Saturday Night Assembly Celebration

On Saturday night the Assembly celebrated and thanked Rev. Dr. Prince Dibeela for his two terms (eight years) of service as the General Secretary of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.  It was a fancy dress occasion at a very nice convention center.  

Here is the Namibia delegation: from left in back Vernie, Treasurer, Christine (Women's ministry) Jimmy (Synod Secretary) Maryann (Women's ministry) me (for the evening Arochelle even straightened and styled my hair), Rev. Philip Strydom (President- Elect of the UCCSA). Rev. Moses (Chair of the Namibia Synod).  In the front from left Leizel (seminary student and Women at the Well), Rosetta (women's ministry) and Arochelle (youth ministry).

A pretty setting.

The former President of Botswana gave the keynote since Prince is a "favored successful son of Botswana).  Next to him is Philip, then Florence (treasurer of the UCCSA), then Prince, and then Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dibeela (his wife)

Every celebration in Botswana includes music from the church choirs and they are sooooo good.

And the traditional dancers, many of whom are youth and young adults keeping the traditions alive.  Still  pictures don't do either the choir or the dancers justice but my camera doesn't seem to do them   justice either and I cannot seem to post a video on my blog. (probably user error in both cases!)  The items around the dancers legs are seed pods that add wonderful percussion when they stamp and dance.

Friday at the Assembly

One of the workshops at the Assembly was on awareness of inclusion of people who have disabilities.  The workshop participants learned and presented to us a song in sign language. I was able to remember God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to teach the members of the congregation in the children's time when I got home. 

 There was a wonderful motivating keynote speech by a Doctor who was involved in the fight against apartheid who has now started a new political party in South Africa.  We also heard from a woman who is a leader in the ANC who also is a heroine in the fight against apartheid.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of her or either of their names.  So much for my photojournalism skills.

We heard from a panel of representatives from the schools the Congregational missionaries and church started that are still alive and serving children of all ages, ministries of the UCCSA.

One of the schools is near the Assembly location and the students came and sang to us.  The school specializes in education for children who are visually impaired.  The children sang a song about seeing their Abilities not their disability.

Thursday Opening Worship II

Some pictures of the worship service.  The table is spread with communion for the hundreds of people in the congregation and table cloths are spread over it.  Communion cups and trays do not have covers here, instead a white cloth covers the whole table.

A picture of our ladies in traditional wear as the whole congregation rises to sing and dance.

Rev. Ian Booth (South Africa) leads.  Allistar Arens, to his right will become General Secretary -Elect when elections are held next week. Rev. Thulani on his left is the Synod Secretary in South Africa.

Rev. Majaha, the Director of the Leadership Academy for the UCCSA.  Sorry about the really bad picture!!

Rev. Dr. Prince Dibeela, General Secretary and Rev. Basil Manning, President stand to welcome UCCSA partners.  Later Basil gave his usual inspiring sermon! Always motivating the church to aspire to new levels of God's service in bringing justice!

 This is a fun part for me.  As Prince speaks, Basil welcomes my friend Ayana McCalman, missionary from the Guyana Congregational Church through Church World Service.  She represents the organizations (UCCSA and CWS) well.

Basil is one of my favorite people in Southern Africa- and he

gives me a big hug too.  I was so proud to represent Global Ministries and the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) partnership as well as the United States of America!  It was an overwhelming honor and VERY humbling to be introduced representing GM and the USA.  (What a BIG responsibility to be the face of GM and the USA to these people- may God make me a good representative!)  People cheered for both Ayana and I and our missionary partnerships- it brought tears to my eyes.

Duly welcomed and formally honored and included in the UCCSA family!

The choir did an amazingly beautiful presentation of the Hallelujah Chorus.  I was very interested to see the instrument in the director's hand.  It is a mini-key board operated by blowing in a tube.  She used it to give them four notes to start the acapella version of the Hallelujah Chorus.  I had never seen anything like it- the instrument or the Hallelujah Chorus done without instrumentation with an entire 80? person choir.

What a beautiful and uplifting worship service!

Thursday Evening Opening Worship I

The General Assembly officially started with Opening Worship on Thursday Night.  It was a joyous celebration.  You can see the colors of the UCCSA everywhere- a medium blue, the cross in black and the Holy Spirit as a dove in white.  (Note the fact that the Botswana flag is 3 stripes with these colors reflects the early Congregational membership of the people of Botswana! (Motswana).)

This is Ayana McCalman from Guyana.  I met, worked with her and road with her every day to the UCCSA office.  She is a missionary from the Guyana Congregational Church.  She is a lawyer in Guyana but is serving as the Communications and Social Justice Avocacy Officer for the UCCSA as a missionary from Church World Service, an organization similar to Global Ministries with partners in South America, the islands, Africa and Asia.

The procession begins!

The procession is always lead by a youth carrying the Bible and a youth carrying the UCCSA banner.

The worship theme was celebrating the workers.  The first women are dressed in traditional dress.

Others are dressed in sports gear, uniforms, farm clothing, construction wear.

 And here comes the choir.

And then the ministers of the UCCSA- in alphabetical order- Botswana, Mozabique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Then the officers of the various organizations- Soldiers of Christ, Women's Fellowship, Bruderbund, Youth Fellowship, etc.  and finally the officers of all the committees and UCCSA internationally arrive on the podium.

Thursday Women at the Well

The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa has an organization named Women at the Well.  It is comprised of women who are ordained or are seeking ordination and the friends (including lay women and ordained and lay men), who are supportive of women's leadership in ordained ministry. Here are a few of the people involved meeting together from the five countries (synods) in the UCCSA. I don't remember all their names unfortunately.

First on the left is Leizel Beukes from Namibia Synod who is in her final  year in seminary.  Second from left is Rev. Heidi Peterson who serves a church in Johannesburg, South Africa near the bed and breakfast where I stayed.  I worshiped with her congregation several times.  Third is Johanna who is waiting on her internship assignment post seminary.  I met her at Kuruman, South Africa when I facilitated the class for seminary students at the House of Formation. Standing is Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dibeela previously working with Church World Service and partner of the General Secretary, now in Botswana.  Seated in front of her are Pastors from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. 

Others in the groun- the lady with the very long hair is from Mozambique, and next to her with the glasses is Rev. Muriel Mothibi who I visited with during Holy Week in Molepolole, Botswana.  I had so much fun co-facilitating a retreat on the Holy Spirit with her and preaching and teaching at her church.

Thursday at the Assembly

And so it begins!  Each day began with a Bible study, a time of devotional worship, and then meetings and meetings.  One of the things I really appreciate in the tradition of the UCCSA is that they carry the spirit of worship throughout their meetings.  In between speakers someone will either be asked or will spontaneously begin singing.  Then in the tradition, of especially the folks of Botswana, dancing will start!  Not only does this recognize that when we meet together as church God is always with us, but the business of the church is God's business and should always be carried out prayerfully and joyfully in gratitude for all God's blessings.

The outgoing General Secretary on the left Rev. Dr. M. Prince Dibeela and outgoing President Rev. Basil Manning.