The Malagasy Lutheran Church and the Use of Talents

5.1. INTRODUCTION

As stated in the general introduction, the concept “Use Your Talents”, which is a springboard for development of the Christian church and for improvement of the living conditions of its members as well as society, officially started in the MLC in 2004. Matthew 25:14-30 was taken as the basis. A rather scientific explanation of this periscope has already been given, from which various details worth knowing came, such as the Kingdom of Heaven being a new socio-economic organic family, and the place of work and human resource management according to the candidates’ abilities. The result of the use of Talents / properties and talents / abilities in development by believers, were also seen, as was the requirement of worthy behaviour and also the place of rewards and the stewardship of wealth and possessions in diakonia, mission, etc. This fifth chapter deals with how the MLC has put it into practice. Therefore, though Matthew 25:14-30 is the basic pericope of the Use of Talents, what follows is not an exegesis but a description of practical ways. It is worth noting that the titles and subtitles in the previous chapters (1-4) are not in the same order in this chapter but scattered in various paragraphs.

In the Foreword by Rakoto Endor Modeste223 of the book entitled Use Your Talents: The Congregation as Primary Development Agent, a general summary of the MLC’s way of putting the Use Your Talents programme into practice224 is given . In addition to this, the author is contributing a summary of his own knowledge and experiences, which is presented for the first time in this chapter. However, for a wider perspective, the experiences of groups of people or Congregations / Parishes / Districts / Synods and Institutions on the Use of Talents / property at the grassroots level, within their respective environment, culture, and customs, are described here. They are called model Congregations / Parishes / Districts / Synods and have been selected for this purpose. Examples in some of the Tobilehibe (Parent Revival Movement Camp), such as the one in Soatanàna, will be seen in more detail, and also the best practices of UYT in a few Districts, Parishes, and Congregations. Then the problems encountered by the MLC in general in the Use of Talents / property and talents / abilities are introduced, and finally some suggestions are made.

5.2. INTERVIEW: THE METHODOLOGY USED

In order to find out more precisely how the church or society puts the UYT into practice in their respective settings, the author has conducted qualitative research interviews, in addition to documents / books about the use of Talents (possessions) and talents (abilities) in some Revival Camps (Mg. Toby) or churches in the MLC. 225 Such interviews were conducted in December 2020 with people or groups of people in some of the model churches within the MLC. The methodology used was the open-ended or semi-structured qualitative research interview, 226 which allows the interviewee to answer questions from their own viewpoint, using vocabulary from their everyday language, 227 or to share the experience and setting he/she lives in. 228 The questions asked to these interviewees had been prepared in advance but expanded and increased in number as the conversation with them developed, depending on their answers. As the interviewer, the author asked them in such a way that enabled them to freely give answers or explanations. However, the interviewer guided the conversations, so that the interviewees did not deviate from but focused on the point under investigation. The aim of the interview was to obtain sincere and appropriate answers from the interviewees. 229 In short, they were guided by the use of prepared questions. 230

Since the questions were about Talents and their use, and about how the church or society had put them into practice, the interviewees were selected from churches within the MLC which are considered as models. Another reason for selecting them in the MLC is the fact that the author is a MLC Pastor, so this facilitated the communication and exchange with the interviewees. The author comes from Antsirabe but works at SALT, in Ivory Fianarantsoa, so most people or groups of people interviewed were in these areas. However,

225 Cf. Steinar Kvale, “The Qualitative Research Interview: A Phenomenological and a Hermeneutical Mode of Understanding,” in Journal of Phenomenological Psychology 14, No. 2 (1992): 176.

226 Cf. Steinar Kvale, Interviews (Copenhagen, Danmark: Hans Reitzel, 1997), 97.

227 Martyn Hammersley and Paul Atkinson, Ethnography: Principle in Practice, 3rd Edition (London and New York: Routledge, 2007), 101.

228 Kvale, Steinar and Svend Brinkmann. Interviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. Los Angeles, London, New Dehli, Singapore: Sage, 2009), 1.

229 Cf. Idem, 174-175; Hammersley and Atkinson, 101.

230 See the Appendix some interviewees, such as those in Boeny Mahajanga, were contacted by telephone.

The pastors of the congregations and parishes concerned had been contacted by the author beforehand in order to explain to them the reason for the interviews, to make the timetable for the interviews, and to ask for their collaboration in finding 4 or 5 people from different age-groups, male and female (from 20- to 70-year-old), having various occupations, types and levels of education.

The interviews were carried out in about eight different places, so the interviewees were given names to identify them according to the place of the interview. For example, those who were interviewed at the STPL of Betela Marovoay are identified as B1, B2, Bn…. in this book. The Christians who were interviewed at the MLC of Antanikatsaka (SPAM) are identified as K1, K2, Kn…the Christians at the MLC of Fihasinana (SPAf) as F1, F2, Fn…; those at Lovasoa 4C in Antsirabe as L1, L2, Ln… The interviewees from the parish of Antanimenakely in Ilaka Centre (SPAM) are named M1, M2, Mn…those from SALT as S1, S2, Sn…The Christians at Ampitatafika as T1, T2, Tn…The people interviewed at Vohitsaoka (SPAf) are called V1, V2, Vn.

The interviews were recorded, and the recordings transcribed afterwards; then they were analyzed in order to find out the interviewees’ exact responses. The results of the analyses are taken into account in this writing.

