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Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative AssemblyDecember 28, 2006 - January 1, 2007
Johannesburg, South Africa

Legislative Assembly

Convocation

Registration

Schedule

Location

Guest Speakers

Essential Information

Guest Speakers

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner was born in 1955 and grew up in Eppingen in southern Germany. Since 1983 she is married with Tobias. He works as a computer scientist in a big software company. Rosemarie Wenner studied at the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Reutlingen (Germany) and has held pastorates in Karlsruhe, Hockenheim and Dreieich-Sprendlingen and Darmstadt. 1981 to 1992 she was chair of the movement called “Jungscharwerk”, which invites children and younger people in the age of 8 to 14 to experience Gods love and to live in Christian fellowship by building youth groups and by attending summer camps. Since then she is very much engaged in encouraging young people to be part of the church. In 1996 she was appointed superintendent of the Frankfurt District. Since April 2005 she serves as bishop of the Germany Central Conference of the United Methodist Church with its three Annual Conferences (North, East, South) and about 60,000 members. She is the first female UMC bishop in the Central Conferences.

Liberato "Levi" Bautista

Liberato “Levi” Bautista is currently the Assistant General Secretary for United Nations and International Affairs of the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) and based at the Church Center for United Nations in New York City. Levi and his wife Adora were former National Presidents of the United Methodist Youth in the Philippines and both served on the national executive committee of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCM). Levi considers himself a product of the connectional church as well as the wider ecumenical community. Levi served as the youngest secretary of the Philippines Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. As a youth leader, he participated in the First International Conference of Methodist Youth Presidents organized by the World Methodist Council in Truro, England. The Council of Bishops chose him as a youth and Central Conference member of the United Methodist delegation to the 1983 Vancouver Assembly of the World Council of Churches. In the mid-1980’s, he trained in Nashville with the General Board of Discipleship as a New World Missioner assigned to local churches in Kansas, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Levi has contributed to the drafting of many church and ecumenical statements, including the World Methodist Social Affirmation. He currently staffs a GBCS Task Force drafting a new Social Creed. From a lay leader, Levi is now a probationary clergy member of the Northern Philippines Annual Conference. He continues to be ecumenically involved, invariably, with the World Council of Churches, Church World Service and Witness, World Student Christian Federation, and the Christian Conference of Asia, among several. Levi studied political science, history and international studies. His doctoral studies in Christian social and political ethics were supported by the leadership development office of the General Board of Global Ministries. He has traveled close to 60 countries around the world pursuing ministries of peace with justice in local, regional, global and multigenerational settings. Home and family is with wife Adora, a teacher and behavior specialist of children with autism, and their two children, Arvin Louis, a filmmaker, and Aiena Laya, training to be an occupational therapist.

Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa

Bishop Eben Kanukayi Nhiwatiwa serves the Zimbabwe Annual Conferences. Bishop Nhiwatiwa has been actively involved with Africa University since its inception and he joined the staff in the Faculty of Theology in February 1992 to teach pastoral theology. After his election to the episcopacy, Bishop Nhiwatiwa said he would continue to serve the United Methodist Church in much the same way as he has since he was ordained as a deacon in 1974. He stressed consultation and trust and consensus building as aspects of his leadership style, saying that motivating and unifying the membership of the Zimbabwe East and Zimbabwe West annual conferences would be among his priorities.

Having served as conference secretary for Zimbabwe Area since 1992, Bishop Nhiwatiwa is knowledgeable about the challenges and concerns facing the United Methodist Church in southern Africa. He is also well known and respected across the five annual conferences in the Africa Central Conference. He’s been general secretary of the Africa Central Conference since 2000. Nhiwatiwa earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees at Illinois State University before returning to Zimbabwe in 1984. He was appointed pastor and station chairperson at Old Mutare Mission on his return and served there until he joined the faculty at Africa University in 1992.

Sarah Crawford-Browne

Sarah Crawford-Browne is a clinical social worker with a vocation to support community healing after violence and social justice. Her passion grew through the struggle for liberation in South Africa, witnessing reconciliation processes in this country and caring for people affected by violence. This work has taken her from the gang areas in Cape Town, to the border of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea in West Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and most recently Uganda and the Sudan. She’s worked for the Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture, Cape Town; Church World Service - Pakistan/Afghanistan, and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation. Sarah comes from Cape Town and as an African, is particularly inspired by the strength and resilience of the people on this continent.

Dr. Beauty Rosebery Maenzanise

Dr. Beauty Rosebery Maenzanise was born in June 22, 1957 in Mutare, Zimbabwe. She is currently holding the position of Dean for the faculty of Theology in Africa University. Her research focus is the incorporation of some forms of the African Traditional Religion’s practices in the worship patterns of the African United Methodist Church. Among her many accomplishments, she has a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies concentrating in African Worship from Drew University. She has taught at Lancaster Theological Seminary in New York from 2002 through 2004 then relocated to Zimbabwe late in December 2004 to teach at Africa University. Thorough out her career as a devoted servant of God, she has shared her knowledge in presentations around the world, ranging from African Theology to the role of Women in the church and society, among others.

Theon Johnson III

Theon Johnson III is currently a first year Master of Divinity student at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. A native of Canton, Mississippi, Theon received a Bachelors of Science degree from Millsaps College in Philosophy and Religious Studies with Minors in Education and a Lilly Fellow Program (May 2006). (Millsaps is a small private, liberal arts institution, in Jackson, MS.)
He was part of the US delegation to the 2005 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil representing the UMSM and other numerous student organizations on
campus.
Besides working in his college community, Theon has been involved with the United Methodist Church. He served as a member of the United Methodist Student Movement Steering Committee (UMSM) (from 2004-2006). Theon has also served as a member of the Division on Ministries with Young People (DMYP) since 2004. In August 2006, he was elected as one of two co-chairs for the DMYP and is working with Division Members and Staff in the structuring, planning, and implementation of events.
He has also served as Co-Author of the “21st Century Africana Liturgy Resources Year B” (General Board of Discipleship) (2005) and as a speaker for events like the Martin Luther King, Jr. Servant Leadership Week at Pheiffer University (2006), the Millsaps College Top Scholars Day (2006), Strengthening the Black Church 21st Century Colloquium (2006), and other engagements.

Event Choir:

The Africa University Choir

The Africa University Choir is an established choral ensemble at Africa University. All the members of the choir are students of Africa University. The choir is steeped in a musical tradition that dates back many years, and it forms a vital part of the musical activity within the University and the wider community. The Africa University Choir will serve as the event choir for the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly.

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