Goweko

Goweko is a farming community centred around a railway station on the mainline from Tabora to the coast. Honey and timber are the main products from this area.

Japhet Shimanyi was the evangelist for this congregation before the church planting programme was established. His new mandate, after our Church planting training programme, was to ensure another evangelist was trained up to look after the congregation in Goweko in order that he would be able to move to another neighbouring village to plant a new church. So far the church in Goweko itself has seen a handful of new people joining the congregation. This may well have been the result of the outreach events that Japhet has organised with the Jesus Film team.

He has now opened a new congregation in Kimungi, a village about three miles from Goweko. In June this congregation had 22 adults and 8 children attending. Bishop Francis confirmed 11 confirmation candidates this year. Japhet plans to move from Goweko to Kimungi as soon as possible.

Japhet's work has been hampered by financial problems. A business venture he entered into, to do with cutting timber, went terribly wrong and resulted in him spending much time away from Goweko sorting it out as well as him losing lots of money. 

Editor's note: Most church workers have to engage in smallholding or other business activities since many parishes are unable to afford to pay the diocesan stipend of £15 per month .

Dateline Tabora