IRIN Africa | MAURITANIA/SENEGAL: Refugee Returns Resume

We are encouraged that the UN is again making this return of Fulani refugees happen, see below link to an IRIN report in Oct 2010.  The UWM in MALI helped this situation extensively from 1990 to 1995 when 18,000 of these Fulanis landed in areas north of Kayes.  Over 100,000 also flooded into northern Senegal, and while most have returned 'home' over 20,000 refugees remain in the border areas of the two countries facing Mauritania.  This article speaks of their plight in remaining and their plight in returning.  The UN hopes to move over 2,500 from Oct to Dec 2010. 

IRIN Africa | MAURITANIA/SENEGAL: Refugee returns resume | Mauritania | Senegal | Refugees/IDPs

UWM helped make initial reports in the fall of 1990 about their situation, and then worked long to alleviate the situation.  We also recommended that the UNHCR work with MALI's national church/mission association, AGEMPEM, and their social aid office, BADS, which became a very fruitful mission.  A sister agency was also much involved in the center of the refugee area.  A number of the refugees became believers in Christ and some have formed the nucleus of the nascent church in Mauritania.   My friends in the photo above, Abba and Boofo, met during these times, welcomed me, gave me lots of tea, & taught me tremendously about the Fulani culture.  Sadly both have passed away without understanding the gospel.

IRIN Africa | SENEGAL: One household, one ‘talibé’

This article about Fulani children appeared in an IRIN report this week.  Many efforts are made to help these 'Talibé' Islamic religious disciples.  This reporter speaks of a homegrown effort by families in a neighborhood of Dakar.  Reports say there are well over 10,000 of these begging & oft mistreated, students in the city!  Similar situations exist in other large cities of west Africa including Kayes, Conakry, and Bamako.

IRIN Africa | SENEGAL: One household, one ‘talibé’ | Senegal | Children | Economy | Education | Governance | Human Rights

UWM also seeks to help the Talibé children in another effort in the same city.  See 'Tad's Life' at tadhampton.blogspot.com for some encouraging stories.

politics in the pulpit: NOT a good idea!

Comment to Intercessors for America (IFA) in On Watch in Washington (OWIW) concerning blog on Oct 13^th ‘Talking Politics in the Church ( ifapray.org blog: Talking Politics in the Church )

I thank Mr. Kubal for some clarification of the current reason people think pastors aren't allowed to speak politics in church.  I actually agree with that 1950s rule of Senator Lyndon Johnson, but for entirely different reasons; and I don’t think the government needs to legislate it.  The government has no need to interfere with the free operation of religious institutions; of course taxes are not the only issue; free speech is far more important.

The pulpit, however, of the Lord Jesus Christ is His pulpit; it doesn't belong to any political party.  I was taught in church and in Bible College that preachers don't expound any political view from the pulpit, and that would mean in much of his speech and writing also.  In the pulpit they are to be neutral, period.

I am quite amazed that every election year this is violated, and we see TV clips of political candidates, all stripes, standing in pulpits; to the shame of the preacher who lets them!  By allowing this the preacher has endorsed the candidate; he's telling his people how to vote!  And what is worse, many of the candidates have no intention of really preaching the gospel; they're only there to be seen in public. Most aren't even believing Christians!  How could they explain the grace of God?  Are they there to correctly divide the truth of the Bible?

Whether the current US law accepts or not for preachers to give their political view is not the real issue.  I am very happy that Mr. Witherspoon of NJ spoke out for righteousness and justice and liberty from his pulpit in Revolutionary times, and that he worked in Congress to that end.  But did he endorse candidates from that same pulpit?  Did he denounce the king from it?  Did he tell his folk how to vote?  I see that he said the cause of America to fight revolution is just, but that is not quite the same.  

Written from Kayes, Republic of MALI, by a long serving American Protestant missionary.

United World Mission: Surprising Vision

United World Mission  released a new mission statement in Oct 2010.  It delights and surprises me!  May God enable us to carry it out in each of the more than 30 countries where we work.

Mission:
Serve with Christian leaders globally to plant, nourish, and reproduce churches that delight God and
surprise the world.

Tag-line:
God-delighting, world-surprising churches everywhere.

Core Strategies:
❖Establish ministry training that equips church leaders, church planters, and cross-cultural workers to live in
authentic relationship with God and to form the church for its mission in the world.
❖Collaborate with Christian leaders to identify or establish reproducible models of church, leadership
development, and discipleship for their contexts.
❖Join with Christian leaders to mobilize the church in their nations for church planting and cross-cultural
mission.
❖Facilitate partnerships that advance outreach and church planting initiatives.
❖Integrate mercy and community development with evangelistic initiatives to reproduce churches marked by
compassion.

Core Values:
Church / Facilitation / Interdependence / Field-driven / Adaptability / Spiritual formation / Life-long learning