wfn.org | Angola's new United Methodist bishops emphasize rebuilding

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Nov. 15, 2000 News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212) 870-3803·New York
10-21-31-71B{517}

NEW YORK (UMNS) - After years of living with civil war, the two new United
Methodist bishops in Angola are concentrating on plans to rebuild their
communities and revitalize their congregations.

Bishop Gaspar Joao Domingos, 39, of the Western Angola Annual Conference,
and Bishop José Quipungo, 50, Eastern Angola Annual Conference, were both
elected last August. They spoke with United Methodist News Service about
their plans on Nov. 15, during a visit to the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries.

In response to the devastation caused by war, the Western Angola Conference
has created a Department of Studies and Projects to identify, implement and
monitor projects "to promote sustainability and spiritual/social welfare."

One of the more urgent needs, according to Domingos, is rebuilding a
destroyed infrastructure, including churches, parsonages, boarding schools
and training centers. Other projects will include a micro-enterprise and
livelihood assistance program, particularly aimed at unemployed youth, and
programs in farming and cattle raising, commerce, industry, transportation
and communication to strengthen the church's financial capacity.

The United Methodist Church in Western Angola is divided into 10 districts,
with a total of 249 churches and 187 active pastors. Membership stands at
120,979.

In Eastern Angola, plans over the next four years call for rehabilitation of
administrative headquarters in Malanje and renovation of the education and
health buildings at the denomination's large Quessua Mission, just west of
Malanje. While that work is being done, education and evangelism will
continue through a variety of training programs.

"We're also at a stage of reorganizing our conference," Quipungo said.
Membership statistics are difficult to confirm because of the number of
internally displaced people, but the church's four districts in Eastern
Angola include at least 50 churches, 58 active pastors and 16 lay workers

Random groups of soldiers still carry out sporadic attacks, but "the
conventional war activity no longer exists in any part of Angola," the
bishop noted. "We do have the minimum condition necessary to start working
again."

Both conferences, however, continue to need relief supplies, such as food,
clothing, tools and medicine, as Angolans try to re-start their lives. Even
the capital city of Luanda faces serious problems because the number of
displaced people has increased the population from 2 million to 6 million
and created massive unemployment. As the schools and health care system
continue to deteriorate, Domingos said, the crime and prostitution rates
have increased.

The two bishops hope the land-mine removal project of the Board of Global
Ministries will expand to include Angola. "The estimate among some of the
experts in Angola is there are one and a half land mines waiting for each
Angolan," Domingos added.

Quipungo said the Angolan government has begun land-mine removal efforts but
only in selected areas. One of those areas was the Quessua Mission, where
most of the mines have been cleared. 

A native of Xamuteba, Quipungo was trained in Brazil and returned to Angola
in 1987 to become pastor of Central Church in Luanda. In 1992, he was
elected a member of Angola's first multiparty parliament and served until
1998, when he became pastor at Mt. Sinai Church in Luanda. His wife,
Laurinda Vidal Quipungo, is a pediatrician. They have three sons and two
daughters.

Domingos, who also trained in Brazil, returned in 1988 to assume multiple
jobs: secretary for the annual conference, director of conference youth
ministries, pastor at Galilee Church in Luanda and general secretary of the
United Methodist Africa Central Conference. In 1994, he joined the staff of
the Council of Christian Churches in Angola and was elected to lead the
council in 1998.
A native of Sagua, in the old province of Luanda, he is married to Lucrécia
Manuel Alexandre Domingos, a physical therapist. They are the parents of
three sons and three daughters.
 
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United Methodist News Service
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