June 2008

Anathoth is the headquarters of Africa Upper Room Ministries. On five acres of land near Johannesburg, South Africa, it takes its name from the Jeremiah passage in which land at Anathoth is purchased as a sign of hope for the future. Anathoth is, for Upper Room Ministries, a sign of hope for the future of Africa. This newsletter from staff-person Roland Rink brings news from this important ministry.

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Pentecost greetings to you!

The suggested Upper Room daily devotional guide bible reading for Pentecost Sunday (11th May) is especially relevant for this issue of the Anathoth Newsletter:

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
-2 Corinthians 9:6-15

It has taken since our opening on the 16th October, 2002 until now for the proposed plans for the development of the Anathoth property to become a reality. (See diagram). Many hours of prayer, discussion, dialogue and listening to each other is represented in this diagram.

At the 2002 Anathoth opening ceremony, prophetic words were spoken -- Bishop Emilio de Carvalho said: "May Anathoth represent the hope and faith that God has planted in our hearts. At a time when African people are looking for new meaning in their lives, there is nothing better than the ministry of The Upper Room. May Anathoth be the centre from where God's light may irradiate our lives and bring a new hope of peace and reconciliation into lives." Bishop Mvume Dandala said: "We have said all along that Africa will not embrace the path of holiness until the leadership is equipped to know how to be agents of spiritual transformation. It's early days yet, but Anathoth will be a constant milestone for us on this journey. We will remember not only the vision entrusted to us, but also those who invested in the dream of God."

We're moving with deliberate steps towards fulfilling these words in partnership with the Oklahoma Conference and other partners. Any development at Anathoth will be based on the needs of the community that surrounds us and that we seek to serve. We hope to live out those prophetic words and be a centre that shines with God's Light in the lives of others. We pray that we might become a place where church leadership can be encouraged to be those agents of spiritual transformation.

What is emerging is an initiative in which Christian leaders, incoming and departing mission teams, and many other groups will find encouragement, direction and renewal within a framework entitled "The Centre for Transforming Discipleship." This might take the form of one-day retreats, personal and group time with Spiritual Directors, or possibly other creative ways of engagement.

If the development of the property goes according to plan, there is every hope that the facilities will also be able to accommodate the requirements of programs such as The Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, and Sedibeng in cost effective ways in the future.

Needless to say, there is great excitement. It does mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Africa Upper Room Ministries and especially the Anathoth property.

If you would like to get involved with the development of the property in any way, you might want to contact any one of the following people:

Stephen Bryant (USA), 615-340-7235, sbryant@upperroom.org
Jeremy Basset (USA), 405-530-2028, jbasset@okumc.org
Dale Rust Waymack (USA), 615-340-7236, dwaymack@upperroom.org
John Mitchley (SA), 084 800 3530, johnurmafrica@tiscali.co.za
Roland Rink (SA), 082 519 9699, urmafrica@worldonline.co.za

We ask that you continue to pray for this development that seems so close to starting (we're planning a ceremony for the official breaking of ground sometime in November). We pray that we might receive teams of willing workers to assist us, financial support to enable us, and prayers that will empower and guide us.

You may note that we have not made provision for a chapel on the property. This is definitely part of the project, but we need to be guided in where that will be situated. It seems that 5 acres are not sufficient as we look at the diagram. It's interesting that the adjacent property to Anathoth has come up for sale over the past 4 months.

Despite the fact that we are still without telephone lines, now 5 months and counting, ever increasing sales of Upper Room and Discipleship Resource books continues to remind us of the limitless love of God and the deep hunger of the African people for good quality spiritual resources.

The stock of the book on the history of mission in Southern Africa edited by Rev. Dion Forster and Rev. Wessel Bentley is due to arrive this week. We thank all those who have been patiently waiting for this important book to arrive.

During our travels, we've met with a number of churches during the past three months. By all accounts, we're about to receive a number of visitors from many parts of the world beginning at the end of May. Those who are traveling should feel free to communicate with us if any questions/queries arise before setting out. It does look as if our partners across the road, Common Ground, are going to be busy!

For every meeting holds the seed of parting
We are but vagabonds of God
Blowing where the Spirit wills
Hopefully leaving behind
A little of what we have garnered
While gathering up the stars.
Pray therefore
That we might always have
The vision to venture
The patience to persevere
The determination to succeed
And the courage to fail.

We go forward,
Roland