In October 2000, the Bethesda Lutheran Church Council approved a formal partnership with the Shighatini Lutheran Parish in the Pare Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), and the covenant between the two congregations was signed in August 2003. Bethesda was one of the first congregations in the Southeastern Iowa Synod to pair up with an ELCT congregation.
The purpose of the Bethesda-Shighatini covenant is to:
- Strengthen one another for life and mission within the body of Christ
- Offer the privilege of participating in the life of another church through prayer, study, communication and exchange
- Open our eyes to the global challenge that Christ offers us today and us us to deepen our commitment and discipleship.
More about Shighatini, our sister congregation
Tanzania is on the east coast of Africa, bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north and Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and the Indian Ocean to the east. The village of Shighatini is located in the hills high up in the Pare Mountains of northern Tanzania, not far from the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Shighatini has 3,250 members, although many no longer live in the area. Most members are subsistence farmers, who are greatly affected by varying levels of rainfall on the drier western slopes of the North Pare Mountains. About one-third of the parishioners provide in-kind offerings of beans, chickens and sugar cane that are sold in an auction considered part of the Sunday worship service. The church operates a secondary school and a health clinic.
How to get involved
The Bethesda Tanzania Ministry Team is working with people throughout the Ames community on a number of different projects. We need people with all kinds of expertise -- in health, education, women's ministries, agriculture, small business development. We also have groups who visit Tanzania, and we host Shighatini visitors who come to Iowa.
What's new (click on the links to view pdfs)
April 2009, Meet Pastor Elirehema Mwanga, April 2009
Meet our visitors: Ester Mvungi and Martha Msuya, February 2009
Keeping up with the Msangis: A higher education (and calling), December 2008
Bethesda gifts lead to Shighatini Health Center and better health care, October 2008
A Trip of a Lifetime: Pastor Randy Reflects, July 2008
A Special Gift for Shighatini, April 2008
Easter Greetings for Tanzania Pen Pals: How 'Accompaniment' Works, February 2008
Bethesda helps education expand in Shighatini, January 2008
Christmas traditions in Shighatini, December 2007
A letter from Mama Dorcas (Christine Msangi), December 2007(2)
Encouraging financial stewardship by boosting agriculture, October 2007
Update on Christine Msangi's visit to Bethesda, September 2007
The women of Shighatini and Bethesda: One Faith, June 2007
A living partnership: Pastor Walter and Christine's visit to Bethesda, May 2007
A partnership for health and well-being; Meet Dr. Mark Mvungi, April 2007
Meet Pastor Walter and Christine from our sister congregation, March 2007
Jesus loves them, this they know ... on Northwestern Avenue and in Shighatini Parish, February 2007
A growing relationship: About the Bethesda-Shighatini covenant, January 2007
Surgery complex update and a challenge for scholarship, medical supplies, December 2006
When I was sick you cared for me ... Phase III Health Care Project, December 2005
More information
Contact Gerald Klonglan, chair of the Bethesda Tanzania Ministry Team, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 232-9973. He would be happy to share most anything about the project, or find a niche for you.
Join us at a Bethesda Tanzania Ministry Team meeting! We meet the second Tuesday of the month -- all are welcome!
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
