Wespath General Secretary Deeply Moved by First Visit to Zimbabwe and Mozambique Annual Conferences
Throughout his many roles during his 19 years at Wespath, General Secretary Andrew (Andy) Hendren’s work has supported Wespath in its mission to “care for those who serve.” He was honored to have the recent opportunity to travel to Mozambique and Zimbabwe to learn more about the context of The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Africa, and how we care for those globally through the Central Conference Pensions (CCP) program.
For several years, traveling to the central conferences was virtually impossible due to the pandemic. However, with travel restrictions lifted and the 2024 General Conference around the corner, Hendren decided it was time to make the trip that would help him better understand firsthand the impact the CCP program has on pension recipients.
“It was important to me that I hear directly from the pensioners what the UMC, Wespath and the CCP program means to them,” said Hendren. “I knew that, if I spoke to these individuals and their families face-to-face and experienced where and how they live, I could better understand their needs and how the CCP program might be improved to address those needs.”
In June, Hendren and Thomas Kemper, a consultant for the CCP program, spent two weeks in Zimbabwe and Mozambique meeting with pension recipients, including retired pastors, surviving spouses and their families. There, they learned how clergy and their families dedicate their life to ministry for little in return, with those serving in rural areas often having no salary and instead being paid in-kind with fresh produce and animal products.
“I was certainly educated. Most of these people live in modest, multigenerational homes,” reflected Hendren. “The pension they receive [once they retire] helps them build their homes and buy food, medication, and school supplies for their grandkids. It was incredibly moving to see how much the program improves their lives.”
“Yet, even with what little they have, their lives are filled with joy. They trust in their community and God to take care of them,” continued Hendren. “Everyone we visited was so hospitable, offering us snacks, stories and song. Even with a language barrier, we were able to communicate what mattered. It was a powerful experience.”
Having acquired a new perspective, Hendren visualizes a bright future for the CCP program. “Retirement security is extremely meaningful to people in every place of the world, but how we support those who serve may vary depending on many factors, such as the economy in which they live,” noted Hendren. “I think there are many opportunities for us to collaborate with partners, and I am confident that together we can expand the program’s reach and touch people’s lives in a significant way.”
What follows are the stories of several pension recipients that Hendren and Kemper heard from firsthand.
Leonor Noa
Surviving spouse Leonor Noa lost her husband while he was still in active service. After leaving theological school in Cambine in 1976, Noa’s husband served as a pastor in apartheid South Africa for migrant mine workers from Mozambique. Together they had seven children, four of which died young. After her husband’s death, Noa returned home to Inhambane to live with her daughter’s family. She is thankful for the ability to continue supporting her family through the CCP program.
Salida Natingue
According to her grandchildren, Salida Natingue is a living library. At 86, she continues to teach her four children, 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild good manners. Her late husband Gideon Jamella was a translator of the Methodist hymnbook into the Tswa (Xitswa) language. As a widow living with her daughter’s family, Natingue expressed her gratitude for the CCP program’s financial support.
Rev. Kaiboni Nkomo
Together with his wife Anni, Rev. Kaiboni Nkomo raised six children and 21 grandchildren. Now 81, Nkomo has accomplished a great deal during his years of service. As a pioneer of prison ministry, he was appointed the first chaplain general of the Zimbabwe prison service. He also started many new churches in the mining region of Zimbabwe, which have developed into ten circuits today. Thanks to the CCP program, Nkomo and his wife can help their daughter-in-law run a school of over 200 students on their compound in Harare.
Marta Mucambe
Marta Mucambe and her late husband were church planters in northern Mozambique. One of the churches they established with four other families is now an entire district of the UMC. Mucambe gave birth to 10 children but suffered the early loss of four. As Hendren and Kemper were leaving her home after a welcoming stay, she began to sing and dance in joy and peace the words of Simeon, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”
Late Rev. Enosse Litiho
At 106, Rev. Enosse Litiho was the oldest member of the UMC in Mozambique, before he passed away in late June after his visit with Andy and Thomas. In the 1950s, he was sent to serve in migrant Mozambican mining communities in South Africa. When Hendren and Kemper visited him in his home near Cambine, Rev. Litiho said he was incredibly grateful for the CCP program because he loved to read, and the pension allowed him to pay for his prescription reading glasses and many books.
