A letter from Janet Guyer in South Africa
November 2013
Dear Friends,
Part 2
July - November
Early July
It’s a chilly day here in Worcester, South Africa (about an hour from Cape Town). A meeting of the Network for African Congregational Theology has just ended, so I am taking this time to drop you a note. Although the weather is cold, hearts are warm with friendships renewed as we all, people from 15 theological institutions throughout Africa, have come together as family, all concerned about the quality of education offered young men and in many cases women who are training for ministry. All are professors and many principals/presidents of these institutions. A highlight for this meeting is a book that is being prepared with various members writing a chapter each. Living with Dignity addresses issues of gender from a Christian academic perspective and will be used as a text for the institutions. Monday and Tuesday the authors read or summarized their chapters. There was then a discussion from the floor, questions, suggestions, and asking for points of clarification. I am lucky that I have been able to get electronic copies of the chapters as I would find it difficult to wait for the book to come out to read all that has been written.
Speaking of dignity, which seems to be a recurring theme here in the churches of Africa right now: Early in June a colleague, Doug Tilton, the Regional Liaison for Southern Africa, and I attended the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) General Assembly. The theme was “God of Life, Lead Africa to Peace, Justice and Dignity.” Here, too, dignity was intertwined through the various presentations. At the AACC I had a chance to talk with many interesting people, one of them the General Secretary of one of our partner churches. In talking about what came out of the Assembly, what was new and interesting, he said the main, new concept was the theme of dignity. Some Africa theologians are working on a theology of dignity, but this was the first time it had played such a major role in an assembly at this level.
Also at the Assembly several of us who had attended the Tumekutana meetings for African Presbyterian and Reformed women church leaders either in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2007 or in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2011 got together during a break and had a chance to just see each other and bring each other up to date. It was my pleasure to be able to share with them that the next Tumekutana is now being planned for October 2014 in Accra, Ghana. A joyous time was had by all.
Mid-November
Let me bring you up to date on my goings and comings of the past few months. After my quiet morning in Worcester when I started this letter life revved up again. The second – fourth weeks of July found me in the U.S., attending the PC(USA) orientation for new mission personnel and those of us being reappointed. It was like a progressive dinner with one week each in Pittsburgh and New Wilmington, Pa., and the last week in Louisville, Ky. Like that dinner there was great food for thought and a chance to meet new friends. The people in that orientation were getting ready to go out to five different continents of the world and covered a wide age range. It was a bit of a shock to realize I was one of the older folks there, but time marches on and that is a good sign for the future of Presbyterian missions. The other joy from those weeks was that we all ended up as friends.
The orientation culminated with the Big Tent mission conference in Louisville. It was a great chance to meet folks from all over the PC(USA) who were interested in missions in one form or another. A special treat was meeting up again with my neighbor from seminary days.
From Big Tent it was off to California for vacation with my parents. My mother continues to be in a nursing home but was so much improved from the last time I saw her. It was really a wonderful surprise. During this time I came out of hibernation twice, once to attend the Malawi Mission Network meeting and the other to attend the National Conference on Sexual Abuse. Both were well worth attending.
Upon returning to South Africa I had one night at home, then headed off to Ghana for the first planning meeting for the 2014 Tumekutana. It was an amazing meeting in that we all sensed God’s presence and guidance as first steps were taken to prepare for about 80 women to converge on Ghana in a year’s time. What was most exciting was coming up the title and theme, by consensus, in record time. We will be exploring “Freedom in Christ: From Slavery to Empowerment,” using Luke 13:12, “Woman, you have been set free from your ailments,” to focus on.
Which brings us back to my office here in Benoni, South Africa. Its an idyllic day, the sun is shining, the birds are chattering away, and there is a gentle breeze coming through the window. Summer is clearly on the way but it is still not too hot to clear out files and drawers and closets and cupboards of the detritus of over 10 years of living here in South Africa. Please pray with me that the way will become clear, soon, to make the move to Malawi and get on with life up there.
Blessings,
Janet
Rev. Janet Guyer
Facilitator for Women’s and Children’s Interests, English-speaking Africa
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 123
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