Three-Year Plan (2010-2012)

Diocese of the Rift Valley
Anglican Church of Tanzania







Vision

Christians who know the true God, are saved in body, mind and spirit, and are increasing the Kingdom of God through fellowship with their fellow mission partners.

Mission

To continue the work begun under the leadership of the first bishop of our diocese; to follow the plans of the diocese that will enable God’s people to do His work, which is to teach and preach the gospel, touching the lives of all people and bringing healing to body, mind and spirit.

 
Goals

1. To strengthen the diocesan evangelistic effort so that the number of Christians will increase from 98,500 to 105,100.

Objectives

  1. To conduct one evangelistic meeting each year in each church, parish and deanery.
  2. To conduct training seminars for Christians who have made a commitment during evangelistic meetings in each church, parish and deanery.
  3. To conduct soul healing seminars in one parish in each deanery each year.
  4. To send a team of five evangelists to plant churches in the Northern Zone of the diocese.
  5. To carry out door to door evangelism.
  6. To show the film of ‘the life and ministry of Jesus.
  7. To start Bible study classes using the ‘Faith comes through hearing cassette tapes programme’.

Implementation

  1. To increase the number of Christians by 2,200 every year. This is the equivalent of 200 Christians in each deanery each year. The pastor, evangelism committee of each church, parish and deanery will oversee the implementation.
  2. Each church, parish and deanery will set up an evangelism committee to raise awareness and to implement the plans.

Evaluation

  1. Monthly each priest will report progress to the local Rural Dean.
  2. Monthly deanery reports will be given at each Diocesan Council

2. To become a self-sustaining community that can depend on the time talent and treasure (gifts) of the church.

Objectives

  1. To continue to provide education in stewardship so that the income share provided by the annual offerings to support St. John’s Place, Kilimatinde Hospital, and Kilimatinde Nursing Training school will increase from 0.8% to 50%.
  2. To ensure the financial independence of the diocese by collecting an annual contribution from every Christian that is not less than TSh 1000.
  3. To encourage the church, parish, and deanery to start income generating projects, such as farming and keeping livestock (pigs, cows, goats, chickens etc).
  4. To reintroduce the Church Central Fund (CCF) with each church required to contribute 25% of their annual income to this fund, which will be used to support the Diocesan Headquarters.
  5. To build schools.
  6. To build hostels.
  7. To build conference halls.
  8. To start a milling machine project.

Implementation

  1. Trainers will give seminars for Christians one Sunday in each month.
  2. A list of all Christians and their giving records will be kept for follow-up purposes. All money will be kept in a special diocesan account with the NMB bank in the Manyoni, Singida and Kiomboi branches.
  3. A system will be established whereby each Christian can contribute once or twice per year depending on their ability.
  4. Committees to oversee annual offerings will be established. They will be responsible for the collection of offerings and their use.
  5. Each church will contribute 25% of its annual income to the Church Central Fund (CCF).
  6. Project descriptions will be written and sent to our friends in and outside the country.

Evaluation

  1. Reports of the implementation of these objectives will be given to Rural Deans each month, and they will report to those responsible for overseeing annual giving and the Diocesan Council.
  2. The Development Officer will report all projects implemented by the diocese to the Diocesan Council.

3. To complete the projects started in the past: Rift Valley Hostel, Pharmacy, St. John’s Place, Nurses’ Training School, Kilimatinde Hospital and Ntope Water Project.

Objectives

  1. To raise awareness amongst Christians in each area concerning giving of their time and money.
  2. To seek contributions from friends within and outside our Diocese.
  3. To renovate all old and derelict buildings at St. John’s Place, Kilimatinde Hospital and Kilimatinde Nurses Training School.

Implementation

  1. The building of the Rift Valley Hostel, Rift Valley Pharmacy, the Cathedral and Ntope and Kilimatinde water projects to be completed by December 2012.
  2. The dormitories at St. John’s Place and the management offices, all the wards of Kilimatinde Hospital, and the dormitories and classrooms of Kilimatinde Nurses Training School to be completed and renovated.
  3. The deanery buildings committees will oversee and follow up on the implementation.
  4. The diocesan buildings department and the heads of the institutions concerned will also oversee and follow up the implementation.

Evaluation

The Diocesan Council will be given a building report each time it meets.

