Isesomo

Joshua Maule

Description

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country ravaged by two civil wars, tribalism, nepotism and the undeniable hardship of daily life. This is the context of the life and ministry of Bishop Muhindo Isesomo and this book tells the remarkable story of his humble, yet bold proclamation of the Good News of Jesus in the jungles of eastern Congo.
Born into a life of loincloths, Isesomo, in the midst of a hedonistic and wild youth had a radical conversion to Christ that set him on a path of sharing the gospel at every opportunity and transforming the lives of those God put in front of him. Without ever seeking higher office or power, but serving with integrity and faithfulness, he was consecrated as Bishop of North Kivu and entrusted with unifying a diocese that had seen years of social and political unrest.
Based on extensive interviews and research, Joshua Maule masterfully tells this true story of a modern hero of the faith. Isesomo continues to declare God’s glory to all who will listen; may this book encourage others to follow his example.

Informations

• Publié par: Langham Creative Projects
• Date de parution: 28 février 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783681754
• Langue: English

Extrait

For a society and a church addicted to comfort and afraid to love, this story of courage and grace is a welcome antidote. Joshua Maule deals impartially and deftly with events that are both confronting and chaotic. From a country sadly synonymous with bad news comes a challenging and inspiring story. Like his Master, Isesomo is bright and salty.
Michael Collie
National Director, SparkLit, Australia
Bishop Isesomo is one of the most impressive evangelical leaders I have encountered throughout my years of ministry. Passionate about the gospel and committed to evangelism, Isesomo’s role in the church in DR Congo has been invaluable. But his life’s beginnings were far from Christ-centred. In this biography, Joshua Maule has written a significant account of one man’s conversion and ministry. This book traces how a young man with an unlikely background, became a follower of Christ and the national head of evangelism for the Anglican Church in DR Congo. In recounting the dramatic transformation of Isesomo’s life and character, Maule’s work bears testimony to the power of God to change lives. Isesomo: God’s Servant in Congo is an engaging portrayal of an inspiring leader whose life has impacted many in Africa and beyond. I commend it to you.
Malcolm Richards
General Secretary, CMS New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
Josh Maule’s admiration for Bishop Isesomo has prompted this engaging story of his life so far. In it we view a humble, affable man preaching Jesus Christ, through war, poverty, controversy and hardship. We also gain insights into the challenges of Christian leadership in DR Congo.
Emma Wild-Wood
Lecturer in World Christianities, University of Cambridge, UK

Isesomo
God’s Servant in Congo
Joshua Maule

© 2017 by Joshua Maule
Published 2017 by Langham Global Library
an imprint of Langham Creative Projects
Langham Partnership
PO Box 296, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 9WZ, UK
www.langham.org
ISBNs:
978-1-78368-174-7 Print
978-1-78368-176-1 Mobi
978-1-78368-175-4 ePub
978-1-78368-177-8 PDF
Joshua Maule has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-78368-174-7
Cover & Book Design: projectluz.com
Langham Partnership actively supports theological dialogue and an author’s right to publish but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions set forth, and works referenced within this publication or guarantee its technical and grammatical correctness. Langham Partnership does not accept any responsibility or liability to persons or property as a consequence of the reading, use or interpretation of its published content.

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“All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15
Contents

Cover


Acknowledgements


Introduction


1 Into the Fray


2 Yesu azali awa na biso (Jesus Is Here with Us)


3 New Births for Butembo


4 Missionaries, Bishops and Bombs


5 Evangelism and Peacemaking


6 War


7 Neutral No Longer


8 A Church in Crisis


9 Bishop’s School


10 Are You Part of the Problem, or the Solution?


11 New Clothes, Same Man


Afterword


About Langham Partnership
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to many people. To Isesomo, for being so open. To Graham and Wendy Toulmin, for ceaselessly championing Congo. To Ngolas, for translating and explaining. To Mike McGowan, Pieter Kwant, Emma Wild-Wood, Graham Toulmin, Alfred Olwa, Bryce McLellan, Andrew Hanna, Charles Raven and Gerald Bray, for proofreading and feedback. To Mum and Dad, for supporting the project directly and in many other ways. Finally, to my beautiful wife, Sara, for her encouragement and love.
Introduction
When Muhindo Isesomo was named the Anglican bishop of North Kivu in Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, his appointment was controversial. He ticked the right boxes for some but not for others.



