Long ago – 1984 to be precise – and far away in Tanzania, a new
Diocese
began and a new bishop Gershom Nyaronga was appointed to care for it.
Here in West Yorkshire at the same time a new Bishop, David Hope, was
appointed to care for a much older Diocese – Wakefield – one of his
first
decisions was to start a link with a diocese in a developing country.
Bishop Gershom and Bishop David became firm friends and the
Wakefield/Mara link whose motto is ‘Bega kwa bega – shoulder to shoulder -
has flourished, becoming one of the strongest
links in the whole of the UK.
Support for Mara Diocese began with many churches collecting ‘Pennies
for
Mara’, a scheme which continues in many churches today. As time went
on
people began to visit Mara and to witness first-hand the amazing work
that
the church was doing amongst its people and gradually Parishes here
began
to link with Parishes in Mara, each supporting the other with prayer,
friendship and financial help. Churches were built, education
initiatives both
in schools and in the area of health were supported. The Upper Home
Valley
Team began a link with ‘Kagwa’ a local village in 2004. Several people
from
the Holme Valley Churches have visited Kagwa and have been challenged and
excited by the work that has taken place.
Recently Mara Diocese changed in a similar way to the changes here in
West Yorkshire and the Dales. During this time of change Christians here
continued to support the Church in the Mara Region with funding for ‘Water for
Life’ – a project that covered the three new diocesan areas created in
Tanzania. Now that things are more settled, the Holme Valley Churches are
renewing links
with Kagwa village, which now sits in the new Diocesan area of Rorya.
Visitors to Kagwa will bring back more information regarding what kind
of support is currently needed.
Therefore, at the Team Anniversary Service in January a
raffle was launched which aims to raise funds to support our
Christian brothers and sisters in Kagwa. This will
be followed by a
coffee morning at Hepworth Village Hall in November.
The Christian people in Tanzania work tirelessly to respond to the
real daily needs of their communities, regardless of religious or
tribal affiliation. This approach calls to mind words attributed to
St Francis of Assisi: ‘’Preach
the gospel always – use words if
necessary’’.