The Church Missionary Society’s Mission Aid Group (MAG) is preparing to wind up its ministry in east Africa.

MAG exists to help support churches and other organisations in Tanzania in particular times of economic hardship, mostly by providing practical goods such as bibles, stationery, tools, toiletries and materials.

“I’ve only been involved in recent years because my husband and I were serving in Tanzania for a time,” says MAG’s chairwoman, Wendy Reed. “But I think, having seen the ministry from both ends, the legacy of MAG is simply that it has encouraged the church, provided material resources the church in Tanzania has used in its work, and also reminded the Christians there that they are not forgotten.”

MAG began in 1981, 20 years a er Tanzania gained independence from Britain. The late 1970s saw Tanzania experience severe economic depression, largely due to the con ict with Uganda under Idi Amin and subsequent factors that only began to li in the mid- to late ’80s. Tanzania has also been a haven for African refugees for many years.

According to Mrs Reed, a number of factors came into play in the decision to wind MAG back at this point, including the increasing self-sufficiency of the Tanzanian church and Tanzania in general, the increasing difficulty and cost of importing goods into Tanzania, and the declining volunteer workforce available in Australia.

“Tanzania today is quite different to the way it was then, so MAG needs to rethink its position as to what the future holds,” she says. “When I returned from Tanzania and was asked to join the committee, I soon realised how much MAG depends on a few faithful people, who mostly are not getting any younger.”

Over the years, several missionaries serving in Tanzania have returned on deputation to work and share with MAG personnel and increase the connection between the ministry and its bene ciaries.

The ministry has been a volunteer-run group since its inception and has been supported by the use of the basement at St Thomas’, Kingsgrove as a depot. Typically, more than 20 volunteers turn up on a Tuesday to help pack containers, most being retirees.

“Just after I retired, I was thinking ‘What does God want me to do with my life now?’” says MAG depot supervisor Rod James. “I ended up going along to one of the MAG celebration days, spoke to people there and they encouraged me to come along to the Tuesday packing days. On a typical day we’ll pack boxes of various goods from 10 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, and we send three containers a year to different dioceses in Tanzania.”

The final MAG container to Tanzania is due to be packed and sent this month.

Photo: Help across the miles: Tanzanian Christians unload a container supplied by MAG (courtesy CMS)