MALAWI: AMECEA Bishops Urged to Use Missionary Strategies to Evangelize
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| Delegates in a group discussions |
Bishops of AMECEA have been urged to employ missionary methods to
enhance the works of evangelisation in their respective dioceses.
enhance the works of evangelisation in their respective dioceses.
Presenting his paper at the ongoing AMECEA plenary Assembly, Fr
Benedict Ssettuuma, a catholic scholar, said that the methods used by the early
missionaries if well applied can be very effective as proved successful at a
time when evangelization was harder and more demanding.
Benedict Ssettuuma, a catholic scholar, said that the methods used by the early
missionaries if well applied can be very effective as proved successful at a
time when evangelization was harder and more demanding.
“All missionary societies applied almost the same methods,
creatively adopting them to their local situations,’ Fr. Ssettuuma said in his
presentation titled ‘Early Missionary work of evangelisation and the actual
situation within AMECEA region”.
creatively adopting them to their local situations,’ Fr. Ssettuuma said in his
presentation titled ‘Early Missionary work of evangelisation and the actual
situation within AMECEA region”.
He cited formation of competent and self reliant local clergy and religious,
inculturation and Human promotion as the key ones, adding that local clergy is
fundamental for evangelisation to take root in the AMECEA region. Other missionary methods included being a
good stranger-visitor, missionary journeys, travels and pastoral visits, and
prudently promoting popular devotions and popular piety.
inculturation and Human promotion as the key ones, adding that local clergy is
fundamental for evangelisation to take root in the AMECEA region. Other missionary methods included being a
good stranger-visitor, missionary journeys, travels and pastoral visits, and
prudently promoting popular devotions and popular piety.
On inculturation, Fr. Ssettuma urged
the local church to borrow from those missionaries who took a positive view of
African cultures and in them sought to find the concepts, terms and ways of
expressing the Christ-event and the Christian life. ‘A number of the first ever
printed works in the local languages were produced by the missionaries. They
did a great work and that is a great challenge for us’, Fr. Ssettuma said.
the local church to borrow from those missionaries who took a positive view of
African cultures and in them sought to find the concepts, terms and ways of
expressing the Christ-event and the Christian life. ‘A number of the first ever
printed works in the local languages were produced by the missionaries. They
did a great work and that is a great challenge for us’, Fr. Ssettuma said.
He emphasized that fighting
poverty and supporting the liberation of people from all forms of oppression is
at the core of human promotion and all agents of evangelisation must
deliberately prioritize this.
poverty and supporting the liberation of people from all forms of oppression is
at the core of human promotion and all agents of evangelisation must
deliberately prioritize this.
Fr. Ssettuma stressed that popular devotions and piety can only be
supported if pastoral agents live a lifestyle that can be admired by the
people.
supported if pastoral agents live a lifestyle that can be admired by the
people.
“Once these are developed, a profound spirituality will be developed
among all Christians of the region,’ he concluded.
among all Christians of the region,’ he concluded.
By Fr. Winfield Kunda-Communications Secretary-Zambia
Episcopal Conference
Episcopal Conference
