As the Church leadership restrains their clergy
By: Peter Qeko Jere
Blantyre Synod action to restrain the Rev. Mangisa from gracing the second anniversary of the interdenominational Tumbuka services at the Blantyre Baptist Church has shocked the body of Christ in Malawi, Africa and the overseas Christian church. It’s unbelievable, indescribable and difficult for a Christian in Malawi to begin to comprehend. It’s the kind of action that does not belong to the body of Christ yet alone the Church. Such unchristian actions belong to the secular world and not the church and it becomes a problem when Christians hears and see such things taking place inside the church, which represent the body of Christ.
Commenting on the drastic action taken against the Rev. Mangisa, the BT Synod Deputy General Secretary, the Rev. Andrew Maere pointed out the following: firstly that the BT Synod leadership felt like they should not be associated with the interdenominational Tumbuka service in the midst of the Livingstonia – Nkhoma wrangle. Secondly that they were aware of speculation of Tumbuka speaking people members in the Synod expressing desire to worship in Tumbuka just like their Lilongwe counterpart. Thirdly that BT Synod feared that Livingstonia Synod was going to encroach into their territory like they have done with the Nkhoma Synod. Finally that the BT Synod wonder as to why should Tumbuka within the Synod go to Baptist church for service of their choice instead of raising the matter up within the hosting Synod.
To begin with, it is wrong for the BT Synod leadership to associate the interdenominational Tumbuka at the Baptist with the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Synod wrangle. This is inter-denomination gathering and of not only CCAP Tumbukas but also some from Catholics, Anglicans, Assemblies of God, Lutheran, Methodists, SDA, Pentecostal and many from Charismatic church hence it’s dangerous for the Synod to directly associate this Tumbuka gathering with the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Wrangle. In this regard, the Synod leadership should not hide behind the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Synod wrangle because there is more to their action. There are many issues behind the scene that led to this decision and not the wrangle. Without missing words, we see that tribalism is the main problem and an issue at hand. The issue at hand was that the leadership resented the idea that one of their clergy should grace a Tumbuka service. The whole idea was that this was a Tumbuka service, which reveals element of tribalism in the way the decision was made.
At the same time, it is unfortunate for the synod leadership to begin to question and wonder when their faithfuls attend services in other churches. The church should know its history and like other Presbyterian churches in the country, should accept that charismatic and Pentecostal churches have many who were once CCAPs. Even this time around, with the freedom of worship that we have, many continue to temporarily visit these charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the city. However, while many BT Synod faithfuls visit Pentecostal, and charismatic churches in the city, we wonder why should it be an issue and a problem for the entire church leadership when few Tumbukas decide to attend interdenominational fellowship at the Baptist Church? Why should this be an issue when it’s about Tumbukas and not others who spend some weeks visiting Pentecostals and charismatic churches in town? It so amazing really that when some from other ethnic tribes in the city visiting other churches, nobody speaks but when its few Tumbuka then the entire leadership comes up with a public statement. This selective approach and treatment is dangerous because it shows that there is more happening behind the scene. This unchristian way of treating faithfuls, raises huge suspicion if one reads between lines.
Just to put records straight, the statement that Livingstone Synod encroached into Nkhoma Synod area is wrong and not correct. In my contribution to both Sunday Times of 5th march (CCAP Synod’s co-existence to promote regionalism) and Weekend Nation of 30th –1 October 2006 (Answer to synod’s wrangle), I made mention that this wrangle has its own history and its very important for Church leaders and people to study this before making any public statement about it. I come from the very wrangle zone or the church battle zone and exactly know what all this wrangle is all about. The truth of the matter is that Nkhoma Synod were the first ones to encroach into Livingstonia Synod area where they managed to construct 88 churches (I can show you where these churches are since this is my home area). As a result of failing to negotiate on a way forward, Livingstonia Synod crossed into Kasungu, Nkhotakota, and Lilongwe. So it’s important to have a balanced and accurate account of issues before we make them public.
