Stories (old)

Photo by Judith Osongo Yanga, UMNS.
Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda (right) gives a Bible to a United Methodist pastor in Kindu, Congo, as part of the church’s Bikes and Bibles ministry to help pastors make disciples in inaccessible areas.

The size of the East Congo Episcopal Area and the inaccessibility and state of certain roads has made deep evangelization difficult.

However, The United Methodist Church’s Bikes and Bibles ministry is helping East Congo leaders overcome those obstacles so that they can fulfill their mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ all over the world, said Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda.

“Let’s lift ourselves and build our vision. The bikes and motorcycles that you receive from our partners are means available to help us reach our priority and realize or materialize our vision that is drawn from the book of Nehemiah 2:18,” Unda said.

Since 2014, the Bikes and Bibles ministry has been providing bicycles, motorbikes and native-language Bibles to pastors in the United Methodist connection, especially those in Africa.

The Rev. Diowo Floribert Mulamba, district superintendent from the Kindu North District, said 95 percent of district churches are inaccessible by vehicle and there are some places inaccessible even by motorcycle. Continue Reading

Photo be E Julu Swen, UMNS
Pastor James Yarkpawolo said his pastoral ministry at Telemu United Methodist Church in Liberia has greatly improved since he received a bicycle as part of The United Methodist Church’s Bikes and Bibles ministry.

One month after receiving a motorbike, Pastor William Kulah of Gbanjuloma United Methodist Church said it is helping him with his pastoral ministry in the Lofa River District.

“I can now go to other communities besides my assigned local church and evangelize for The United Methodist Church,” he said.

Kulah said that prior to being given the motorbike through the church’s Bikes and Bibles ministry, he was spending his personal money to do the work of the church.

“It was too expensive for me as a pastor who is not paid by the local church, district or the annual conference,” he said.

With the motorbike, he said, it takes him five hours to get to his assigned church.

“I always leave on Saturday to be able to start church services on time and even visit members of the church to encourage them to come to church on Sunday,” he said.

Kulah said he allows himself time to rest before returning home to his family on Tuesday of each week. He pointed out that most of the church members are now coming to church regularly since they are confident that the pastor will be there each Sunday.

Though assigned to Gbanjuloma United Methodist Church, Kulah is now able to visit Gbanju and Yarpuah United Methodist churches, where there aren’t any pastors assigned due to a lack of resources. Continue Reading

The Mondema Circuit is a hilly terrain with bad roads, some impassable for cars or vans. So Simbo’s ministry got a big boost at the Sierra Leone Conference meeting in Bo, when he received one of three brand new motorbikes through a project called Bikes & Biblescoordinated by Joe Kilpatrick of the North Georgia Conference. Fifteen evangelists from remote communities where transportation is a challenge received three motorbikes, 10 new bicycles and 30 Bibles.

“For the shorter distances I used to walk. For long distances like Kamboma — 25 miles away — and Pondoru — 18 miles, I would hire a motorbike to visit congregations once in three months,” Simbo said.

The rainy season has started in Sierra Leone, and the muddy roads make travel even tougher. Simbo would normally wait for the rains to end and roads to dry up — usually a minimum of four months — before going to places like Kamboma and Pondoru. During those months, he got in touch with the congregations through letters and messages often hand delivered by commercial motorbike riders. Continue Reading