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PRESS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference
September 2, 2003

African History Book Clears Hurdles for Release at MWC Assembly

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Africa, book one of the Global Mennonite History Series, was released during the Mennonite World Conference Assembly 14, held here August 11-17. It is the first published history of Anabaptist-related African churches written by Africans.

Africa now has more Mennonites and Brethren in Christ than any other continent. Releasing the book in Africa at this assembly, the first one to be held on African soil, was part of a complex plan finalized a year ago.

Writers, some of whom wrote in English and some in French, worked in six countries. The manuscript went to translators, editors and readers in Africa, Canada and the U.S.

Maps that included the location of Mennonite and BIC missions in remote areas had to be created and John A. Lapp, coordinator of the project, searched various archives for photos.

The manuscript finally arrived at Pandora Press in Kitchener, Ontario (Canada) in April 2003, long after the precise publishing schedule, set last August, had been abandoned. The book still needed to be designed, laid out and proof read. It was then electronically transferred in 16-page segments to the Baptist Publishing House in Bulawayo for printing.

In Zimbabwe, power was being cut at odd times and ink and paper costs had shot up due to rampant inflation. C. Arnold Snyder, general editor along with Lapp, said "there was no way" the book would be ready by August.

"I lived with the book nearly 24 hours a day," said Snyder, adding that the miracle of release happened only because of "monumental efforts by many people and a lot of prayer."

Snyder printed one copy of the book in his Kitchener shop and took it to Bulawayo in August. He said he was relieved to see it looked the same as the first 1,000 English copies rolling off the press there.

Along with others involved in the history project, MWC officials and guests, seven of the 10 African writers attended a reception in Bulawayo to honour them.

They had their own challenges to report.

Alemu Checole, a visually-handicapped writer from East Africa, had his Braille writer stolen from a taxi in which he was riding.

When material went missing in Barbara Nkala's computer, she spent an entire night trying to retrieve it to meet her deadline.

Bekithemba Dube, who with Nkala and Doris Dube, wrote on the churches in southern African, said that finding the stories "was like panning for gold."

Writers in addition to Checole, Nkala and Dube, are Michael Kodzo Badasu, Erik Kumedisa, I.U. Nsasak, Siaka Traore, Pakisa Tshimika and Samuel Asefa assisting Checole.

The book is published by Pandora Press with Herald Press. For more information, go to www.pandorapress.com.

— Ferne Burkhardt, News Editor