Just before his consecration in December 2010, a group of detractors from Beni, to the north, made their voices heard. A separation had emerged between Beni and Isesomo’s home city of Butembo further south. The secretary of the Beni Diocese Committee circulated an email on 21 October 2010 saying that Isesomo was not qualified to be a bishop.
The message, written in English, outlined several issues. It stated that during the time of the previous bishop of North Kivu, Munzenda Methusela, the diocese had been “a theatre of serious misunderstandings and conflicts.” The email then began to psychologize, suggesting a “real underlying motive” for the conflict – that “people from Butembo area were tired with a bishop from Beni and they wanted a bishop from Butembo.”
The subtext? Munzenda, who was from Beni, was being replaced by Isesomo, not because Isesomo was the right man for the position, but because Isesomo was from Butembo. The email thus implied that his appointment was the result of tribalism. Additionally, it criticized the diocesan synod in North Kivu for electing Isesomo as bishop because he did not have a theological degree from a university. It said his election was unconstitutional. As a result, the Beni diocese was launching a campaign to remove themselves from the North Kivu diocese. They wanted their own jurisdiction and their own bishop.
On the other hand, many supported Isesomo and regarded his election as bishop as a victory for the gospel and the cause of God’s kingdom in Congo. At last, North Kivu would have a bishop who was a born-again believer and a proven servant of others, they said. To them, Isesomo could not have been more right for the job.
When I was working on this biography, I asked Isesomo about this email. Isesomo characteristically refused to discuss the matter: “Don’t worry about the letter from Beni,” he wrote back. I could have pressed him about it, but church politics is not his game. He is what is called a “grassroots leader.”
Isesomo was not a man born to privilege, nor has he enjoyed an easy life. On the day of his consecration his elaborate robes – paid for by friends abroad – belied his humble upbringing. His Christian commitment and calling came unexpectedly in his early years of adulthood at great cost financially.
It is not controversial to say that Bishop Munzenda, the previous bishop of North Kivu, saw his position as an opportunity for personal gain. That much is clear from Leadership and Authority, a book by Bishop Titre Ande of the Aru diocese in north-eastern Congo. In it, Bishop Ande uses Munzenda’s legacy as a case study to show the dangers of nepotism in church leadership.
Isesomo, for his part, had never wanted to become a bishop. He had been working as the National Coordinator of Evangelism for the Anglican Church, and believed he could continue effectively with that work. It had been a portfolio which allowed him to see more than eight thousand professions of faith among the national army, according to records his team kept. His preaching among soldiers, who are often the perpetrators of unrest, was emblematic of his personal ministry philosophy. Where there was an opportunity to preach the gospel, he would take it. Where not, he would attempt to make one.
When he first began preaching to military units in 2008, he faced many challenges. He would take his place in front of an array of green-clad men clutching rifles, war-hardened men who had taken part in both the twentieth and twenty-first century’s unrelenting brutality. A Congolese journalist described the national army as reasonable men during the daylight hours, but raging lions by night. They had played their part in turning Congo into what one UN official called “the rape capital of the world.” The population in eastern DRC knew what to expect of their army. The people fled when they heard others shrieking – a warning siren in that region. The perpetrators might have been rebel groups or opportunistic bandits, but they could just as likely have been the national army.
Although Isesomo was a seasoned public speaker, it took a while before he was at ease with these men. He delivered a confrontational message to them: “Are you a part of the problem or a part of the solution?” But his message was a word offering forgiveness and reconciliation with God despite the things they had done.
Back then, Isesomo did not have church governance in mind. He believed his position as Coordinator of Evangelism was an opportunity to a