Posted to the web 25 July 2008 Linda Bloom The Rev. Joaquina Filipe Nhanala was elected July 23 as the first female United Methodist bishop in Africa. Nhanala, 51, the pastor of Matola United Methodist Church in Mozambique, was elected during the July 22-24 meeting of the denomination's Africa Central Conference at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Effective Sept. 1, she will succeed Bishop João Somane Machado, who is retiring as the leader of the Mozambique area. In another election during the conference, Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa was re-elected to lead the denomination's Zimbabwe area. The Africa Central Conference includes the denomination's Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola Episcopal Areas, the South Africa Provisional Conference, the Malawi Missionary Conference, and the East Africa Episcopal Area of Uganda, Southern...
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