Belong: Sharing the Lord’s Table

The North Katanga episcopal area has three annual conferences: North Katanga, Tanganyika, and Tanzania. The North Katanga episcopal area comprises two countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. The United Methodist Church in Tanzania has thirteen districts; the Tanganyika Annual Conference has fourteen districts, and North Katanga has twenty-four districts. This episcopal area is unique in its ministry as it involves peacebuilding and creating safe spaces for people displaced due to conflict. The United Methodist Church is committed to bringing and inviting community members to the table of grace. At the Lord’s Table, we are fed and called to be salt of the earth to preserve and enhance what is good.

Holy Communion is celebrated on Sunday and on special days in local churches. Communion is for the powerless, the afflicted, and the Earth broken by greed, war, and injustice.

When people come together in North Katanga, there is often breaking of bread for the broken selves, unhealed hurts, and wounds of the people. We break the bread to share the body of Christ through our brokenness, and God makes us whole.

Celebrants wake up early and are the first to enter the church to pour red juice into small cups, cut small pieces of bread, cover it, and pray over it.

Bread is available in every location. A deacon or an elder presides at the celebration. The table is covered during the worship service. The celebration of Holy Communion begins after the preaching.

Elements of Holy Communion are bread and red juice from grapes. Communion is always celebrated after the sermon. The lead pastor or director of liturgy (an elder) invites the celebrants to Communion. The leaders first serve themselves and then invite the congregation members. Participation in Communion is the renewal of the new life Christ gives.

Before the celebration, the congregation is invited to pray and recommit their lives to God. The bishop serves the celebrants, then the congregants under the guidance of the director of liturgy. Prayer is offered before and after Communion.

People come forward to celebrate Communion as songs are being sung. A pastor holds the bread, and another elder holds cups of juice. In a line, the people come individually to take the bread and a cup of juice.

The celebration starts with a song about gathering together, healing, and restoration through shared life. Toward the end, an individual offers a song or hymn of commitment. The Holy Communion celebration service often ends with a powerful song proclaiming that people are one in the Spirit and one in the Lord and that congregants are the seed that will grow.

In North Katanga, during the celebration of Holy Communion, the director of the liturgy chooses one of the celebrants to sing a solo Communion hymn. Sometimes, the choir sings a Communion hymn of thanksgiving for coming together, forgiving one another, and communing together.

The lead pastor or bishop will offer thanks for the courage and strength that God promises us. The lead pastor or bishop will send the congregants out in love, letting justice and power be known through the Holy Spirit.

The liturgy is written according to the director of the liturgy. One of the celebrants with a local hymnal book sings songs related to Holy Communion.

The bishop may invite lay leaders to be served first. The liturgist, who is always a pastor, invites members to participate at the Table of Grace.

Some local churches use small cups. Others use one big cup and locally baked bread. In that case, the congregant comes forward, receives a piece of bread, and dips it in a jar of red juice. During this time, the congregation prayerfully remembers that Christ died for our sins, and forgiveness is certain. Singers continue singing enthusiastically during the Communion celebration.

Retired pastors are often recognized and invited to share the Lord’s Supper when they are present in worship.

I attended a celebration led by Bishop Mande Muyombo of the episcopal area. He invited congregants and served the congregation, as well as a person with mental illness in the Tenke district. That person is a baptized United Methodist, and when he heard that Bishop Mande was coming to the Tenke district, he attended the service to participate in the Lord’s Table. The person who has mental illness was included in the holy meal. Sharing the Lord's Table is a witness to unity, grace, and the love of Christ, and the church is a community of healing and reconciliation.

Reflection Questions:

• In North Katanga, Communion is a time for healing and addressing the “unhealed hurts and wounds that lie within.” How does your church celebrate Communion as a space for healing and reconciliation within the congregation and the wider community?
• The article describes how people from all walks of life, including those often marginalized, are welcome to participate in Communion. How does your church ensure everyone feels included and valued at the Lord’s Table regardless of circumstances? Are there ways to make this welcome more visible?
• The United Methodist Church in North Katanga connects Communion with the church’s mission to address injustice and serve those affected by conflict. How might your church’s practice of Communion reflect a commitment to justice and serving those struggling in your community?
• The celebration of Communion in North Katanga includes unique elements like specific songs and locally available bread and wine or juice. What local traditions or practices in your church could be incorporated into the celebration of Communion to make it more meaningful and reflective of your community’s identity and story?