Play Well with Others

Tomorrow I'm flying to NYC to attend a cocktail reception on Manhattan's classy upper east side to celebrate Bishop Ntambo's 2010 Peacemaker in Action Award given by the Tanenbaum Center. Social class wise, this is way over my head. What to wear? I'm trusting that a black preacher suit with clerical collar will excuse my obvious poverty.

The Tanebaum Center recognizes leaders who find interfaith solutions to human conflicts. Bishop Ntambo is receiving this award not only for being a peace maker, but for working with Catholics, Pentecostals, Muslims, Animists, and secular groups for the cause of peace.

I've seen Ntambo in action in community meetings. He shows tremendous respect for a local chief or the one we have called "witch doctor." He treats Catholic bishops and Pentecostal church leaders as brothers. He is always first to respond to women as peers at the table. Even though the Islamic community is small in Kamina, Bishop Ntambo prays and works for the success of its Imam.

This is the same pastor who, as an evangelist, has started over 150 United Methodist churches himself. Under his episcopal leadership, the United Methodist Church in North Katanga has quadrupled in membership. (during a war) Yet somehow, there is no competition in his manner. He is happy for the success of all in the community and will give money to a Pentecostal preacher to drill a well in his village or metal roofing sheets to the Imam for the new mosque.

Bishop Ntambo has taught his pastors and church lay leaders to be proud to be United Methodists. The cross and flame is painted boldly on church, school, and clinic signs. But the Bishop has taught us something else. In North Katanga, a distinguishing mark of a United Methodist is that we play well with others. We pray well with others. We work well with others.

The payoff has been that the Bishop became the trusted leader of the community. When he called for all faith leaders to come together, they came. Again, no bait and switch. It was genuine.

When the war in eastern Congo heated up in late 1998, and The United Methodist Church evacuated its missionaries, Bishop Ntambo decided that the Church would stand fast. He continued to appoint pastors to dangerous appointments inside the war zone. He asked them to stay when others were fleeing and some gave their lives to do this. In many cases, the United Methodist pastor was the only pastor left in a village. They became the pastors of all the congregations, not just United Methodist ones. The conference continued to build new churches and parsonages, schools, and clinics. In the midst of panic and chaos, The United Methodist Church established stability and hope. In a war where machete and rape were the weapons of choice, United Methodist pastors stayed in place to be ministers.

The United Methodist Church didn't grow because it had a slick marketing plan. It grew because it became the Church it was called to be. Counter logically, it did not practice a competition with other faith traditions, but prayed with and worked alongside all.

I am puzzled though, with all the studying going on within The United Methodist Church on why we are in decline, it took a secular peace center of Jewish roots to recognize what one of our bishops has done. If I wanted to know how The United Methodist Church might transform itself, I'd ask the Tanebaum Center.

Bob