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The warning goes “Be careful what you
ask for. You just might get it.”
Dr. Enoch E. Holloway,
pastor of Friendship Chapel Baptist
Church in Wake Forest, along with
representatives from Wake Baptist Grove
in Garner and Poplar Springs Christian
Church in Raleigh will travel to
Zimbabwe in the southern part of Africa
on May 14 for a three-week mission trip.
Did they ask for this mission? Not
necessarily. However, they have become
the answer to the question, so to speak.
The mission began from a
simple question posed by the people of
Zimbabwe to Dr. James Seymour, head of
the School of Religion and Philosophy at
St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh. Dr.
Seymour lived, taught, and served as a
missionary in Zimbabwe for approximately
15 years, and the people of Zimbabwe
asked, ‘Where are the African-American
missionaries?’ Dr. Seymour subsequently
approached ministers who had ties to St.
Augustine’s College, and the mission was
born.
Each of the three noted
African-American congregations has
committed $7,500 which will cover the
initial costs of purchasing the building
and renovation materials needed to
establish a church. “Continued support
is needed. We are trusting God to
provide that support through us and any
others who would like to contribute,”
said Dr. Holloway. The mission will
include dedication of the church
building, preaching and teaching of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as an
assessment of the needs of the people
there.
“Statistics show that 35
percent of the population in Zimbabwe is
infected with HIV/AIDS. Help is needed
and the faith community here is reaching
out,” Dr. Holloway saod.
As word spread, more
contributions have been made toward the
mission. At a joint service held at
Poplar Springs Christian Church on April
29, and attended by the congregants of
the three sponsoring churches, as well
as congregants from Wakefield Community
Church in Raleigh and Cary First
Christian Church in Cary, $4,500 was
collected in a freewill offering –
enough to build a community center to
accompany the new church.
Dr. Seymour will serve as
leader of the mission trip. Bishop
Trevor Manhanga, who was a student of
Dr. Seymour when he served as a
missionary in Zimbabwe, will be overseer
of the newly established church called
“The Motherland Church.”
Be careful what you ask for.
You just might get it – and more.
For information about the
Zimbabwe mission or how to make a
contribution contact Deborah Ellison or
Dr. Holloway at Friendship Chapel
Baptist Church in Wake Forest at (919)
556-1759.
(Contributed by Deborah Ellison.) |