Having said this, we consider BT Synod’s unchristian, theologically wrong, and worrisome to the Malawi church unity because of the following: Firstly is that no true Christian leader or Christian faithful could stop someone from preaching the gospel just because it’s outside our ethnic or tribal boundaries. This is because Christ has called us to go and preach to all nations and not to our areas of origins only. We are called to be the light to the world and not only to our specific boarders. The boarders that we have do not exist in the Lords plan because what God knows is the entire world, which is waiting for us to reach out and save from hell.
At the same time, the decision to restrain their fellow clergy is not biblical and at the same time theologically wrong. There is no proof to show that it is illegal for a preacher to share the word of God to different ethnic groups and background. Infact it is recommended (100%) to go and share the gospel to all nations, which include those of different ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, the Synod leadership needs to realize that they need to make sure that their decisions are theologically and biblically right. This action could be well defined as tribalisitc, barbaric and against God’s word. This is because after all the preparations, advertisements and much effort to make the day beautiful, everything was messed up at the eleventh hour. This could also be regarded as spiritual terrorism inside the church, a situation where someone is stopped from doing something against his or her conviction. A situation where you get terrorized inside because someone has created a deliberate situations to frustrate, stop and demoralize you because of reasons well known to them. This is also the demonstration of the spirit of Jezebel where people plan, strategize to stop someone from doing something without proper consultation.
This is worrisome and sad because for the first time, Malawians have seen what church leadership is capable of doing in the house of God. Never has such thing happen in the history of the Christian church in Malawi where church leadership restrains their clergy from patronizing and attending functions of other churches because of tribal differences. This is strange and very unusual because Malawians knows the great commission and other biblical concepts. This action is a shame because it tarnishes the good image of the Malawi Christian Church something we propose need to change.
By: Peter Qeko Jere
Blantyre Synod action to restrain the Rev. Mangisa from gracing the second anniversary of the interdenominational Tumbuka services at the Blantyre Baptist Church has shocked the body of Christ in Malawi, Africa and the overseas Christian church. It’s unbelievable, indescribable and difficult for a Christian in Malawi to begin to comprehend. It’s the kind of action that does not belong to the body of Christ yet alone the Church. Such unchristian actions belong to the secular world and not the church and it becomes a problem when Christians hears and see such things taking place inside the church, which represent the body of Christ.
Commenting on the drastic action taken against the Rev. Mangisa, the BT Synod Deputy General Secretary, the Rev. Andrew Maere pointed out the following: firstly that the BT Synod leadership felt like they should not be associated with the interdenominational Tumbuka service in the midst of the Livingstonia – Nkhoma wrangle. Secondly that they were aware of speculation of Tumbuka speaking people members in the Synod expressing desire to worship in Tumbuka just like their Lilongwe counterpart. Thirdly that BT Synod feared that Livingstonia Synod was going to encroach into their territory like they have done with the Nkhoma Synod. Finally that the BT Synod wonder as to why should Tumbuka within the Synod go to Baptist church for service of their choice instead of raising the matter up within the hosting Synod.
To begin with, it is wrong for the BT Synod leadership to associate the interdenominational Tumbuka at the Baptist with the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Synod wrangle. This is inter-denomination gathering and of not only CCAP Tumbukas but also some from Catholics, Anglicans, Assemblies of God, Lutheran, Methodists, SDA, Pentecostal and many from Charismatic church hence it’s dangerous for the Synod to directly associate this Tumbuka gathering with the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Wrangle. In this regard, the Synod leadership should not hide behind the Livingstonia-Nkhoma Synod wrangle because there is more to their action. There are many issues behind the scene that led to this decision and not the wrangle. Without missing words, we see that tribalism is the main problem and an issue at hand. The issue at hand was that the leadership resented the idea that one of their clergy should grace a Tumbuka service. The whole idea was that this was a Tumbuka service, which reveals element of tribalism in the way the decision was made.
