Ugandan missionary to Canada says farewell
Lessons to be learned from Third World missionary to Manitoba
By
Chuck Stephens
Special to ChristianWeek
 Godfrey Mawejje returns to Uganda after six years as a missionary to Manitoba. |
WINNIPEG–Initial
skepticism melted. Anxiety turned to affection.
Those who wondered about his arrival were
saddened at his departure. Godfrey Mawejje and
his wife, Agnes, are on their way home to Uganda. In 1992, the couple came as missionaries to Canada from Uganda. Moving from a compact, densely populated, tropical country to Manitoba, an expansive, sparsely populated, at times frozen landscape, was quite a switch. Mawejje pastored four parishes in central Manitoba–Peguis, Hodgson, Fisherton and Jackhead. The largest of these, the Peguis reserve, is a three-point charge in itself, meaning that Mawejje had six churches to pastor in all. Two of the four parishes are on Indian reserves, forcing Mawejje to adjust to two cultures at once–aboriginal and non-aboriginal, not to mention subcultures within each community. The reserves contain both Objiwa and Cree, while non-natives are diverse–English, French, Ukrainian and Hutterite. But then he comes from a country with 36 languages. |
Common heritage
The ease with which this African priest related to both aboriginal and non-native cultures has strengthened the prospect that others will follow. Church workers from developing countries have an affinity with native culture. Both are traditional societies whose values and beliefs are challenged by the rise of "pop culture." As an African, Mawejje empathized with Canadian natives because his people share a common heritage of foreign domination. That resonance enhanced Mawejje’s ministry on the reserves.
He was also well-liked by people of European descent who, like Mawejje, spoke English as a second language. Mawejje’s Anglican roots also served as a helpful transition as many liturgies and structures remained familiar.
Since Mawejje’s arrival, the Diocese of Ruperts Land in which he worked has twinned with a diocese in Uganda. This twinning, along with his sojourn at Fisher Branch, Manitoba reflect a new mission paradigm called "Partners in Mission." In this framework, regions are assessed according to needs and resources regardless of monetary standing. Canada, for example, may have material surpluses, while at the same time have ministry needs. Uganda, which lists training as a top priority, is not precluded from deploying its personnel to Canada. Further steps are being taken to twin each parish in Ruperts Land with a parish in Uganda. Mawejje’s six years in Manitoba have brought high visibility to this new model of mission. The rise of the church in the southern hemisphere is having an impact on churches worldwide. For example, at this year’s Lambeth conference, southern bishops had a moderating effect on the fast pace of change preferred by bishops from the north.
Mawejje’s sojourn in Canada is another example. It has surprised, disarmed and enchanted people. It serves as a reminder that God is creative. The evangelizers are now being evangelized; Just as St. Peter went to evangelize Cornelius only to return forever changed, Canada will never be the same. Neither will Mawejje. Nor will Uganda, for that matter, once he returns.
On Sunday evening, November 15, a standing-room only farewell service was held for the Mawejje family at St. John’s Anglican Cathedral in Winnipeg. In his homily, Bishop Patrick Lee thanked Mawejje for his ministry work in Manitoba.
