Moffat Mission 23 June 2000 Dear friends: "Dumela Moruti!" "Dumela, Peter", I respond to the voice on the telephone. Peter phones me frequently and I recognise his voice. We exchange the rest of the greetings. "Moruti, I need your help," says Peter, and I wonder what interesting problem he is working on this time. I beg Peter to tell me what the problem is so that I can give some thought to it and I invite him to stop at the Mission on his way home from work. I became Peter Baakwalanya's "moruti" (teacher/pastor) because he was a student on the Christian Leadership Course which forms a key element of the program of the Kalahari Desert School of Theology. Participation in the course has been important to him in his understanding of the faith and his fulfillment of his leadership role in the Mothibistad Congregational Church, one of 24 congregations that make up the Seodin Circuit. Peter's requests for help are diverse. Sometimes he wants help finding a reference for a story or teaching which he remembers, but not where it is located in the Bible. Since I often don't know, too, I get a chance to introduce Peter to the usefulness of a concordance. Sometimes he wants help with figuring out what to preach at some unusual gathering - an awkward funeral, a family observance, or a secular meeting. My first response is usually, "Peter, have you read the lessons set for that day in the lectionary?" We read and discuss them together and he discovers "That's just the right message, Moruti!" Sometimes he needs help understanding and explaining a passage, so we go to the library and find the commentaries or Bible dictionaries and we read together. Peter reminds me of the Ethiopian court official (Acts 8): "How can I [understand what I am reading] unless someone guides me?" At other times the request is for practical help, or he wants to invite me to preach or participate in an activity at the church. Peter Baakwalanya is the principal leader in the Mothibistad congregation. He has been responsible for much of the work to extend and improve the church building. He works closely with his pastor, the Rev Monare Petso, who has pastoral and administrative oversight of the 24 far flung congregations of the Seodin Circuit. Peter has consistently encouraged others to serve and to study. He moves people into leadership responsibilities. He has built up a team of lay leaders in the church that is probably unequaled in any other church in our area. Because of his commitment to developing leaders for the church and his own enthusiasm for the Christian Leadership Course, the Mothibistad Congregation has had more participants on each of the Christian Leadership Courses than any other congregation. He brings to his leadership and ministry the understandings and skills he has developed as a manager in the electricity utility, ESKOM. Peter is a manager in the Kuruman office. He is responsible for shepherding the electrification of rural villages, helping people to understand the possibilities and their responsibilities when electricity is installed in their homes. One of Peter's recent requests for help concerned a desire he had to have some decorations for the church. He had recruited a sign writer and wanted to discuss his ideas for symbols and words to paint on the church walls. Two weeks ago, when we worshipped at Mothibistad, paintings over the three doors and behind the pulpit were apparently completed, but were covered with brown paper awaiting a day of celebration to unveil them. However, too long to cover was the word "Welcome" painted on the front wall behind the pulpit. I thought, "well chosen, Peter!" And at the other end of the building, over the door, facing the pulpit, an ikon of creation and a delightful reminder to the preacher, again in words too large to be covered with brown paper, "Let there be light". Peter started studying theology this year, as if he did not have more than enough to do with his work, family, community and church responsibilities. By learning more, he says, he will be of greater usefulness to the church. Moreover, he now senses that God may be calling him to the ordained ministry in the future, perhaps when he reaches retirement age. Give thanks to God for the ministries of many church leaders like Peter. When trained, ordained, church supported ministers like Monare Petso have to care for as many as 24 congregations, it is obvious how much leadership and ministry has to be supplied voluntarily by people like Peter Baakwalanya. Yours faithfully, Lawrence C Gilley Return to index page