Faces of Faith – Bishop Kaaya

The leader of the Africa Mission Evangelism Church (AMEC), Bishop Baltazar Zakayo Kaaya, is a gentle soul. I’ve always been impressed by his respect for others, even if they don’t agree with him. He shows care and concern for the individual. This has made him a valuable leader in the years after a split with the much larger Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, which they broke away from in the 1990s.

Bishop Kaaya has worked to make AMEC a distinctively Lutheran church body, founded on Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. He has led AMEC through the process of getting to know WELS and its representatives on the One Africa Team and has also worked with his leaders to create a written confession of faith document and constitution that are faithful to the biblical principles he holds dear.

When you hear the title bishop and see the clothing Bishop Kaaya wears for a church service, you may instinctively think “Roman Catholic,” but you would be wrong. Though the church has adopted some more formal practices in this regard, their teaching and practice remain true to Scripture. It’s been a joy to work with AMEC and with Bishop Kaaya in particular. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless his efforts to lead the saints there for as long as he is able!

From Ben Foxen, Africa missionary