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The UMC mission initiative in the Central African Republic is gaining momentum with the ordination of the Rev. Aquilas Soronaka, Ecclesiastical Districts superintendent, and his wife, the Rev. Cynthia Priscillia Soronaka. Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda, Eastern Congo Episcopal Area, ordained Aquilas Soronaka a United Methodist elder, making him the only elder in the Central African Republic’s mission initiative. The bishop ordained Cynthia Priscillia Soronaka a deacon, making her the first ordained United Methodist clergywoman in this country.
“From now on,” said Edith Kilas, lay leader, “we have charismatic … leaders who can validly represent the Methodist community of the Central African Republic with all dignity. This will eradicate the prejudice that the Methodist church has suffered for so many years.”
Cynthia Priscillia Soronaka holds a doctorate in medicine, a master's degree in leadership and management, and a theology license. She said it was a joy for her to be the first woman in the conference to be ordained. “Many evangelical churches in the Central African Republic do not accept the pastoral consecration of women in ministry,” she said. “Thank you for this opportunity. … A woman like me can become a pastor. It’s a weapon of evangelism. It’s a challenge for me and for the initiative.”
Rev. M. Sachou, a UM Global Ministries missionary, expressed delight in Cynthia Soronaka’s ordination. “It’s a great step forward for our church and shows that we value women in ministry. I've noticed that women are very determined when they get involved in something. They do everything from the heart.” [PHOTO BY CHADRACK TAMBWE LONDE, UM News]
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