Twenty Village Congregations

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Have you ever tried to find Tungamalenga on a map? I just checked Google Earth and while the big cities of Iringa and Ilula show up with just a couple clicks, you have to zoom in pretty far before you find some of the villages we've visited--Mapogoro, Idodi, and "Tungamarenga" (yes, that's how it's spelled on Google Earth). Once you get to the level where those three villages show up, there's no more detail to be found; you can keep zooming in and all you see is blank space.

So here's a handy map of Tungamalenga Parish, drawn a number of years ago by Dr Randy Hurley with the advice and assistance of then Pastor Alfred Kikoti. We've updated the map as several village congregations disbanded and other mission congregations were formed. Distances are approximate, and I can't verify which way is north on the map. Still, it's a pretty good approximation.

Shepherd of the Valley is a large congregation in comparison to its neighbors, and it draws people from several surrounding communities. It's located in Apple Valley, but its members may live in Eagan, Rosemount, Burnsville, Lakeville, Farmington, and places even farther away.

Similarly, Tungamalenga Parish is large in comparison to other parishes in the Iringa Diocese and includes members who live as far as 35 kilometers from the main church building. The difference is that in Tungamalenga, instead of people coming to one central worship center each week, they form many small village congregations and the pastor is the one who travels from village to village on Sundays.

Most Iringa Diocese parishes include three to seven village congregations, often called "preaching points." Tungamalenga Parish, on the other hand, is made up of twenty distinct village congregations with a total membership of over 1200 people.

Over the years, Shepherd of the Valley members have visited all but three of the villages. Each village congregation is unique and has its own personality, projects and challenges. Over the next few weeks, we're going to spotlight each congregation. Stay tuned!



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