African Women Theologians
Sister-Link with
Mennonite Women USA

In the summer of 2005 a unique Sister-Link began between Mennonite Women USA and a group of African women in church leadership: the African Women Theologians (AWT).

With the assistance of Mennonite World Conference, this special five-year partnership was formed in order to pursue a goal set in November 2004 by the AWT leaders: that by 2009, the year of the next Mennonite World Conference assembly, there will be 20 additional African Mennonite and Brethren in Christ women trained in theology. (Read more about this history in the Timbrel archives.) The AWT Sister-Link encompasses three parts.

First, MW USA executive director Rhoda Keener will be corresponding with the AWT leaders, talking about ways this group can develop and implement their vision for ministry.

Second, Sylvia Shirk Charles of Goshen, Ind., is coordinating one-on-one pen pal connections between the seven AWT leaders and seven North American pastors, theologians, and theology students:
-- Hellen Bradburn, Tanzania, and Malinda Berry, New York
-- Beatrice Hayalume Kadi, Congo, and Mary Mae Schwartzentruber, Ontario
-- Esther Kalambo, Zambia, and Janeen Bertsche Johnson, Indiana
-- Nellie Mlotshwa, Zimbabwe, and Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Indiana
-- Sibusisiwe Ndlovu, Zimbabwe, and Nina Lanctot, Michigan
-- Rebecca Osiro, Kenya, and Mary Schertz, Indiana
-- Sidonie Swana, Congo, and Sylvia Shirk Charles, Indiana

The hope for these pen pal connections is to develop friendships, share theological ideas and writings, and to support and challenge one another as women leaders in the church.

Third, MW USA is helping to provide scholarships for African women to attend local theological schools. All scholarship recipients will be chosen by the AWT steering committee.  Most of the funds raised will be outside of MW USA’s usual budget but funneled through MW USA and dispersed with assistance from Mennonite World Conference.  Funds received beyond the needs of this five-year project will be used for similar Mennonite Women USA international ministries.

In addition to providing $7,000 in seed money, Mennonite Women USA has pledged $1,500 per year for AWT scholarships from its International Women’s Fund (which will continue to give additional scholarships to Mennonite women from around the world). A group of committed individuals called "Les Amies" -- friends of African women in church leadership -- also have pledged annual gifts to the AWT scholarship fund. We're thankful as well for the contributions from Assembly Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., and a group of interested students at Goshen College (a few of those who helped with their Nov. 7 fundraising dinner are pictured below).

In 2005 the first three AWT scholarships totaling over $7,500 were awarded to Tatiana Ndjoko (Congo), Leya Muloba (Congo), and Rebecca Osiro (Kenya).  A Mennonite World Conference story about Tatiana and Leya describes their dreams for ministry.

After receiving the scholarship Tatiana wrote: "Je benis le Seigneur pour ce qu'il a fait en vous utilisant,vous et les autres femmes comme soutient financière pour mes etudes missiologiques . . . .I praise the Lord for what he has done in using you, you and the other women, in financial support of my missiological studies. Thanks to your help, I was able to make my payment for my expenses and academic fees. Truly, to receive this scholarship is a huge miracle for me. So I pray the Lord will bless you even more so that you may continue to support his work."

At Christmas, Leya wrote: "My sisters . . .  This letter presents my gratitude and thanks to you. I am at a loss for words to express my appreciation to you. What you did for me helped me to understand the greatness and the faithfulness of God. In him, there are no barriers of culture, language or even social class. I could never have imagined that one day I would receive help coming from America. As I was growing up, I believed that only people from my tribe or race would help me. And now God has confounded my outlook, and what you have done enlarges my vision. I have understood that in Jesus Christ the universal is reduced to a group. . . .

"I would like to say, sisters, as human beings, we all have problems which worry us all the time. If it happens that you have a problem, allow this passage from Ephesians 2:10 to console you, for God has created us for good works. Allow my God to bless you, who is also your God (God of Jesus Christ)."

Women named for AWT scholarships in 2006 are Joyce Apieng and Lucy Apiyo of Kenya along with second-year recipients Tatiana Ndjoko and Leya Muloba of Congo.

Please keep all the AWT Sister-Link participants in your prayers as we learn to know each other better and seek to work together to further God's kingdom -- in whatever surprising ways that may be!

Questions about the AWT Sister-Link may be sent to MW USA executive director Rhoda Keener.

5.19.2006