Of all the things the diverse nations of the continent of Africa have in common, none is so stark as the shared fact of the conflicts that have plagued so many nations for so many years. The nature of those conflicts differs from country to country but there is a sameness to the result: chaos and hardship caused by forces of evil that threaten the peace and ignore God's promise of abundant life for all God's children; country after country and ministry after ministry hobbled by the devastation; families torn apart and children left to fend for themselves in a world where neighbors are turned against each other, hope is battered, and dreams are trampled. The fallen buildings left in the wake of fighting assault the eye. But it is the damage to the ministries once housed within them-- ministries that breathed life into those structures by serving God's children--that assault the spirit.

In the words of Bishop Joseph C. Humper, "It is our freedom to worship God that is helping the people hold on and not give up easily. In the midst of all this pain and anguish and trouble, when they hear the church bell they go to give praise to God for everything. The spiritual life of the people has become the medication for the people. They go from one suffering to another and still they say, `I believe God is there, I believe that he will help us make it through.' We are being called to go and preach the gospel and come rain or come shine, we must go because people are waiting for us. Muslims are waiting for us. Christians are waiting for us. Even those who profess not to worship God in any way are waiting for us to come and speak to their consciences and strike their hearts to return to the God who made them. And that can only be possible if we have our structures rebuilt and our ministries restored to tend to the welfare of our children. If we do not care for them soon there will be no one left to go and preach." ¹

The Council of Bishops has resolved to lead the global United Methodist family in faithful response to circumstances that for all their brutality, have not weakened this vibrant Christian witness coming out of Africa.

The appeal is for donations of new monies, materials, and labor specifically for rebuilding in those countries where so many church buildings have been destroyed or have decayed because they had to be abandoned during the years of fighting. Much of the money will be dedicated to rebuilding and restocking churches, schools, hospitals, and seminaries so that old ministries can be renewed and special programs to minister to children of war can begin.

Here are brief descriptions of the situation in some areas where churches and ministries have been damaged or destroyed by war: [A complete list of structures and ministries in need of rebuilding and restoration is being compiled for distribution.]

• In the Angola East area, where the fragile economy continues to be strained by the influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), mission staff reports almost total destruction. Schools and education ministries that had been responsible for educating thousands of youngsters over the years have had to cease operations and the buildings must be rebuilt so that those ministries can be restored.
• In the Angola West area, which is relatively peaceful, the church remains spiritually strong in spite of ruined churches in the cities and the provinces. These churches once housed important ministries for children for every day that they are left in ruins, more children are denied the material and spiritual services they need.
• In Rwanda, where ethnic hostilities continue, hundreds of people congregate on Sundays to worship under torn and tattered tarps stretched between buildings. Homeless refugees, many of them abandoned children, are returning home from refugee camps with no churches in which to worship and no ministries in place to tend to their well-being.
• In Burundi, thousands of destitute children who lost their families in a civil war that has plagued the country since 1993 now roam the streets of Bujumbura begging for money, with no ministries in place to care for them. The war has resulted in a massive loss of church buildings, but the church is alive in spirit.
• In Kenya, where so many Burundians have fled, people crowd into the churches they are building in the villages to house new congregations. Parents who have spent their last dollars trying to educate their children now struggle to find the money and the facilities to keep those children in school.
• In Mozambique, where peace after 15 years of civil war is making it possible for many people to gradually return to their homes, church membership is growing rapidly. Members are trying to repair churches, schools and hospitals. The church has been very successful in bringing together children who have lost parents with parents who have lost children in home-like care settings. However, the loss of so many church structures is making it quite difficult to develop and offer ministries to receive and care for people returning from Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa.
• In Zimbabwe, with 60 percent of its population under the age of 20, lack of churches and trained pastors to minister to people struggling with extreme poverty, AIDS, and little or no access to education, is putting more and more children at risk. There is a growing phenomenon of street children orphaned by AIDS and by the war in Mozambique, which the church must address through special ministries. Church growth is so rapid that there are not enough buildings to contain the worshipers and services are being held in schools, under trees or wherever people can congregate.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose new president, Laurent Kabila, was educated in the United Methodist Church, ironically, the destruction of so many church ministries threatens to permanently stunt the spiritual and educational growth of the next generation of potential church and civic leaders.
• In Sierra Leone, where the centrally located church once reached out into the towns and villages to minister to people, the war has damaged structures and scattered the population. Since the population has become mobile, in an attempt to stay ahead of the rebels, the church must rebuild and find a way to bring care to these people.
• In Liberia, whose economy--like so many others--has been destroyed by the war, schools and churches either have been knocked down in the fighting or fallen down after the years of emptiness when the war kept people away. Because so many children were forcibly conscripted into the military, there are serious aftereffects and emotional trauma that must be addressed through special ministries with these children.
• In Nigeria, where hardship persists because rich natural resources have not translated into prosperity for the people, church membership of 170,000 United Methodists is projected to grow to 200,000. With such a large rate of growth projected the conference is stretched to the limit in its evangelistic outreach because of inadequate conference facilities. ²

In these places and others on the continent of Africa, the Church is called to be a prophetic presence; called to confront; called to be in solidarity with those for whom justice has been elusive; and called to be a sign of hope when despair most threatens to extinguish the joy in the hearts of God's people.