At the same time, it is unfortunate for the synod leadership to begin to question and wonder when their faithfuls attend services in other churches. The church should know its history and like other Presbyterian churches in the country, should accept that charismatic and Pentecostal churches have many who were once CCAPs. Even this time around, with the freedom of worship that we have, many continue to temporarily visit these charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the city. However, while many BT Synod faithfuls visit Pentecostal, and charismatic churches in the city, we wonder why should it be an issue and a problem for the entire church leadership when few Tumbukas decide to attend interdenominational fellowship at the Baptist Church? Why should this be an issue when it’s about Tumbukas and not others who spend some weeks visiting Pentecostals and charismatic churches in town? It so amazing really that when some from other ethnic tribes in the city visiting other churches, nobody speaks but when its few Tumbuka then the entire leadership comes up with a public statement. This selective approach and treatment is dangerous because it shows that there is more happening behind the scene. This unchristian way of treating faithfuls, raises huge suspicion if one reads between lines.
Just to put records straight, the statement that Livingstone Synod encroached into Nkhoma Synod area is wrong and not correct. In my contribution to both Sunday Times of 5th march (CCAP Synod’s co-existence to promote regionalism) and Weekend Nation of 30th –1 October 2006 (Answer to synod’s wrangle), I made mention that this wrangle has its own history and its very important for Church leaders and people to study this before making any public statement about it. I come from the very wrangle zone or the church battle zone and exactly know what all this wrangle is all about. The truth of the matter is that Nkhoma Synod were the first ones to encroach into Livingstonia Synod area where they managed to construct 88 churches (I can show you where these churches are since this is my home area). As a result of failing to negotiate on a way forward, Livingstonia Synod crossed into Kasungu, Nkhotakota, and Lilongwe. So it’s important to have a balanced and accurate account of issues before we make them public.
Having said this, we consider BT Synod’s unchristian, theologically wrong, and worrisome to the Malawi church unity because of the following: Firstly is that no true Christian leader or Christian faithful could stop someone from preaching the gospel just because it’s outside our ethnic or tribal boundaries. This is because Christ has called us to go and preach to all nations and not to our areas of origins only. We are called to be the light to the world and not only to our specific boarders. The boarders that we have do not exist in the Lords plan because what God knows is the entire world, which is waiting for us to reach out and save from hell.
At the same time, the decision to restrain their fellow clergy is not biblical and at the same time theologically wrong. There is no proof to show that it is illegal for a preacher to share the word of God to different ethnic groups and background. Infact it is recommended (100%) to go and share the gospel to all nations, which include those of different ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, the Synod leadership needs to realize that they need to make sure that their decisions are theologically and biblically right. This action could be well defined as tribalisitc, barbaric and against God’s word. This is because after all the preparations, advertisements and much effort to make the day beautiful, everything was messed up at the eleventh hour. This could also be regarded as spiritual terrorism inside the church, a situation where someone is stopped from doing something against his or her conviction. A situation where you get terrorized inside because someone has created a deliberate situations to frustrate, stop and demoralize you because of reasons well known to them. This is also the demonstration of the spirit of Jezebel where people plan, strategize to stop someone from doing something without proper consultation.
This is worrisome and sad because for the first time, Malawians have seen what church leadership is capable of doing in the house of God. Never has such thing happen in the history of the Christian church in Malawi where church leadership restrains their clergy from patronizing and attending functions of other churches because of tribal differences. This is strange and very unusual because Malawians knows the great commission and other biblical concepts. This action is a shame because it tarnishes the good image of the Malawi Christian Church something we propose need to change.
1 comment:
I have been searching for this information on tribalism in CCAP. Is it possible that you can post me some at daphwalker@hotmail.com
My name is Rhoda Kamchacha and my brother DR Kamchacha informed me about you .
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