A new Reformation in Tanzania!

 

 This report comes from Revd Isaiah Chambala, who oversees the Rooted in Jesus groups in Arusha deanery, in the diocese of Mt Kilimanjaro.

 

 

The following report is humbly presented to you from an experience that comes beyond human's ability. There has been an eruption of spiritual growth and strong faith amongst many Christians in the parishes I visited which have been practising the Rooted in Jesus Course.

Debates and discussions I noted raised from the Bible out of the course material were very much impressive to me because our church members in many ways tend to see the Bible in a superstitious way. And biblical matters are left to church leaders who in African context play nearly the same role of a medicine man or a witch doctor. Because the Bible is taken in that kind of perspective, only the people who know better how to tease the spirits and the gods are the ones left with the mandate to read it, and to give out their witness, read and discuss what is in it. They are the priests and the evangelists and those few who profess to be saved.

(Now) the small groups read the Bible not only as a book but they have discovered that this book teaches them the way of 'how to live' and the way of 'how to be right with God'. The verses they have put in their hearts have started to speak to them, such that now, "we hear the voice of God talking to us", one of them commented.

Not only the Bible had been regarded as a superstitious book dealt with specialists in teasing supernatural powers, many Christians have been ignorant of what the Bible says about what they have rightly believed.  Lack of confidence in the Bible has led them to lose their opportunity to use their gifts. The spiritual gifts that could be exercised would have been in practice if the traditional notion that the only skilled people to tapping the spirits and manoeuvering them are the church leaders could not have controlled them ignorantly.

They say that the Bible has transformed their lives. They confess that the word of God contains powers that give them confidence in the Holy Spirit to share with others about their new experience in the Lord. They have the courage to say verses from the Bible to prove what they believe.

From these and many stories I am made rich in the Lord. And that's why to me this coordination has been a way to serving the Lord that much I am myself get blessed and encouraged as well as my spiritual life is challenged and made strong. I can say that through this I am balanced between my theological education and my spiritual practical life.

Revd Isaiah Chambala, Arusha, Tanzania , December 2006

 

In May 2007 Isaiah travelled to Mozambique and Malawi as part of the SOMA Rooted in Jesus team. This is the testimony he gave to those attending the seminars:

So through this book I challenge you. If you want to know the value of this book, start yourself, with your family. I can tell you I also have followed this book with my family. We are now in book 3 in my family. So I have seen how this book has helped me myself and my family. When we were starting to pray in my family, my children, who are happy to sing and dance, when we come to the Word of God, all of them go to sleep. But this is the devil! My wife and myself we pray for our children and rebuke the evil spirits. We were sitting there, and one of our sons who is very funny, when he starts to sleep, he puts his hand on his head to keep his eyes open, but he sleeps! When he started to use this book, we discovered we had few bibles in the house for the number of people, and they were all competing to be first to get the bible and read the verses. I am always hiding my bible, because they can even tear the page out! We have been thinking of having some more bibles, now they like to read it themselves. We are no longer forcing them. They still like to praise and to sing, but now they have started to be ambitious to read the bible. This would be my challenge; that you start with yourselves. You may not have an interest in this book. But give yourself time. Take it home. Thank you very much.