5.3. THE MLC AND THE USE OF TALENTS IN GENERAL231

The MLC was born as a result of the proclamation of the gospel by a Lutheran Mission Society from Stavanger, Norway, called NMS (Eng. Norwegian Mission Society, No. Det Norske Misjonsselskap), in 1867, starting in Betafo, region of Vakinankaratra. Other mission societies, such as ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) and DANMISSION from Denmark, also came to Madagascar later on. Today, the MLC is one of the largest and fastest growing Lutheran churches of the African continent. The latest statistics (2017) show that it is composed of 4 million members. It is a living church which proclaims the gospel by words and deeds, and one of the greatest tools for doing so is the use of Talents / talents. The concept Use Your Talents officially came into being in 2004 but had been practiced by the church and individual Christians in the MLC long before that. In the foreword of the book entitled Use Your Talents: The Congregation as Primary Development Agent, Rakoto Endor Modeste summarized the following examples, to which the author’s experience has been added .

5.3.1. THE “USE OF TALENTS” IN THE FIFOHAZANA (REVIVAL MOVEMENT)232

One of the characteristics of the MLC which distinguishes it from its sister churches in Madagascar is the Fifohazana (Revival Movement) which was born in it, which is living and continuing. The MLC has three Tobilehibe (Parent Revival Movement Camp) where the Fifohazana broke out, namely Soatanana (in 1894), Ankaramalaza (in 1941) and Farihimena (in 1946). By the work of the Spirit, the children of the Fifohazana – as they are called – live and share the gospel in a practical way around them, in their culture and society. Even before the MLC came into being, churches in Madagascar had already lived the ‘Use Your Talents’ since the beginning of the 19th century because for them the church is to live daily as a community of saints in a practical way. When serving for the development of their church and their society, the children of the Fifohazana use what they have, put in common the skills and abilities, as well as the gifts (charisma) given to them, led by the spirit of the fihavanana (Eng. sociability, communality, solidarity, unity, fraternity, etc.)233 which plays a very important role as a value, culture, and ideology of the Malagasy society.

In the Toby (Revival Movement Camp), service has various aspects, and the Christian believers serve in various ways according to their skills, abilities, and gifts (charisma) under the leadership of Mpiandry (Eng. Shepherds), Pastors, and Catechists. These servants of God use everything they have: time, energy, money and possessions, clothes, food, ministry of all kinds: such as casting out demons, laying on of hands and praying for encouragement, treating the sick, assisting and caring for the poor, etc. Some of the Tobilehibe (parent camps) and the ones affiliated to them have places for providing special and medical care, and schools, to develop every aspect of people’s lives. Such services administered by the children of the Revival, using Talents / resources according to their abilities and skills, are centered on bringing Jesus Christ and the salvation He achieved on the cross to all people.

5.3.2. THE “USE OF TALENTS” AND PARISH MINISTRY234

Individual Christians, groups of people, congregations or parishes also use their Talents / property and talents / abilities during the worship and their service. Pastors, Catechists, and evangelists give a lead by devoting their lives to God in acceptance of His call. Whether they receive their full salaries or not, they always serve as God has called them to. The Christian believers who make up the congregation or the parish often volunteer or offer their knowledge, skills, experiences, and time to perform common works such as: building infrastructure (e.g., the church building, the pastor’s house, toilets, etc.). Many of them voluntarily give their possessions according to their means, and their skills for such works. What distinguishes many congregations or parishes is the voka-dehibe (Eng. material offering / auction) at harvest time: many Christians offer the products of their living – be it agriculture, trade, or handcraft, etc. – for auction and the money collected enables the church to pay its financial duties, both internal and external. They often do so with love to thank God for blessing them.

232 Sigurd Haus, ed., Use Your Talents, 9-10.

233 Fihavanana is the value that distinguishes the Malagasy culture and society; therefore, it plays an important role in the practice of the Use of Talent in their context. More detail will be given later on in this book.

234 Cf. Sigurd Haus, ed., Use Your Talents, 10-11.

The Pastors’, Catechists’, and Evangelists’ salaries are defined by decision of the KMSL (General Synod Permanent Committee). 235 However, due to lack of money, especially in rural areas, for example, the Christians find other ways of paying them. Instead of paying money, they use their strength and their material possessions to perform what is called ‘common work’; for example, they all come together to plough a piece of land, bringing and using what they have (such as seeds, fertilizer, etc.); they plant and take care of the plants until they produce crops. As a result, even though the pastors and their fellow servants of God do not receive their salary in full, this does not impact on their service in the Parish because they often have enough food, and their needs are supplied in that way.

During the period preceding feasts (e.g., Independence Day, New Year’s Day, etc.), some wealthy elders in the community where the parish is located prepare themselves in various ways: some of them fatten poultry (hens, ducks, etc.) and give them to the Pastor or the Catechist or the Evangelist at the time of the celebrations; others give pork and raw rice; some give a variety of vegetables, etc. In this way, the servants of God feel that they share in the life of the people in the society, celebrate the way they do, and at the same time they are respected, as spiritual leaders. 236

Apart from that, many of them give their first fruits of their harvest, especially rice, to the Pastor or Catechist or Evangelist. These spiritual leaders are called ‘spiritual parents’ and people show much respect to them by giving them the first crops. A zealous Christian once said:

“You, spiritual parents, are God’s representatives. Therefore, giving you gifts is like giving them to God. We are very pleased to do so.”237

236

The parish of Fihasinana, District of Vohiposa, SPAf (Fianarantsoa), for example, holds what they call ‘Festival of Autonomy’ (Mg. Fetin’ny Fahaleovantena) on 20th March every year. Everyone brings the produce of his hands and of his farm, in addition to the produce from the ‘common work’. They call such produce “Jesus’ produce”. The rice is stored and then sold in the rainy season (when it is scarce) to Christians with the view of paying the church’s financial duties, such as the pastor’s salary etc., at difficult times. The produce is bought by Christians themselves. The church saves some of the money gained this way to be used for the following year’s ‘Festival of Autonomy’. 238 Many Christians believe that doing so with joy brings blessings for them. This is, for example, how they understand the Scriptures which say, “God loves a cheerful giver” (Prov. 22:8; 2 Cor. 9:7). 239

