On 6 September 2017 members of the Moderamen met with the leadership of the United Evangelical Mission in Kempton Park. This delightful meeting started with our two guests introducing themselves. Rev Volker Martin Dally was ordained in Germany in 1989 and spent years ministering to believers in India and Indonesia. Since February 2016 he is the General Secretary of UEM, stationed in Wupperthal in Germany. He is married and has five children.

Rev John Wesley Kabango is from the Anglican Church of Rwanda. He too has a wife and five children. After obtaining a doctorate in Dublin, Ireland, in Development Studies he moved to Germany where he presently is in charge of the UEM projects in Africa. The UEM focusses on projects that equip believers with skills in doing justice, practicing diakonia, and obtaining self-sustainability. The UEM offers a variety of scholarships that are advertised on their website.

The Moderator of URCSA, Prof Leepo Modise, presented our strategic plan to the representatives of UEM. He pointed to our need for (1) our own seminary, (2) our own office buildings and (3) a General Secretary. The UEM is a group of 36 Protestant churches of which 13 are in Africa, 16 in Asia and 7 in Germany. Their logo is “The smile of the Gospel”, a slogan they have patented!

URCSA has applied for full membership of UEM. And since we have established at this meeting that we have much in common, URCSA will move towards a formal partnership with the UEM to journey with them towards realising our goals. In future URCSA shall apply for funding from the UEM for our projects, and also recommend members – especially women and young people – to apply for scholarships financed by UEM.