Latest News #248 – Mozambique
June 20, 2003

Pedal power brings the Scriptures alive: Mozambique’s FCBH program enters a new phase

MAPUTO, Mozambique — Distributors equipped with bicycles, raincoats, tape recorders and sets of audio cassettes will pioneer the latest phase in the Bible Society in Mozambique’s Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) audio Scripture program, which is being developed in collaboration with Hosanna Ministries.

FCBH was launched to representatives of 20 different denominations in Maputo City last August (see World Report 372/25). Until now, only churches in Maputo City have participated, and the audio cassettes they have received have only been in Portuguese, Mozambique’s official language. The program took on a new dimension on May 25, when the first FCBH New Testament cassettes in one of Mozambique’s indigenous languages were launched at a ceremony at the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Roman Catholic church in the northern town of Molocue.

The launch was the fulfilment of a commitment made by the Bible Society to the 1.3 million speakers of Ilomwe (Lomwe) to provide audio Scriptures in their own language. However, producing the cassettes was only the first step, and Executive Secretary the Rev Valente Tomas Tseco emphasised the role of local people, and especially that of the local churches, in ensuring the long-term success of the FCBH program.

“Being the first Mozambique language to be recorded and launched”, he said, “we expect your active involvement to make it a great success.”

The launch culminated with the introduction of the 15 distributors, or ‘motivators’, who are to put the Lomwe FCBH program into practice. Equipped with bicycles, tape recorders, raincoats and sets of cassettes, the promoters are ready to take the cassettes out into local communities and work with the churches to set up listening and discussion groups.

Sebastiao, one of the promoters, proclaimed, “We want to reach the last person on the tallest mountain. With the help of God, we will be able to do this.”

Joao, another promoter, said, “The aim is to ensure that the Word of God reaches every person and they hear the Gospel and trust Christ.”

Just a few days before the Lomwe audio Scripture launch, another significant milestone in Mozambique’s FCBH program was reached when cassettes in Portuguese were launched at the Church of the Nazarene in Nampula, also in northern Mozambique. Here too, Mr Tseco issued a challenge to the local churches, saying, “It is an opportunity for Nampula province to use the program for evangelism, Bible debate and discussion and helping people to interact with the Word of God.”

Thrilled that the program is now being implemented outside Maputo City, Pastor Gervasio, the Bible Society Chairman for Nampula province, proclaimed, “Today my dream is fulfilled. Praise the Lord! I’d like to recommend all the churches to apply for the program.”

One of the highlights of the launch for many of those who attended was actually listening to portions of the cassettes. They reacted very enthusiastically and asked many questions of Isidro Muxlhanga, the Society’s National FCBH Co-ordinator, and his colleagues, clearly expressing their desire to see FCBH put into practice in their own churches.