Though approaching his ninth decade of life, Amos Sobambela still celebrates learning.
He enters into study of God’s Word at Bethany Bible School in Mthatha, South Africa, with enthusiasm that belies his age. Such focus and energy at a time of life when many are considering retirement are remarkable anywhere in the world, but they are especially countercultural among the Xhosa, Sobambela’s ethnic group.
As a church secretary of the Church of God in Zion, Sobambela has arrived at a position in life where, as a wise elder, he can expect to be listened to and served—not taught.
“In Xhosa culture, there is a time for service and a time for being served, a life-stage for receiving instruction and a life-stage for giving it,” says Joe Sawatzky, a Mennonite Mission Network teacher at Bethany.
Sobambela is not the only elder that Bethany Bible School serves. Visitors are often startled by so many “old people who still want to learn” when they walk into an animated session of scriptural study at Bethany, Sawatzky says.
“Perhaps their surprise is due to the fact that in most countries, learners are people between the ages of 5 and 22, between primary school and university,” Sawatzky says.
Another mature Bethany Bible School student leader, Mavis Tshandu, is a nurse who has experience in HIV-AIDS education. Tshandu conducted a workshop in her area of expertise for Bethany students in March. This workshop, part of a series that addresses social issues affecting South African society, empowered students with tools to tackle what often seems like an overwhelming burden in their communities.
At the end of the HIV-AIDS workshop, Sobambela says, “Before Jesus Christ left this earth, he asked his father not to take his disciples out of the world but to keep them.”
As long as he has not been taken out of the world, Sobambela continues, he knows that God intends to ‘‘keep him” by renewing him through knowledge.
Sobambela sees the privilege of learning as proof of God’s love for him, Sawatzky says. “Amos Sobambela is, like his biblical namesake, also a prophet.”
At a Bethany workshop on community mobilization last October, Thandi Gumbi, a Zulu guest instructor in her 30s, received a remarkable statement of hospitality and humility from Tata K. Zangqa, a Xhosa bishop four decades her senior.
“We are your children, and you are our teacher,” Zangqa said.
Sawatzky explains that according to culture, Gumbi was Zangqa’s “intombazana,” or “little girl, one who could be ordered to fetch his tea.”
With these few words, the bishop, like Jesus, laid aside his privileges of gender, age and insider status. Such recognition by an old man is a work of the Holy Spirit, a confession of faith, Sawatzky says.
Though Bethany Bible School was founded in 1982 to train leaders in African-Initiated Churches, some leaders of mainline churches are taking note of the far-reaching education Bethany offers. African-Initiated Churches, churches that were founded by Africans with worship and practice meaningful to local Christians, differ from mainline denominations, which were planted by expatriate missionaries.
When Anna and Joe Sawatzky met with Fikile Mbabama, the Anglican canon of the Mthatha Diocese of St. John’s, to discuss the raise of rental fees for the office space they share, the canon said, “I have seen the fruits of your labors.” Mbabama told the Sawatzkys that prior to coming to Mthatha he ministered in a rural area where there were many African-Initiated Churches.
He was impressed with the quality of preaching in some of the African-initiated congregations. When he affirmed the leaders, Mbabama reported that the leaders replied, “Yes, we are going to Bethany.”
Students from 45 African-initiated denominations travel up to 60 miles, many in the cramped conditions of minibus taxis, to study at Bethany Bible School six times each year.
Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, Mennonite Church Canada Witness and Mennonite Mission Network collaborate through the Southern Africa Partnership Council to walk alongside this ministry.
Anna and Joe Sawatzky and their four young sons have lived in Mthatha and have worked through Mennonite Mission Network since 2006.
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact Andrew Clouse at andrewc@mmnworld.net, 574-523-3024 or 866-866-2872, ext. 23024.