5.3.3. THE “USE OF TALENTS” AND THE WOMEN’S GROUPS240

The Women’s Department is among the strongest and most dynamic MLC Departments, as far as church activities are concerned. The number of women exceeds that of men in the church. Several women’s groups in the MLC meet once a week, in addition to on a Sunday. Also, the women’s groups in a parish or district meet every two or three months. At such meetings they do not only listen to preaching or teaching of the Holy Scriptures, but many of them also spend time exchanging talents and skills, such as cooking, baking, sewing, cultivating, sharing useful tips about family health, etc. in order to improve one another’s daily living. They invite an external specialist to speak or teach or ask a skillful fellow member to do so. Those who are skilled are happy to share their skill with others in order to help the latter improve their living conditions. Some women’s groups raise funds and have a center built in order to show charity or to take care of needy women in the church or in society. For example, the head office of the Women’s Department has a center called ILOFAV (Lutheran Centre for Women’s Development) in Antananarivo, where young women learn various crafts, such as sewing, baking, agriculture, health, etc. to enable them to be better prepared for the future. The women’s groups in the regional synods support this center by donating possessions / money towards its running cost.

5.3.4. THE “USE OF TALENTS” FROM THE CHURCH TO SOCIETY241

The devotion of believers or departments in the church (such as the Fifohazana [Revival movement] or Women’s groups, for example) in using their Talents (property) and talents (ability) reaches out to society, to develop people’s living conditions. For instance, when carrying out community work to improve people’s lives such as building roads, digging, or clearing canals to irrigate fields, building bridges etc., the Christians and the church are the first to respond and set a good example. In a new regional synod in the southeast (Ambodiharan’i Vondrozo), the Regional Synod President led the many Christians, together with their non-Christian neighbours, in building hundreds of kilometers of roads and many bridges in the synod and the region so that people and their produce can circulate freely. Assuming responsibility brings development in the region where they live. In addition, it changes the non-Christians’ view of the church and of God; it even results in many non-Christians repenting and becoming Christian believers, i.e., it becomes an evangelistic outreach in a new practical form. 242

The MLC owns three agricultural schools or training-centers (SEFAFI), namely Tombontsoa in Antsirabe, another one at Fihaonana in Vohipeno and one in Morondava, which are attended by several young people, regardless of their faith, tribe, ancestry, or status. The aim of the education provided in these schools is to enable them to prepare themselves for their future and to develop their skills in the communities they come from. Once their education / training is completed, they work with FAFAFI, the Agriculture Department of the MLC, which informs people in rural areas about norms of agriculture and animal husbandry in view of improving their living.

Moreover, the MLC has schools and centers for educating the disabled (such as the deaf and the blind), so that they are not a burden to their families and society but can take responsibility for their own future. Such schools and centers are open to everyone without distinction, regardless of beliefs, tribes, social status, and economic situations. Today, the MLC has introduced inclusive education, i.e., the mixing of disabled children/ people with non-disabled ones at school in order to abolish discrimination and to set up a society where people live in equality and in community. On one Sunday a year, the congregations, parishes, districts, and synods make offerings as their contribution toward the running of such places.

Use of Talent must be relevant to the socio-culture of the people of which it is practiced. As briefly mentioned above, the fihavanana distinguishes the Malagasy society, culture, relationships, and interactions; it also distinguishes Malagasy people in the use of Talents / property and talents / abilities. What makes this difference, as explained earlier, is the fact that Malagasy people are led by the spirit of fihavanana that is reinforced by the teaching of the Bible about mutual love. The fihavanana and its role in the use of Talents is discussed next.

5.4. THE USE OF TALENTS AND THE MALAGASY FIHAVANANA

As mentioned earlier, although the concept “Use Your Talents” came into being in the MLC, it has become an ideology and a springboard for development in many churches worldwide. What distinguishes the Malagasy Church is its application within the value, the setting, and the culture of the fihavanana. Therefore, the following subsection deals with the role of fihavanana in the use of Talents

In the Malagasy world and society, the culture and the value of the fihavanana is of great worth and weight, and plays an important role: it determines, harmonizes, and impacts on the relationships, community life, and daily interactions. Fihavanana has many meanings such as kinship, good family relationship, consanguinity, conviviality, friendship, love, amiability, mutual respect, solidarity, communality, sociability, interpersonal relations, interdependence, fellowship, unity, mutual support, tolerance, harmony, non-confrontation, peace, etc. However, its meanings can be grouped into four: (1) fihavanana as kinship, consanguinity, and communality; (2) fihavanana as solidarity and cooperation, (3) fihavanana displayed and cultivated through hospitality, and (4) fihavanana as peace, non-confrontation, and harmony in the society. 243

The fihavanana compels people in a society to always help and support one another, like family members. Because they have life in common, they also do everything in common for its good by putting in common all their possessions and wealth. A person does not think he suffers loss when using his possessions and ability for common works or for helping someone. Because of the fihavanana in the sense of consanguinity and communality, they think doing something for others is like doing it for themselves. When asked about his commitment to do good works for his friends in the society, a person said:

“He is no one else but myself, therefore the honour he gets from the work I do for him is also mine. His progress due to the work I do for him is also my progress…”244

Because of the Malagasy fihavanana and the Bible’s teaching about Christian believers being children of God, they treat one another like members of one household or family. This is one of the main reasons which pushes them to use their possessions and share their skills to improve the living conditions of the needy in the church and society, as explained earlier. Another ideology called “This is Our Church” is also widespread in the MLC nowadays; it is based on the principle of the Malagasy fihavanana. It states that not only does the church and its work belong to Christians and bind them as relatives / family members, but also that all works and responsibilities for running and improving the church are performed by using every Christian’s property and ability. The awareness that the church is theirs compels the Christians to use their property and ability toward its management and development. When asked about his commitment to church work, an active Christian said:

