February 17, 2006

Roofs Over Africa Exceeds Goal:
A New Tune Ringing in the Rafters!

When asked in 2004 to consider an Africa Mission Field assignment, I reflected on the Africans I had met—musical, intelligent, witty, laughing, joyful people. Having spent the majority of my 20 years of appointee life living out of a suitcase in countries other than my own, I was unsure if I was ready to resume an itinerant and nomadic lifestyle. But my mind returned to the African people who had attracted and influenced me.

Iniobong Edet supervised construction in Ekim

One of the first projects of my new assignment was helping plan for Roofs Over Africa. Travel in Africa had confronted me with congregation after congregation where the need for weatherproof worship facilities was crucial. Roofs Over Africa, a plan to raise $207,000 to construct roofs for 36 Community of Christ churches, is the most ambitious designated-giving project the church has ever attempted.

The World Church Leadership Council advanced $60,000 from the International Capital Fund (ICF) so that construction could begin before the rainy season. If contributions were received beyond what was needed, the surplus would be returned to the ICF for use in building churches in other places around the world.

Congregational economic wellness is influenced by various factors. War, famine, political unrest, lack of technology, climate, poor health, and poor nutrition all have prevented weatherproof facilities from becoming common. Thus I was quickly engaged in the struggle to select which 36 congregations to support to raise a roof. As the selection process ended, Africa mission centers continued planning transportation and construction schedules, giving thought to which roofs would be built first, how farming activities would have an impact, and how to work around the rainy season, which in many places halts or seriously hinders travel.

Even on launch day, people all over the world responded. As youth gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 2005 Africa International Youth Forum (IYF) in August 2005, news was received from the Independence, Missouri, USA, SPECTACULAR and IYF that donations had already been received for two roofs. The joy of attendees was immense.

Happiness Akpattah

Happiness Akpattah, a young woman from Nigeria, was amazed that young people would give to strangers they would likely never meet. After just becoming accustomed to the idea that Community of Christ is in 10 African countries, she commented, “This Community of Christ is even bigger and more caring than any of my friends would ever understand.”

A flurry of construction in each mission center was under way. Within weeks the West Africa village Ekim replaced their weather-beaten roof. Iniobong Edet, volunteer minister and grandson of a pioneer in establishing the church in Nigeria, supervised the construction. He stated, “For the first time, the people of Ekim can now worship and pray in their church all year round—even when storms rage.”

Red Light congregation

At the dedication of the Red Light congregational building in Monrovia (Liberia), volunteer leader Terry Pine thanked the many local people who assisted in the physical construction. He said, “Brothers and sisters around the world supplied the bricks, mortar, timber, and iron sheets, but we put it together all for the glory of God.” This is the wonderful testimony of Roofs Over Africa.

Many people in various parts of the world have supported potlucks, street stalls, or sacrifice offerings to contribute to this worthy project. Meanwhile many people throughout Africa have added value and blessing to such gifts through hundreds of hours of manual labor. Together an awesome partnership has been forged and thousands of disciples understand a little more about what it means to be part of a “worldwide church dedicated to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit.”

Kasungu Chipala's new building

At Kasungu Chipala, Malawi, villagers were very thankful for their new structure, which will be used for many aspects of communal village life. Able to construct their building well within the sum granted, their leaders used the surplus to assist Boyoli, a smaller congregation about 20 kilometers away, in raising its roof. As African members responded with the sharing of their labor and energy, increasingly congregations completed construction within budget and handed their surplus to others not initially selected to receive aid.

This partnership of generous gifts, blessed by the dedicated hard labor of faithful, committed members, is changing the church in Africa. As people have responded to the urgent call to “look to the needs of your own congregations, but look also beyond your walls to the far-flung places where the church must go” (Doctrine and Covenants 162d), wonderful changes have occurred.

Africans naturally build up our church daily as they witness to others of the significance of Christ as experienced through the Community of Christ. Now, through the gift of material, timber, iron, bricks, and mortar, they are also building up weatherproof, long-standing congregational spiritual homes.

All over Africa new roofs have been and are being raised. Shelters like these
Lilongwe	Lusaka
are turning into buildings like these, thanks to generous disciples from throughout the worldwide church.
Ekim	Kasungu Chipala

May we all continue to recall the admonition “to share equally in the outreaching ministries of the church. In that way the gospel may be sent to other souls also yearning for a spiritual resting place” (Doctrine and Covenants 162d).

Chisemphere, Malawi

In many places, these buildings—so full of faithful disciples many times a week—are wonderful, stable places of spiritual and communal well-being. Members dance and sing as they worship. There is, however, a new tune that is ringing out, caused by the change in congregational acoustics—all due to the many new roofs over Africa.

—Malcolm Stephenson reporting

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