AACC General Assembly
Jubilee Centre December 9th, 2008
I am in Mozambique attending the All Africa Conference of Churches ninth General Assembly (AACC). In his welcoming speech, the outgoing AACC writes, “We will also be seeking to fashion African ecumenical responses to the severe crises sweeping the world. This is the time for Africa to summon courage and speak to these times.” In the same bulletin he challenged us to return to our countries of this great continent having deliberated on ways of improving the lives of most vulnerable of our people who are depending on a word from the church.
The theme of the General Assembly, Africa Step Forth in Faith is capturing a future vision for our continent and a testimony of the churches commitment to contribute said the President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique when he opened the assembly. If indeed this assembly is about capturing a future vision, Mr. Guebuza should have heard about our vision for the Democratic Republic of Congo conflicts, for the Zimbabwe cholera and governance disaster and for Darfur crisis. We had an opportunity on Sunday to make a strong statement to President Guebuza who opened the Assembly. President Guebuza should have left the Assembly yesterday with a message on Zimbabwe to SADC, AU and to the political leaders of Zimbabwe stating “We the 1500 church leaders from Africa demand that you act on the following resolutions …”
Mr. Thabo Mbeki the former President South African and the current mediator on the power sharing talks for Zimbabwe will close the conference on Friday. I call on you to pray that the assembly have a strong statement to Mr. Mbeki to do more to bring to account the leaders of Zimbabwe for the pain and unnecessary deaths they have caused on the people of Zimbabwe.
We still have five more days before we wind up business here. I invite you to pray that people leave this place with renewed faith for church planting mission especially in those areas where Christians are being persecuted. Pray that there will be a strong voice against religious persecution. Pray that people will be refreshed and renewed to step forth in the power of the Holy Spirit “to preach good news to the poor … to bind up the brokenhearted (the poor and the weak), to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoner” (Isaiah 61:1
). Pray for new generation of leaders with a servant heart and broken before God who will be dedicated to be bring godly transformation to their communities.
Lawrence Temfwe