“Since I am not only a child of God but also Malagasy, and because of the culture of the fihavanana, which is important in my area, I devote myself and all I possess for the development of the church”. 245

As stated earlier, Christians within one Parish or District use their energy and property in order to pay the living of God’s servants, i.e., their spiritual leaders, in a particular way. One main reason for them to do so is that they consider such servants of God as members of their family, in their society. By calling these leaders “spiritual parents”, the Christians consider themselves as children under their care. Therefore, they consider their devotion and the community of their possessions as duties performed by spiritual children to support these servants of God. 246

The MLC’s general use of Talents (property) and talents (skills) has been given above. The setting, the ideology, and the value which distinguish the Malagasy people and the Christian church when using Talents / talents have been mentioned. The following section is about how specific churches and institutions, regarded as ‘model’ ones, put the Use of Talents and talents into practice; one of them is the Tobilehibe (Parent Revival Camp) of Soatanàna.

5.5. THE “MODEL” TOBILEHIBE (REVIVAL CAMPS), CONGREGATIONS, PARISHES, AND INSTITUTIONS

A few Toby (Revival Camps), Congregations, Parishes, and Institutions have been selected here for their use of Talents (property) and talents (skills) in the MLC. They are considered as ‘model’.

5.5.1. THE TOBILEHIBE OF SOATÀNANA AND THE USE OF TALENTS

As stated earlier, one of the MLC’s characteristics is the existence of the Fifohazana (Revival Movement), which is still ongoing. The first Fifohazana (Revival Movement) in the MLC followed the work of the Holy Spirit in a man named Rainisoalambo in 1894; he lived in a village called Soatanàna, region of Isandra, Province of Fiananarantsoa. Not only did the Fifohazana take people away from pagan practices and beliefs, i.e., from idol worship and way of life pertaining to it, but it also renewed every aspect of life for the children of the Fifohazana and their neighbours. Such a completely new life from the Spirit had a strong impact on the children of the Fifohazana concerning the Talents (property) and talents (skills) as well as their use. 247

At the time when Rainisoalambo was not yet a Christian, he held a high status in the society, was an eloquent speaker and a sorcerer. Though he had used these skills as a pagan, they were later on turned by the Spirit into powerful tools in his service to God and his proclamation of the gospel after he had been awakened. One of the children of the Fifohazana of Soatanàna described this as follows:

“His ability to express ideas and to convince his listeners helped him a lot in proclaiming the gospel. He was used to speaking in public because of the ‘kabary’ (speeches) he delivered, so he had no problem preaching… His sermons were not boring although sometimes long but kept people interested and brought them to repentance…”248

His skills for diagnosing illnesses and for treating sick people who came to him as a sorcerer formerly were used by the Spirit to lead him in a new way to fervently pray and ask Jesus to heal them. An author wrote:

“Even the exorcism of ‘bilo’, usually performed by sorcerers, helped him to discern evil spirits which he cast out of people with the power of Jesus.”249

Jesus’ teaching “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8) was understood and taught by Rainisoalambo to the children of the revival under his care as follows:250

“God cannot mix with impurity because He is holy. So, if one wants to have a relationship with Him, in order to receive blessing and prosperity from Him, one has to ask Jesus to remove all impurity from one’s heart, such as evil desires, selfishness, jealousy, hatred, sorcery and idolatry, etc..”251

The Spirit did give them purity of heart. Moreover, they did not understand purity in Matthew 5:8 as that of the heart only, but also cleanliness of the whole being, including the clothes, which is the reason why they wear special white clothes. Cleanliness of homes and their surroundings involved, for example, painting the houses white inside and outside, separating people’s homes from animals’ houses, building latrines outside the dwelling houses. Cleanliness expanded to the whole village. As a result, the children of revival and their neighbours enjoyed good health. 252

They extended the new way of cleanliness outside the village. The children (the adherents) of the Fifohazana did not waste their time but used it productively. They did not let the weeds invade the fields but cleared, ploughed, and cultivated them. The plants were well looked after so the productivity was good. Each one freely and lovingly used his experience and ability in performing common works. Since they considered one another like members of one family, the produce of the land was owned in common. The quantity of the produce was sufficient for their daily food and that of visitors of the camp, of those who attended the annual conference, and of those who were sent on evangelistic mission to various regions in Madagascar. 253 In other words, due to the practice of cleanliness in all aspects of the Kingdom of God, all their needs for their daily life and for the ministry God had them do, were met. 254

One characteristic of Soatanàna was the teaching and training of the children (adherents) of the Fifohazana, especially those who were sent away to proclaim the gospel, so that they were able to carry out the daily work of the people to whom they were sent. During their mission, they proclaimed the gospel not only with words when going from one village to another, but they also went to the fields or places of work in order to work with the people

252 Rabemanantsoa Noel, 60.

253 Rabemanantsoa Noel, 61, 62.

254 and to teach them new and more successful techniques to increase their productivity. 255

As said earlier, the fihavanana is like blood circulating in each one of them and enables them to put into practice what Jesus says in John 13:34-35 about mutual love. They lived it out in their daily life, by carrying out various common works in order to achieve everything that has been said above, and by giving hospitality to the visitors of the camp. This characterizes this camp up to the present time and are means of bringing light to society and their surroundings. 256

Following the Tobilehibe of Soatanàna, the Use of Talents by a few congregations, parishes, and institutions regarded as model will be considered in the following section.

5.5.2. MODEL DISTRICTS / PARISHES / CONGREGATIONS IN THE USE OF TALENTS

In this section, some congregations or parishes which have specially been selected because they are considered as role models in the use of Talents (property / resources) and talents (skills), will be looked at. Attention is given to the way they are used.

