MFAHAMU ASKOFU MDEGELLA
Askofu mstaafu Dr. Owdenburg Moses Mdegella, mume wa Mchungaji na mwanasaikolojia Sarah Godfrey Lyamuya, wamejaaliwa kupata watoto sita na mkewe huyo na sasa wamebarikiwa kuwa na wajukuu 8, alizaliwa mnamo mwaka 1951, Mei 1. Huko kijiji cha ipalamwa Wilaya ya Kilolo Iringa.
Tangu aliposimikwa kuwa Askofu wa kwanza wa Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Tanzania mwaka 1987 tarehe 27 mwezi wa 9 Dokta Mdegella amekuwa maarufu sana kutokana na matamko yake mbalimbali katika salaam zake ambazo amekua akizitoa wakati wa matukio maalum lakini pia matamka ya kisiasa ambayo amewahi kuyatoa na hata wakati mwingine kukemea kwa sauti ya kinabii mienendo mbalimbali ya viongozi wa kanisa ama wa Kiserikali.
Mwaka 2012 Dokta Mdegella alivuma sana katika vyombo vya habari katika wakati ambao yeye mwenyewe aliuita maji taka, na mnamo mwaka 2017 pia alipamba kurasa za magazeti na kutokea mbele ya television akizungumzia suala la katiba mpya.
Askofu huyu Mstaafu anayo mambo kadhaa anayoyaamini moja ni kwamba kila mmoja ana dhambi na amepungukiwa na utukufu wa Mungu na kwamba hapa duniani hakuna mwenye haki hata mmoja kauli ambayo amekuwa ikiisema mara nyingi.
Pia amethibitisha katika baadhi ya maandiko yake akisema kwamba anaamini watu wanaopanda mbegu bora shambani ni wale watu wa kawaida tu na sio viongozi wakubwa au wenye madaraka Kanisani.
Anaamini pia kwamba kuhubiri neno la Mungu la wokovu ni kujitoa muhanga, na hili amelithibitisha mara kadhaa yeye mwenyewe alipojitoa mhanga pale aliposhutumiwa na watesi wake.
Baadhi ya mambo usiyoyajua ni kwamba ni shabiki mkubwa wa yanga, na pia haamini kuhusu manabii wasio na taaluma ya thiolojia, anathibitisha kuwa kuna uponyaji katika kutumia mafuta kunakoambatana na neno anakana kwamba hakuna mafuta ya upako, Mdegella ni kiongozi mcheshi, mwenye huruma na upendo, anayefikika kwa urahisi na wakati wowote jambo ambalo linaleta tafsiri mbaya hasa anaposaidia wahitaji wanawake.
Lakini pia ana falsafa inayoleta utatata katika tafsiri hasa juu ya kutenda dhambi na kutubu.
Ukiacha hayo ni kiongozi ambaye ameacha alama nyingi katika jamii katika Nyanja ya Elimu, afya, diakonia na hasa katika usawa wa kijinsia kwani katika uongozi wake unatajwa kupatika kwa mchungaji wa kwanza mwanamke.
RT. REV. Owdenburg Moses MDEGELLA
(Ph.D, MTH. Miss, B.D. Dip. Theol)
Date of Birth: 1st May 1951 at Ipalamwa Village in Kilolo District, Married Rev. Sarah Sia Mdegella with six children
Names of his Parents Moses Mwalikatage Mdegela and Elizabeth Mayuta Mkemwa. Professional is a Pastor/Bishop, Employed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania-Iringa Diocese (ELCT-IRD) over 30 years
Educational Information:
Primary Schools- Fikano -Std 1 1963
- Bomalang’ombe 1964-1965 (Note that I was allowed to jump from standard II to Standard IV).
- Pommern Upper Primary School 1966-1968
Secondary School- Mkwawa High School (F I-VI) 1969-1974
Tertiary Institutions and Universities-
Makerere University through Makumira Theological College; 1975-1978-Diploma in Theology (Dip.Theol.)
Makumira Theological College; 1982-1984- Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.)
Fuller Theological Seminary -USA (Part time Student) 1991-2000; Master of Theology in Missiology (M.TH M.)
University of KwaZulu Natal -Pietermartzburg-RSA, 1997-2005; Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D).
Professional and Managerial Seminars and Courses Attended:
Church Leadership and Management -Harare; Six Weeks 1988;
Management, Development and Educational Policies- Seoul, South
Korea; Six Weeks 1997
Strategic Planning by Developing a sustainable Visions and a
Missions - St. Paul in Minnesota, USA: One month 2004.
Work Skills and Positions Held in the Church and Society
Teacher at Kidugala Bible School in Njombe Jan 1979- Dec.1981
Ordained to the Pastora Ministryin December 1979
Pastor of Ihemi Parish 1985-1986
Interim District Pastor of Ihemi Circuit Jan-November 1986
Elected to the Office of the Bishop 8th October 1986
Consecrated and Installed as the Bishop of the ELCT- Iringa
Diocese; Sept 27th1987, hence Bishop of the Iringa Diocese to the present time.
Chairman of the Youth Desk in the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT- TSCF 1988-1998)
Main founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Directors of Tumaini University- Iringa University College since 1987.
Member of the Makumira Theological College Board 1994-2002
Chairman of Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services (TCRS) (Lutheran Relief Board) 1997-2011
Chairman of African Evangelistic Enterprise 1998-2016
Chairman of the Lutheran Mission Cooperation 2000-2006
Vice Chairman of the Tumaini University Council 2001-2011
Board member of the Lutheran Investment Company (New Safari Hotel- Board of Directors) 2003 to the present.
Member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee 2006-2013.
Chairman of the Tanzania Christian Forum 2010-2011
#elct