4. To raise the level of education of all workers and all Christians.

Objectives

  1. To develop the abilities of pastors, catechists, evangelists and their wives through the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) programme developed by the theological University and others Colleges.
  2. To have a clear system of division of payment between the individual and the church, parish, deanery, diocese and friends from within and outside the diocese.
  3. To establish a diocesan training fund that will receive contributions from the diocese and the friends of the diocese.
  4. To appoint a diocesan officer of Christian education and a diocesan officer of education.
  5. To provide Christian training in each parish through listening to cassette tapes, TEE, Mothers’ Union and Sunday School.
  6. To provide Christian training in each primary and secondary school, as well as in colleges.
  7. To re-introduce Bible study to all Christians in each church in Fridays.
  8. To emphasise Christian training through Mothers’ Union programmes each Tuesday.

Implementation

  1. Each year 40 pastors, catechists and evangelists will complete an ACT (Anglican Church of Tanzania) certificate in theology.
  2. Each year 5 pastors will be sent to study for a diploma, 2 for an undergraduate degree and one for a masters degree.
  3. From 2009-2012 one worker will receive a PhD in medicine and 5 others should reach various levels of qualifications.
  4. Deanery leaders of TEE and the diocesan officer for education will oversee all plans for TEE and Christian education through listening to cassette tapes and Sunday School. They will be assisted by parish and church leaders. Sunday School and Mothers’ Union leaders will also be involved.

Evaluation

  1. Pastors should evaluate and give monthly reports to Rural Deans on the ‘Faith comes through listening cassette tapes programme’, TEE and Sunday School programmes.
  2. The diocesan officers of education and Christian education will report to the Diocesan Council.
  3. The Diocesan Council will receive these reports at each meeting.

5. To improve our church services.

Objectives

  1. To establish a Christian bookshop in each deanery by September 30th 2011.
  2. To produce a list of all Christians, both adults and children in every church.
  3. To produce a list of communicants for each church by September 30th 2011.
  4. To encourage individuals and churches to buy service books (bibles, prayer books, hymn books) by 2012.
  5. To carry out deanery seminars about church services for all pastors each year.
  6. To encourage good preparation in services, good maintenance and the cleanliness of equipment and the use of coloured vestments according to the seasons of the church year.
  7. To improve choir groups through deanery and area events.

Implementation

  1. Each year 100 churches will buy new service books. Pastors and evangelism committees will oversee this.
  2. The youth department will oversee the choir groups to ensure their full participation in services and events.
  3. To encourage all Christian individuals to buy service books.

Evaluation

  1. Rural Deans will carry out evaluation each month and keep records of achievements.
  2. Each diocesan council meeting will be given deanery reports showing how many Christians have bought service books.

6. To enable 11,000 Christians to join small church groups to enhance their economic and spiritual development as individuals.

Objectives

  1. To develop the economic groups that already exist, to encourage the formation of new groups and to register them through parish councils and rural deanery councils.
  2. To seek funds and the support from friends of the DRV within and outside of Tanzania.
  3. To offer training in tailoring at all our institutions.

Implementation

  1. To register 11 groups per year, that is, one group per deanery, through parish councils
  2. Parish councils, deaneries and the diocesan finance department will be responsible for overseeing the development of the groups.
  3. To register and train 50 people per year in tailoring.

Evaluation

  1. Rural Deans and pastors will report to the Diocesan Council giving the number of groups that have been registered by the parish councils, the number of members in each group, the work they are involved in and whether they are still continuing.
  2. The diocesan finance department will report on the total number of groups in the diocese for each deanery.

7. In each parish to provide a good-quality house for the pastor, a good-quality church building and a car for the pastor.

Objectives

  1. To raise awareness amongst Christians of the importance of having a quality church building, pastor’s house and transportation for their pastor.
  2. Each Rural Dean is to have a motorbike.
  3. To establish deanery committees to oversee the building work and the purchase of vehicles.

Implementation

  1. 30% of the building of churches and pastors’ houses should be complete by the end of 2010, 70% by the end of 2011 and 100% by end of 2012.
  2. By December 2011 each parish should have established a fund for the purchase of a vehicle and in 2012 they should purchase the vehicle.

Evaluation

Pastors will report to Rural Deans each month. These reports will show the parishes that have set up funds or have bought vehicles.

8. To provide funds so that one or more persons may travel outside the diocese for work or evangelistic mission.

Objectives

  1. Each parish/deanery is to save each month to send one person outside the diocese.
  2. To establish a diocesan fund to which each parish will contribute.

Implementation

  1. Each year parishes, deaneries or the diocese will send one person outside the parish, deanery or diocese for mission purposes.
  2. One person will be sent outside the country for a period of at least 3 weeks or more.

Evaluation

The diocesan department of evangelism will report to the Diocesan Council on this goal.