5.5.2.1. MLC AMBALAMATSINJO, VOHITSAOKA, AND THE USE OF TALENTS

The Malagasy Lutheran church of Ambalamatsinjo, Vohitsaoka, is in the district of Ambalavao Tsienimparihy, in the Regional Synod of Fianarantsoa (SPAf). It is located in a remote area and used to be difficult to access because of the bad state of the road. Consequently, the inhabitants lived in a very traditional way and culture with no external influence. Development by foreign standard had not yet entered this place either, so people lived and did they daily work traditionally. The inhabitants of that village were formerly poor, and the destruction of the environment made the situation even worse. 257

The pastor appointed by the Synod to lead that district in 2013 preached the gospel not only from the pulpit but also by making every effort to have it impact on people’s ‘cooking pot’ (the gospel becoming life) by means of development work to improve their living conditions. This pastor calls it “Practice of Theology”258 . In the first place, he focused on literacy of adults who did not go to school. He also called for external servants of God, e.g. teachers from SALT, to work with him in teaching the Scriptures (especially Matthew 25:14-30). This raised the inhabitants’ awareness in the use of Talents (property) and talents (skills). In addition, he shared his experience and abilities in techniques of agriculture and animal husbandry with the Christians. Not only that, but he also urged them to attend training sessions on the use of Talents and diakonia organized by the De- velopment Department of the district and of the synod. Moreover, he invited external technicians to give practical training locally in order to strengthen and develop their abilities. 259

The Christians in the MLC Ambalamatsinjo, Vohitsaoka, eagerly received such teaching and training, which resulted in much improvement of the church and community life. 260 Improvement of people’s living conditions was visible in many different aspects: the traditional scattering of seeds was replaced by sowing in rows; the chickens, pigs, and oxen were vaccinated against diseases. Consequently, the amount of their produce increased significantly. The improvement was also evidenced by the renewal of buildings such as the dwelling houses, the church building, and the school; by the increase of the cultivated area and the quality of the crops, etc. They managed to pay 100% of their church’s financial duties. For example, in 2014 on “Church workers’ Day” they hardly raised any money, but in 2018 the believers gave much money to God’s servants who were appointed by the district to work among them. A family even gave an ox to the catechist. 261

Together, they built the road leading to their village, which resulted in attracting more visitors to the neighbouring tourist area. This provided jobs for the youth who used to waste their time by the river, i.e., the young people’s work consisted in guiding and helping the visitors. 262

All these united the people in the village. They understood “Use Your Talents” and diaconal work as using their strength, experiences, and abilities following various training. They did their daily work in common. Every evening, under the leadership of the elders, they met to evaluate the accomplished work, to discuss on how to improve it, and to set up an activity plan for the following day. 263

Today, the congregation of Ambalamatsinjo, Vohitsaoka, cooperates with parishes outside their district: i.e., they collect produce, especially rice, which they sell to the Parish of Mahamanina, in the city of Fianarantsoa, in a way that both parties gain. The parish of Mahamanina supply them with fertilizers, chemical substances, and vaccines for their agricultural activities. 264

Looking at the area, improvement of the environment, i.e., tree planting on the surrounding chain of mountains, is needed in order to protect the latter from erosion and to maintain the sources of water coming out of these mountains. This is already included in the aforementioned pastor’s future activity plan. 265

Since they live in a remote area, the inhabitants of Ambalamatsinjo, Vohitsaoka, maintain pure Malagasy values and culture. One aspect is the fihavanana ( fognenana in the Betsileo speech) which they first of all demonstrate by using their physical strength and skills in community works. When asked for a visible proof (of the fihavanana), one interviewee answered:

“It was harvest time. A family put their grains of rice to dry on the threshing floor. The clouds suddenly gathered and it rained heavily. The school children dashed out of their classrooms and helped that family gather their rice and bring it into the storehouse. They called it diaconal work. The neighbours did so because they were compelled by the use of their talents under the guidance of the spirit of the fihavanana”. 266

This is only one example of how people use what they have in order to help their neighbours, but it is also a way of life for the inhabitants of this village in their daily occupations.

The fihavanana is one of their values which has been reinforced by Biblical teaching on Christianity (that Christians are God’s children). 267 In the old days, it was through the “fato-drà” or “vaky rà” (cf. blood fusion: a custom by which two friends sealed their friendship with their own blood and become blood brothers or blood relatives) that the fihavanana was established. Today, this is replaced by the blood of Jesus. As one interviewee put it: “According to the teaching we have received, Jesus has shed His blood to make all church members become relatives or one family”. 268 They perform rites in connection with this relationship through the blood of Jesus in order to give it importance, and the rites are conducted by the church leader. Therefore, all inhabitants of this village consider themselves as one family. This is how differences in status and in economic situation resulting from development due to the use of Talents / talents have been brought to an end. The use of Talents / talents strengthens relationship and the fihavanana when put into practice.

Ambalamatsinjo, Vohitsaoka, being a model congregation, hosted the gathering of the Regional Synod of Fianarantsoa (SPAf) in 2020. That same year, it was also visited by volunteers from all over Madagascar whose work consists in raising awareness on the Use of Talents (property) / talents (skills) and on diakonia.

5.5.2.2. MLC ANTANIKATSAKA AND THE USE OF TALENTS

The Lutheran church of Antanikatsaka is a parish in the district of Tsarahonenana Soanindrariny, Antsirabe II, in the Regional Synod of the North of Mania (SPAM). This area is famous for the cultivation of apples, especially of the kind called Golden. Most inhabitants of the area earn a living by cultivating apples.

