Fama Onema
Bishop Fama Onema
Retired
Africa
Bishop Fama Onema is a retired bishop of The United Methodist Church, having served from 1972-2005.------------------------
Bishop Onema was born in Utuhi, Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Belgian Congo. He had his secondary school and theological education in Africa, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Newell Booth. Later, Fama Onema went with his family to Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, where he received his B.A. majoring in Philosophy and Sociology.
After returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fama Onema was ordained elder by Bishop John Wesley Shungu, joined the Central Congo Annual Conference and served as Pastor Youth Director as well as statistician for the Africa Central Conference. He was active in his annual conference, including serving as secretary. He was also Director of the Pastors School, Director of a secondary school and in, 1971, became professor at the ecumenical theological school in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On August 28, 1972, Fama Onema was elected to the episcopacy by the Africa Central Conference at Blantyre Malawi and assigned to the all Congo Area, 1972-1976. After 1976, he was assigned to the Central Congo area. He was Moderator of National Synod for 11 years and President of the Executive Committee of L´Église du Christ au Congo ("The Church of Christ in Congo") for 12 years. He held the position of President of Administration, Council of the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Congo (now Protestant University of Kinshasa). He was a founder of Methodist Patrice Emergy Lumumba University in 1980, which now has five faculties and four colleges (Education, Agriculture, Nursery, Home Economics, Theology, Law and Medicine). He is a member of the General Committee of All Africa Conference Churches, and was Vice-President of All Africa Conference of Churches, and President of the French Protestant Church of Africa. He has lectured for many institutions and seminaries in Congo and abroad. He has a Degree Diploma dis Etudes Superiores (D.S.), two Honorary Degrees and is working on a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion on Culture and Gospel.
Ekoko and Fama were married on June 5, 1952. They have nine children: Fama, Muyala, Pende, Tawa, Walu, Shaumba, Utshudi, Omba and Shaku.
Mailing Address
64 Avenue Kutu
Kinsuka - Ngaliema Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo