I hope that you are keeping well under the current climate. I am writing this letter between Lent and Easter having just returned from my paternity leave to bring and share with you the fantastic news on the birth and arrival of our new-born daughter baby Makena who is just turning one month old at the time of writing this letter. In my mother tongue, her first name ‘Makena’ means ‘happiness’, while her second name ‘Nkatha’ means ‘one is welcoming and hospitable’. There is nothing more important than a new life that brings hope during these unprecedented times. Thank you for your prayers, kindness and love expressed to us during this time. God bless you all abundantly.

Strangely interesting, I am writing the minister’s letter at a period when the entire human race has been shaken by Covid19, the un-presenting environment and climate change realities which have been experienced on a large scale globally.  

As part of our core values and practice, the church will be expected to respond to these challenges, as it has done before and will continue to do so and to be more specific with the migrating of vulnerable people coming from different cultures of the world, running away from various type of dangers.

On a different topic, as you go about your shopping; you are likely to find some shelves remaining empty in various supermarkets, due to a reduction in supplies of certain goods, making many employees redundant. By default, or divine design this challenge appears as a great opportunity for the online jobs and self-employment.

From a theological perspective, there are numerous lessons learnt during these strange times, it is worthy reflecting on certain historical heritages from the early new testament church (see Acts 2:40-47) and how the early Methodist movement thrived and preserved her spiritual vitality during unprecedent times of the 18^th Century as it was believed that they tended to be inspired by a letter written by apostle Paul to the Galatian Christians, that John Wesley and the Methodist movement, were sent by God to bring about spiritual renewal and social enlightenment at a time when Europe and other parts of the world were facing a serious industrial crisis’’. In Galatian 4:4-7 NIV, we  reads; …4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.6 because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. It is in this regard we take the challenge to remind ourselves of the ‘Methodist Way of Life’ commitment as a constant reminder to live and express our Christian faith in response to God’s love which is expressed in the four inter-connected aspects of the Methodist core values. To those who might have attended the first session on the Methodist Way of Life, I am sure you have gained substantial rich spiritual insights that will enable us to continue accounting our personal discipleship this year. I am sure you have noticed that the element of prayer and scriptures cut across these conversations.

At this juncture it is important again to remind us on the World Day of Prayer (WDOP) set for March 5^th this year. Hopefully you will be encouraged to join others in whatever form and pray together. The theme of the WDOP is ‘’Building on a Strong Foundation’’ and is drawn from the gospel of Matthew 7:24-27 .As you agree to meet in whatever form, I am sure you could decide, for example, in my opinion to pray, sing, present  poems, display handmade accessories; and this could be done within a non-judgmental space that could in the end encourage and inspire those willing to share their own stories and be in awe of God’s love and his beauty of the diversity of his creation. Please do whatever suits your situation!

May we be a blessing within and beyond God’s Church, for the transformation of the world.