After studying at a Regional Theological Lutheran Seminary (STPL), one pastor appointed by his synod in 1998 exploited the cultivation of apples in view of the development and the autonomy of the local church. Activities such as planting, taking care, grafting, weeding, protecting from insects, etc. followed technical norms. The pastor considered using the produce in a successful way to develop the church and its work, and the society. He initiated a church festival called “Feast of Tabernacle” or “harvest feast’. 269

It is customary for the people in this region to bring the produce of their work to church for giving thanks to God and for paying their duties to the church. However, since everyone grew apples, there was no advantage to be gained from doing so. Therefore, the pastor looked for big shops in major cities, such as Antsirabe and Antananarivo, and made a deal with them in order to supply them with big and good quality apples at a better price than the one offered by on site collectors. For this reason, he urged the Christians of the MLC Antanikatsaka to bring 20 kg. of apples per family to offer for God’s work at the “Feast of Tabernacle”, which the Christians happily did. 270 The church was comprised of about 200 families. The pastor had these apples transported by lorries to big shops. For the sake of trust and honesty, he took a few elders from the church with him. 271

This new strategy initiated by the pastor succeeded as far as offering of possessions to develop the church was concerned. It enabled the church to pay its financial duties to higher ecclesiastical levels and, in addition, to build buildings for teaching and training the society. Today, the problem lies in the old age of the apple trees and the climate change, which reduce the productivity. This has a rather negative effect on people’s life. 272 To solve this problem, the church leader invites specialists to train people to plant and to take care of new apple trees. This is very important for the Christians in the church and for the society in general. 273

5.5.2.3. MLC AMPITATAFIKA AND THE USE OF TALENTS

This congregation is in the district of Ampitatafika, Regional Synod of North Mania (SPAM). Most inhabitants of the area grow rice, maize, and beans to earn a living. How- ever, their produce is not sufficient, due to floods occurring year after year in the region. Since they do not have any other source of income, they sell the little they have to supply their other daily needs. The problem is that the collectors buy their produce at a very low price in season and sell them at a high price out of season. To solve this problem, the pastor had the Christians trained to improve their skills in agriculture; the church’s money was used for collecting produce in season, which were sold at a reasonable price out of season to the Christian believers and the neighbours. 274 Honesty in the management of money, in the buying and the selling of the produce made the business successful. It became a service performed by the church for its members and people in society alike. 275

This new way of using Talents (property) / talents (skills) relieved people and increased the money for developing the church and its work. It became a means by which some pagans became Christians, i.e., a means by which the church attracted people to increase the number of its members. 276

The use of Talents by the revival camp of Soatanàna and some churches that qualified as models has been looked at so far. The following section is about the MLC institutions who put the use of Talents / talents fully into practice.

5.5.3. THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS AND THE USE OF TALENTS

The MLC has one Theological Faculty (SALT: Lutheran Graduate School of Theology) and 6 Regional Theological Seminaries (STPLs). SALT has a large piece of ground of about 5 ha., suitable for agriculture. Dwelling houses for rent have been built on part of it. Although the ground is not flat but consists of slopes, orange trees and ‘Ravintsara’ (scientific name: Cinnamomum Camphora, for extracting oil) have been planted over a large area since 2012. The orange and lemon trees number 800, and the Ravintsara 200. The cultivation is according to technical standards, i.e., digging holes of 1 m3 , use of fertilizer, selection of young plants to be planted, watering them regularly, etc. Technicians from the Agricultural Department have been invited to monitor the cultivation in the beginning. The mission partner in America (ELCA) donated 2/3 of the money needed (around 2,000 USD) per year for 4 years, and SALT provided 1/3 of it through labour, provision of natural fertilizer, weeding, supply of insecticides, etc. An agricultural technician oversees the monitoring and so do some SALT students who are competent in this matter. Each orange tree is expected to produce 80 kg. of fruit annually at the cost of 2,000 MGA per kg. To date, the annual income from the fruit is 2,000,000 MGA, whereas the expenses are higher than that. The Ravintsara are expected to produce 200 kg. of leaves, costing 3,000 MGA per kg., 277 but have yet to be exploited because of the lack of factories to extract the valuable oil from them.

The orange trees have borne fruit, although little, and the oranges are sold by SALT students who are good salesmen. The money gained from the fruit contributes, although on a small scale, to the financial autonomy of SALT.

Following the example at SALT, the STPLs also use their large grounds for cultivation. The one in Betela Marovoay, for example, owns a piece of land of approximately 120 ha., including rice-fields where teachers, students, and administrative staff grow rice, and other fields, where peanuts and cassava are cultivated. In general, the rice crops are sufficient to meet their needs for the whole year because the land is fertile and very productive in that area. 278

The STPL Betela Marovoay collaborates with the ELCA Mission and a twin Synod in America (e.g., Rocky Mountain Synod). Moreover, the Seminary cultivates Zanzibar mangoes – big and sweet – and lemons since 2013 on its land. 500 mango trees and 340 lemon trees also grow on a 10 ha. piece of land. The mango project is still ongoing in this STPL. The mission partners have provided the major part of the money needed for the cultivation and will continue to do so up to 2022. 279 The contribution of the STPL and the synod consists in supplying seeds, digging holes, planting, building water tanks for watering, monitoring, etc. The cultivation follows technical standards. 280 The STPL Betela also employs an agricultural technician. 281

The Zanzibar mango trees have begun to bear fruit. The older the trees, the bigger their fruit. In season, the fruit of each tree may bring in 200,000 MGA. It is thought that, of the six STPLs of the MLC, this one in Betela Marovoay will achieve full autonomy in the near future.

Samples of Revival camps have already been cited and so have congregations, parishes, and institutions of the MLC which are regarded as ‘model’ in their Use of Talents / talents. Although the concept “Use Your Talents” officially came into being in the MLC in 2004, a lot of effort is still needed to make it become the DNA 282 of the MLC as a whole. The MLC encounters many problems and constraints in putting it into practice; this is the subject of the next section. Following on, suggestions are made for the improvement of the Use of Talents/talents programme and as guidelines for the development and autonomy of the MLC.

