From the Diocese of Lake Malawi

Meanwhile some recent correspondence from the Diocese of Lake Malawi -
still bravely standing up for justice.*


*Please note that a culture of intimidation is no longer entirely restricted to Zimbabwe and sadly some of the Anglican bishops are prepared to punish clergy and threaten laity in the dioceses of Lake Malawi and Upper Shire, should they appear to ‘step out of line’.

We have now recorded a number of examples of such actions in our files and have therefore withheld the names of correspondents – however, we will confidentially forward any e-mail responses should readers wish to reply and engage in dialogue.

* From a correspondent:


‘Ngati timayenda ndi mzimu oyera tilolenso kuti mzimuyo atitsolele, Mtendere wa Ambuye Ukhale ndi Inu masiku onse!
Ukhalenso ndi inu. (If we live in the Spirit, we should allow the Spirit to guide us)

Are Christians in this Province surprised at the way our political leaders are behaving, especially in Zimbabwe? No, if our Church leaders behave like dictators, our leaders will behave the same way. In Chichewa we say Fisi sabeleka galu meaning ‘a hyena will always produce a hyena, not a dog’.

As Christians we should pray hard that our Church leaders should be exemplary in the way they live and manage Church affairs. These same bishops mediate political impasse in our country but they fail to mediate the problems of the church in a Christian way. For example, they chose Bishop Trevor Mwamba (Bishop of Botswana, the popular previous Dean of the Province) to mediate the problems in Lake Malawi Diocese but somehow let the devil confuse the process (a reference to the arbitrary sacking of Mwamba by former Archbishop Bernard Malango). Leaders what exactly is it you want to see before you can reconcile and reach a compromise with the Church?

This Province will in due course choose a new Archbishop for Central Africa (when all the currently vacant sees are filled). Can we pray for a God-Fearing leader who can once and for all bring peace to this confused Province. Don’t the bishops of this Province question their own integrity. Bad society produces bad leaders.

May God open the eyes of our bishops to reflect and meditate on this letter.’

A concerned Anglican citizen


* And from another correspondent:

‘Could someone enlighten me about what role the retired former Archbishop Bernard Malango is playing at St Thomas’s Anglican Church? (St Thomas’s is at the Lake Malawi Diocesan Headquarters) For four weeks on the trot he has been conducting Mass. Talk of giving someone a yard – they want to take a mile! Surely the congregation has a right to know of these changes.’

A member of the congregation


ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that following the terms of the recent pronouncement of excommunication on Bishops Kunonga and Jakazi – Malango himself should be excommunicated or at least suspended from any duties as he has been the principal supporter of the Zimbabwean renegades who owe their very positions to him – no wonder the St Thomas’s congregation is unsettled.