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by Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane, Editor
June/July 2005
According to Mark Behle, a United Church of Christ Global Ministries missionary who visited local Massachusetts Conference churches this past spring (seen teaching above), in the Sesotho language of Lesotho, a person who is wealthy is called a ‘morui.’ However, not all forms of wealth are equally respected. One who is rich in cattle is more highly respected than one who keeps his wealth in a bank account or household property. The reason for this is that cattle can benefit not only the owner but the whole community. The true morui will place some of his cattle in the care of others in the village so they, too, can benefit from them, loan them to others for use during the plowing season and sell them to those in need, with the price depending on the circumstances of the one in need. Money in the bank or household property is considered a selfish form of wealth, whereas cattle can help transform the whole community. A man with money ‘only helps himself’; a true morui ‘knows the poor.’ A morui is a vital part of village life and productivity, not someone detached and separated from it.
Behle’s goal during his recent visit was to relay these cultural lessons to members of the MACUCC. “Our global partners are not rich in money, but they are rich in faith and in the knowledge of evangelism. This knowledge is invaluable and as a Global Missionary I try to bring back to the UCC what we have learned from our partner missions.”
After each term of service -- approximately 4-5 years -- Global Ministries requires its missionaries to return home for six months and visit local churches to keep a connection between the local and the broader church. “I have gotten very positive feedback which energizes me,” comments Behle. “Although some local churches are shocked to learn UCC has missionaries, everyone I meet has been very enthusiastic to learn about our work and learn firsthand how their OCWM (Our Church’s Wider Mission) monies are spent and the good their dollars are doing.”
“Having a missionary come to your church can be an exciting opportunity to educate the congregation about what’s happening in Global Ministries,” comments Andy Gustafson, MACUCC Associate Conference Minister for Stewardship and Financial Development. “Members can learn about the country where the missionary serves and about issues facing the people of that country. Visiting missionaries can share the good news of God at work in the world, tell stories of how lives are changed, challenge us to new visions of mission, teach new ways to do mission, evangelism, and Bible study, and give us new insights into how other Christians understand the word of God.”
Behle has spent almost 20 years with Global Ministries in ministry, first teaching math in Zambia for 11 years at a school associated with the UCC partner church of the United Church of Zambia, and then 9 years in Lesotho (a small country completely surrounded by South Africa). At Masitise High School, an institution of the Lesotho Evangelical Church, Behle teaches math and religion, coaches boys’ basketball, and is involved in Scripture Union, an international, interdenominational Christian youth organization that encourages students to participate in Bible study and daily Bible reading and prayer. “It is a fascinating country, mountainous and rugged, with snow in the winter. And the people are just as fascinating. They value education – which makes the school system very competitive.” Unlike the United States, there is no guarantee of a 12-year education. Students must take special exams and compete to move to the next level.
“How at odds this appreciation of education and assessment of wealth are with the ways they are usually perceived and practiced in Western cultures. Instead of education or wealth being something which frequently divides people, here in Africa we have an understanding where wealth provides for people. How much better off the world would be if more people invested their wealth in directly productive assets which could benefit the poor,” wrote Behle in a Global Missionary article. “Without meaning to oversimplify the solution to world poverty, surely there is something to be learned from this example in Lesotho, and a challenge to us in our own uses of wealth. Perhaps the Basotho can help us to develop our own understanding of wealth!”
“As far as we know, Jesus did not own any cattle and would not qualify as a morui in the usual sense of the word. But he surely was one who knew the poor and taught extensively about wealth. Let us seek wisdom from God’s Word and Jesus’ teaching to use our wealth wisely.”
When Behle talks to the various congregations, people’s eyes are opened. “Many Americans don’t travel beyond the Unites States,” explains Behle. “The Global Missionary visits help to make many Americans realize how rich the United States is and with that wealth comes responsibility.”
“In addition to this lesson, there is another value in having partnerships around the world,” summarizes Behle. “We see the entire body of Christ, not just the segment found in the United States.”
To learn more about Behle or the Global Ministries program, visit www.globalministries.org.