5.6. PROBLEMS CURRENTLY ENCOUNTERED BY THE MLC IN THE USE OF TALENTS

A few ‘model’ congregations and institutions in the Use of Talents / talents have been cited above. This implies that it is not yet practiced by many churches and Christians in the MLC for the development of the church and society. The reasons are that many churches are content with offering a small amount of money and produce, 283 and also widespread poverty among the majority of Malagasy people hinders many churches’ autonomy. Because of such poverty, many people avoid going to church because of the large amount of money they are required to pay as church duties.

The MLC owns much property and inheritance, especially those left by its mission partners, such as large pieces of land, houses, etc. The problem is primarily the fact that MLC generally does not make use of them, so they become useless, or are often used by a small number of people for their own benefit. For example, the District of Loharano in the Regional Synod of North Mania (SPAM) possesses a 7 ha. wide piece of land. From 2000 to 2004, during which the author used to work there, it was never used by the district for its autonomy or its development and still has not been up to date; only a few people in the village make use of it for their own benefit. Yet, the district has difficulty paying the pastor’s and the catechist’s salaries, and participating in the running costs of the school, etc. They remain content with collections and produce given by the Christians to the church.

Apart from the one at Loharano, many other pieces of land belonging to the church remain unused; some have even been sold by unknown people and are lost as a result of corruption and bribery. Many people consider this inheritance as belonging to everyone: each one does what they like with it for their own benefit. No one takes care or uses it to gain financial autonomy or for the good of the church’s work. Another major problem is non-ownership: many people do not consider themselves as among the owners of this property. So, neither their heart nor their love is there (cf. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matt. 6:21). This is one reason why many possessions of the MLC are damaged or lost. Added to this is the lack of aptitude in management, lack of honesty in people in charge of a work, place or project which makes use of such possessions. Although the people in such positions have the relevant skill, the lack of aptitude in management and the misuse of the property for gaining benefit are often to the MLC’s disadvantage. Moreover, many projects intended by MLC remain on paper, but are not implemented. In general, it is often said that the MLC is a cemetery for such projects.

It has been mentioned earlier that the destruction of the environment in Madagascar is the root cause of the climate change, and even of the gradual increase of drought there. Every year, almost 60% of the surface area of Madagascar is burnt. The majority of forests are destroyed because of illegal exploitation: exportation of precious wood (e.g., rosewood, palisander, and so on…) and the making of charcoal. It is said that the Lutherans number 4,000,000 and 45% of the Malagasy population are Christians. Only a few of these know that the natural wealth around them has also been entrusted by God for them to protect and to take care of. Consequently, even the “model” congregations, parishes, or institutions mentioned earlier, are victims of the resulting disasters: drought, floods etc.

The definite deterioration of values and culture of the fihavanana is also thought to be the reason for not taking care of and for failing to use such common possessions for developing the church and society. The Christians and the church do not feel they are members of one family to whom these possessions belong. Owing to the poverty in the country and a move towards increasing individualism due to globalization, selfishness seems to be affecting the church, pastors, catechists, and even evangelists. Many servants of God in rural churches, for example, do not send the money they owe to higher ecclesiastical levels to contribute to the development of the church’s work, but misuse it. Many urban churches are wealthy but overlook the poor rural churches in their district or synod. The wide gap between the salary of a pastor in a big city and that of a pastor in the countryside sometimes provokes a battle (between pastors) for a place. This hinders the transfer of a pastor from one place to a different one. Sometimes institutions such as SALT, STPL, the Evangelism Department (TMM), and others are not even given any consideration.

Despite the MLC’s effort to have ‘common funds’ today in order to put an end to such differences in salaries, to develop its work in unity, and to equalize the economic situation within it as one family, many urban churches refuse to renounce their wealth / money. They spend the large amount of money they collect every Sunday on things that concern themselves only: increasing the salaries of their own employees, building, or embellishing their infrastructure (such as high standard church building and toilets, expensive organ, etc.).

Another problem is the lack of training for Christians or lack of capacity building for those who already use their Talents / property to develop the church and society. The use of Talents / property without the relevant skill becomes a hindrance to church work and church life. The lax discipline within the MLC, the fear of what people will say, and favouritism often pose serious problems to the MLC. So do some high church officers who interfere in a person’s work or responsibility without having the necessary skill, and furthermore, abuse their power and authority (S2).

Above all, importance and priority are not given to the proclamation of the gospel for which the Christians should use their Talents / talents to develop the church and society. This is, for example, evidenced by the lack of support to the centers where pastors and catechists are trained (SB, STPL, SALT) and to the Evangelism Department (TMM). These are only examples of the problems encountered by the MLC in the Use of talents (property) and talents (skills) for its development. This is why the ideology of “Use your Talents” within the MLC is now being expanded, so that it becomes its DNA. These are the problems, so what solutions or proposals are to be given to the MLC? They will be discussed in the following section.

5.7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON MLC’S USE OF TALENTS

The MLC should first focus on prioritizing evangelism so that its pastors, evangelists, catechists, and members become new creatures, righteous and faithful servants who take responsibility for the work of developing the Kingdom of Heaven / Church / its surroundings. Lotera Fabien said: “I am a Christian, and therefore a steward”: being a righteous and faithful Christian is the basis for successful stewardship. 284 Giving priority to stewardship implies good management of the centers for training God’s servants, such as Bible Schools (SB), STPLs, SALT, and the Evangelism Department (TMM). Similarly, the Fifohazana (revival movement) and its service / ministry in the church life should be given an important place.

