and opportunities. While the Christians are taught to give, the total of their giving is very seldom enough to support the preacher and his family. Consequently, preachers either have to be supported (usually from churches in the States) which is undesirable and unsustainable in the long term, or they spend a great amount of their time farming in traditional, highly inefficient methods while the immature churches languish spiritually.
A solution that is being proposed is the implementation of a new farming plan. The basic goals of this proposal are outlined below by Gage Coldwater of “The Manna Project” in Vidor, TX :
- Grow enough food for the ENTIRE Chimala mission.
- EVENTUALLY grow enough to use as benevolence in the area.
- EVENTUALLY grow enough to sell as a source of income to become a self-supported mission work.
- To teach the students (primary, secondary, and preaching), mission staff, and area members of the Body of Christ to better grow their own food to be self-sufficient and for income.
- To increase the quality of nutrition on the Chimala Mission.
Hopefully the idea of stewardship is now made a little clearer in respect to the land at Chimala Mission and the challenge of financing preachers. With God’s help the Chimala Mission can become a model for future development of new mission efforts and church plants. The age-old “Gordian knot” with respect to maintaining preachers in effective ministries in very poor areas could potentially be solved; at least in some instances since agricultural means may not work in every circumstance. As the Lord’s people continue to seek more effective means to reach the lost let it not be said of them, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). May we be good stewards of God’s things He has placed in our hands.