9. To combat HIV/AIDS.

Objectives

  1. To deliver HIV/AIDS education each month in every parish, church and deanery.
  2. To care for the physical and spiritual welfare of those living with HIV/AIDS in their homes.
  3. To provide the essential needs for widows and orphans.
  4. To raise awareness amongst people both within and outside our country of the size of the problem of HIV/AIDS and to seek funding to help meet the needs of those with this disease.
  5. To establish an HIV/AIDS fund in each parish and to ask people to contribute generously.

Implementation

  1. The names of all orphans in each parish will be recorded with an explanation of which parents have died.
  2. The needs of orphans will be identified and parish HIV/AIDS committees will be used to provide assistance.
  3. Clinics will be established offering counselling and testing for STDs in Kilimatinde hospital and St. Pauls VTC, Singida.
  4. Those living with HIV/AIDS will be assisted with basic needs, for example, loans to start small projects, nutritious food and medicines, which reduce the symptoms of HIV/AIDS.
  5. Orphans will be assisted in obtaining school uniforms, exercise books, shoes, pencils, medical services and school fees.

Evaluation

The HIV/AIDS committee of each parish, Kilimatinde hospital and St. Paul’s hospital, Singida will report to the diocesan secretary of the Mothers’ Union and she will report to the Diocesan Council at each meeting.

10. To conserve the environment and water sources

Objectives

  1. To encourage each church to plant and care for 100 trees every year, that is, for the diocese to plant 25,300 trees per year.
  2. To encourage all Christians to plant trees at their homes and farms.
  3. To conserve water sources such as springs, dams, lakes, etc.
  4. By 2012 to provide a local source of water in 5 villages that currently have water problems.
  5. To write a funding proposal to send to various organisations and friends to ask for assistance.
  6. To look after the environment of each church.

Implementation

  1. Records will be kept of trees that have been planted by churches and individuals. Church and parish secretaries and pastors will oversee this.
  2. 5 or more villages with water problems will be identified and work to dig wells or create dams will be started.
  3. Everyone in the areas concerned will be encouraged to contribute financially or practically to enable the implementation of this goal.

Evaluation

  1. Parish water committees will report to pastors who will report to Rural Deans.
  2. Rural Deans will report to the Diocesan Council on tree planting and water projects.

Bishop John's sermon from 16 December, 2007

Text: John 3:22-36

May I speak in the name of the father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the reading from the Gospel of John today, we heard the story of John the Baptist and his disciples. The disciples, offended with the increasing popularity of Jesus' ministry, came to John the Baptist saying that they have heard about Jesus baptising people and that a lot of people are going to him.

Everyone will be interested to hear John the Baptist's response to this question. In his answers we learn four important points:

1. John the Baptist had no jealousy with the increasing popularity of Jesus' ministry. But his disciples were jealous because Jesus was becoming more popular than their master. It is a shame to see this same spirit of jealousy in our churches today. You may see some church members in Africa who want all what are the best to be theirs but not to be for others. They want the best to be in their particular churches but not to be in other churches or denominations. They want to be more successful than others. That spirit of selfishness and jealousy, which was in John the Baptist's disciples, is clearly present in the churches of Africa today! It might be present in other churches everywhere in the world-even here in the Diocese of the Rift Valley. Let us open wide our eyes to have that bigger heart and mind that John the Baptist had, to want the best for all.

2. John the Baptist is portrayed here as a very humble man with humble words. When they said that Christ's popularity was increasing, he answered that 'a man can receive only what is given him from heaven'. Then he reminded them of what he said in the past that 'he [John] is not the Christ'. He then emphatically said that Christ must and will become greater and greater and that he himself will become less and less important until he has completely disappeared. A frame of mind like this is the highest degree of grace we can possess. The greatest saints in history, such as Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Paul and John the Baptist were all humble men. Let us walk in their footsteps and long for humility. The way to true honour is to be humble leaders of our families, communities or churches.

3. John the Baptist declares that Jesus deserves the honour and dignity. He teaches his disciple once more the true greatness of the person whose growing popularity offended them. Once more he proclaims him as one worthy of all honour and praise. He speaks of him as 'the bridegroom' of the Church, as 'the one who comes from above', as 'the one who God has sent', as 'the one to whom the spirit is given without limit', as 'the one who the Father loves' and 'the Father has placed everything in his hands'. Let us make an effort in life and death to hold the same view of the Lord Jesus, to which John the Baptist here gives expression. He is worthy of all the honour that we can give him. He will be all in heaven. Let us see to it, that he is all in our hearts on earth.

4. There will always be those around us who have the potential to become leaders. We might have a jealous view because they don't come from the same tribe as we do, or the same denomination or religion, they may be younger or a woman. There are many human prejudices that stop us doing the right thing. May we learn from John the Baptist this day and have the wisdom and grace to see the good in others and do all we can to be encouragers. Amen

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