In late October I had the privilege of traveling to Malawi; I saw the Church serving the forgotten people: widows, child-led households, and children with special needs. I saw models for growing crops that yielded four times more than the traditional farming/gardening methods, and healthcare assistance being brought to the villages. Pastors were gathered for training, with a kind of Theological Education by Extension (TEE) between the gathered times. Orphaned children were being cared for in a boarding school arrangement.
All this through the Passion Center for Children in Zomba, Malawi, begun by my colleague, Eric Sythoff, a former Brethren in Christ mission leader in Malawi and a Brethren in Christ church planter in Southern California (Crest Community in Riverside). I observed theological education at the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi in Blantyre, where longtime friends Earl and Lois Hess serve and where newer friends Jonathan and Becky Owen serve as well. Both of these couples serve with Brethren in Christ U.S. World Missions.
In both cases, with different foci, the Church is equipping leaders to serve the community, and tasking Church leaders to pay attention to the forgotten populations around them. I returned stateside, with renewed conviction to likewise open my eyes to the forgotten and underserved populations.
God bless you, my friend,
Bishop Lynn