Der Weg zu kirchlicher Selbständigkeit

Anmerkungen zur Geschichte der Moravian Church in South West Tanzania (MCSWT) 1952 bis 1965. Erinnerungen an die Jahre meines Dienstes in Ostafrika / Tansania

Abstract

From 1950 to 1970, political developments and changes altered the picture of the map of Africa fundamentally. Former colonies and territories under mandate regimes became independent states with their own government and national independence. This also had profound consequences for the self-image of the local population. As a result, faith communities formerly established as mission territories developed into autonomous African churches, which then regulated their own affairs without formally being dependent on and continuing to be directed by the original churches or mission societies on whose initiative they had originated. From that point, partnerships developed with them, which strengthened their fellowship and enabled new forms of cooperation to be found. These observations by Beck, who personally experienced and contributed to this development in Tanzania, clearly demonstrate paradigmatically, so to speak, using the example of the Moravian Mission and Church in Tanzania, how in many places this occurred in parallel to individual political developments. Characteristic of this development was the Africanization of all functions and management positions from foreign staff (missionary expatriates) to African officials and the transfer of all responsibilities to them. For African Christians, this goal seemed to have been achieved when Anosisye Jongo was installed as the first African Chairman of the Moravian Church’s Provincial Board in 1968. In the penultimate sections, the author reports on negotiations between the major Christian denominations in Tanzania and Kenya about the project of forming a common large church in East Africa. This did not lead to the goal intended, but it did result in greater closeness and cooperation between the churches involved. Since the sources for this subject are difficult to access, this report is largely of a personal nature.