Since God’s salvation, through Jesus Christ and His cross, is for the whole person, proclamation of the gospel should not only be made from a church pulpit but also reach out to society and people’s everyday work in their homes. That is to say, when a pastor, or catechist or evangelist, etc. is appointed to a place, his priority should not be to put pressure on people to pay what they owe the church, but to know and improve their living conditions. A pastor or catechist commits a crime if he forces a Christian family to give him three tins of rice, as their duty to the church, when they barely find one tin of rice for a family of ten. 285 “What is important is not knowing practical theology but putting theology into practice,” said one pastor. However, in his opinion, very few know how to put theology into practice. 286

Once God’s servants have a good understanding of the gospel, and their living conditions improve, then autonomy will follow automatically. The pastor may not have the skill in this matter but he can invite experts from the church or from the state to carry out different sorts of training relevant to the jobs of people in the area where he lives, in order to improve their living. 287 To prioritize training of individuals or groups of people, and especially of the ‘model’ churches, to improve their abilities is a guarantee to successful development of the church’s work. The trained people will be examples, who will lead many others to use their Talents (property) and talents (skills) for the development of the church and of society.

The MLC’s vision, by means of theology teachers, is to make the theology and ideology of “Use Your Talents” one of the subjects taught at SBs, STPLs and SALT: teachers of each subject (OT, NT, Church History, Practical Theology, Systematic Theology, Missiology) will conduct research on the Use of Talents. The aim is to impart knowledge to God’s servants trained in these places and have them become active in teaching and leading the Christians and the church they are appointed to concerning using Talents (property) and talents (skills) for developing the church and society. Then the ideology of “Use Your talents” will become the MLC’s DNA.

Furthermore, in order to contextualize the use of Talents / talents, the relationship between the value of the Malagasy fihavanana, the biblical teaching on mutual love, and the Kingdom of God / Church being a socio-economic organic family (cf. Matt. 25:14-30) should be explained and strengthened. If this is well understood, urban churches will no longer fatten themselves but put their possessions in common with those of institutions and poor rural churches. “Common funds” will be implemented as evidence of renouncing possessions to develop one common life as one family of the MLC.

In order to make use of MLC’s possessions, an inventory should be made of possessions not in use, how they should be used or improved to bring about true development in the church and society. Subsequently, projects using such possessions should be implemented to make them productive. One example is the former Norwegian school premises in Antsirabe being turned into a cross cultural and competence center including a guest house, now named “Lovasoa 4C”. 288

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For such projects, it is also important to recruit faithful and honest workers who are suitably competent to run the project and make it function. They need to be given authority, freedom, and motivation to lovingly accomplish their work and responsibility; higher authorities should not interfere with or dictate to them. This will guarantee the success of the project. The problems which cause the MLC to become a cemetery of projects should be ended and rooted out; there should be no more fictitious projects. 289

Finally, the MLC should also learn from other churches in various countries to take good care of not only its possessions but also its surroundings, as is seen, for example, in Ethiopia where trees are planted around the church building so as to protect and improve the environment. Christians and churches who freely and lovingly take full responsibility for the work and the property entrusted by God are true leaders towards development.

Conclusion

Use Your Talents is an ideology which is important in the development of the church and society, not only in Madagascar but also in many other countries around the world. In the MLC, it came into being from the understanding of Matthew 25:14-30. However, according to this pericope, it is clear that Talents were God’s property that He entrusted to the people of His Kingdom, to be used, improved, and managed in accordance with His will, with the abilities they have or have been given (cf. Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12) until He comes again. Therefore, on the one hand, “Use Your Talents” is not appropriate; it should rather be “Use God’s Talents” because He owns all things / possessions (cf. Ps. 24:1ff.). This phrase has many implications: the people sent on a mission are children of the Kingdom or members of God’s family, and obedience and honour are due to God / Patron when using such talents, i.e., people are mere users of God’s / the Patron’s possessions in accordance with His will. On the other hand, believers are not only His workers / servants but also His children and heirs (cf. Gal. 4:1-8). This implies they are also owners of the Talents / talents entrusted to them by God. From this point of view the phrase “Use Your Talents” is appropriate; the implication is that the stewardship is carried out with love, because it is the owners who use their possessions. Today, many understand the word talents (skills) as abilities. This is how it is understood by many people when raising awareness on “Use Your Talents” throughout the MLC. In reality, it means both: Talents as possessions, and talents as abilities; both meanings cannot be separated. The use of both of them leads to improvement and true development of the church, and even relates the church to society.

The use of Talents (property) / talents (abilities) is a characteristic of the people of heaven as a socio-economic organic family according to Matthew 25:14-30. The guidance of the spirit of fihavanana in the Malagasy society, reinforced by the Biblical teaching on mutual love (e.g., John 13:34-35), facilitates its practice by the church toward the development of its work: the church is one family, the members of which have common possessions and use their talents / skills to carry out their tasks, with the improvement of their work and common life in view.

Nevertheless, the MLC still faces many problems and obstacles today. One major challenge for MLC is to overcome and solve them under the guidance of and with the wisdom and knowledge from the Holy Spirit. Another significant challenge is to have the “Use Your talents” become its DNA as explained above, so as to have many believers use their Talents / talents toward the development of the church and society. In other words, the exploitation of this topic in various theological subjects is a great springboard for the MLC’s development. Consequently, the use of Talents ( property) and talents (skills) will characterize students at SBs, STPLs, and SALT, and drive them when proclaiming the gospel and when carrying out their various ministries in the churches where God sends them to.

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Questions For The Interview

– How do you understand the phrase / ideology of “Use Your Talent”? What is Talent?

– What motivated you or the Church to use your / their Talents? Who encouraged or led you or the Church to use the Talents? Why should the Church practice and live out the “Use Your Talents”?

– How do the Christians as individuals or as a Congregation use their Talents here in your area?

– What is the importance or the impact of Using Talents on the life of the individual, the Church and the society?

– What are the problems that people or the Church have encountered when practicing the UYT?

– In your opinion, how should they solve these problems?

– What do you suggest to improve the Use of Talents?