A Pastor in the Making - Osward Chinyama

Osward Chinyama is an inspiration to young people who would like to take up part time or full time ministry in the church. He received God's calling to become a full time pastor back in 2000 when he was working as a teacher.

Mr Chinyama taught at Marimba Primary School in Neno District for five years, from 2000 to 2006. During this time, he also worked part time for the Bible Society as an agent of the "Faith Comes by Hearing" program.

In the year 2000, Osward submitted his application for admission to the Theological College. As it turned out, he and a colleague from Michiru CCAP were chosen by the Blantyre City Presbytery to represent the Presbytery at a youth camp in Crestfield, Pittsburgh, USA. The interviews for the Theological College entrance, unfortunately, coincided with the US trip, so he missed them.

On returning from the US,he decided to enroll with the Theological College by Extension in Malawi (TEEM) and studied for a diploma in Theology between 2002 and 2006.

Osward has been very active in St Michaels Youth. He was once its treasurer then its chairman. He has also been very active in the Evangelism Committee,which he chaired from 2007 unit the time he left form Zomba,in the second half of 2011. He is currently at Zomba Theological College, pursuing a degree program Divinity, with a view to becoming a full time pastor.

Mr Chinyama said in an interview that pastoral work ought to embrace evangelism.As a teaching elder, the pastor should endeavor to deliver teachings that have an evangelistic slant because we no longer live in days in which church growth depends on Christians bearing children and bringing them into the church. Instead, efforts have to be made to reach out to the unreached, and the pastor should play a leading role in these efforts.

His advice to young people is one of encouragement to them to be brave and courageous, and come along to take up ministry, like the Biblical youthful Timothy did. Some aspects of pastoral work are physically and mentally demanding, requiring the strength and enthusiasm of young people. All that is needed is to take a step of faith, and God will open the doors for anyone who makes themselves available.

New Mvano Members Inducted

The 2011 Mvano class, comprising 26 students, finished itse lessons on 5th November and was inducted in a colourful ceremomy the following day, Sunday, 6th November, 2011. The Moderator of St. Michael and All Angels Congregation, Rev Andrew Kamponda, presided over the induction ceremony, which took place in the 10:30 Chichewa service.

The graduating class surprised congregants by putting up a highly spirited performance of hymn 14 from the Chichewa hymnal during the service, thanks to the able guidance of Mrs Lucy Mauluka who, along with Mrs Chienda, had delivered the requisite lessons to the class in the course of the year.

The service started promptly at 10:30 in the prayer room, and then owing to the swollen patronage, it was shifted to the amphitheatre. Finally the service moved into the Multipurpose Hall after the conclusion of the English service.

After answering a number of questions from the Moderator, all the 26 former students were declared full members of Mvano. Following the dedication of their uniform by the Moderator, the ladies processed out of the hall to wear the uniform - black skirts and white blouses. They, however, did not wear the white headgear, as this had to wait for the Moderator, assisted by his wife, to fix them on each one's head, to the accompanimemt of a pronouncememt of God's blessings.

In his sermon, Rev Kamponda reminded all present that God's calling is personal to each individual and therefore we all need to personally respond to the calling like the boy Samuel had done at Shiloh.

The Visit by Zambians

Thirty one Christians form Chelstone Reformed Church in Lusaka, Zambia, travelled to Malawi last week as visitors of St Miachaels Men's Ministry. Among them were members of the Women's Guild and two youths. The leader of delegation was the Pastor of Chelstone Church, Rev Madalitso Banda.

The initial plan was that they would arrive in the evening of Thursday, 13th October, but because of last minute logistical challenges, they left Lusaka on the said Thursday afternoon, arriving in Blantyre on Friday morning around 11 am. After a brief welcoming ceremony held in the Multipurpose Church Hall, the guests left for Zomba to visit the plateau, where lunch had been arranged for them at the mountain top Sunbird Kuchawe Inn.

The following day, the women joined their fellow Mvano members in the weekly Mvano meeting. The visiting Mrs Banda, wife to Rev Madalitso Banda, delivered a powerful sermon at the joint Mvano meeting. Meanwhile members of the Chelstone Men's Fellowship joined their fellow men in the Multipurpose Hall for an exposition of God's word by Mr Daniel Menyamenya, followed by a Bible Study focusing on the first two chapters of Nehemiah.

Saturday afternoon was shopping time for the esteemed visitors, who were given the chance to visit some shops and markets in Blantyre. Afterwards, the focus shifted to Mr and Mrs Lipunga's home, venue for a specially arranged braai in honour of the visitors.

Sunday, 16th October, was another busy day for the Zambians. The Rev Banda took the 5:45 and 10:30 Chichewa services. Speaking in flawless Chichewa, spiced by Zambian Nyanja expressions, he spoke of the importance of translating our faith into good works. The visiting men's choir was in attendance at the 7:30 Chichewa and the 9:20 English services.

On the same Sunday, St Michaels congregation was blessed with another special visitor - Rev Schaafsma, who had until two years previously been Associate Minister at the church and had since returned to his home, Holland. He took the 9:20 English service.

The climax of the visit by the Zambians was the farewell dinner held in the Multipurpose Hall in the evening of Sunday, 16th October. Several people spoke at this dinner, among them, Rev Madalitso Banda, who dwelt on the similarities among African communuties in the manner they conduct their affairs, citing the example of the almost trademark tendency in Africa to let important functions run way behind schedule.

The visitors left Blantrye at midnight on 16th October, 2011, and were reportedly in Lusaka the following day at 20:00 hours.

The Praise Team

St Michael and All Angels congregation is priviledged to have a praise team comprising talented young people who have the passion for contemporary gospel music. It was one of the earliest praise teams within Blantyre Synod, having been formed in the year 1999. It has so far produced three albums, namely Zikomo Yesu (2003), Yesu Ndinu Wamoyo (2006) and Yesu Ndiye Yankho (2011). The track Thanthwe Long'ambikatu from the latest album, which features Ruth Mputeni on lead vocals, is already enjoying wide airplay on local radios.

On 27th August,2011, the Praise Team launched the Yesu Ndiye Yankho album at the Multipurpose Church Hall. The event, described as a success by many patrons, was graced by a cross section of seasoned gospel artists from the city of Blantyre,including Frank Chimpazi, Thoko Suya, Geoffrey Zigoma and Joyful Souls.

Currently the Praise Team is progressing with the production of a DVD. So far three songs from the Yesu Ndiye Yankho album have been shot and finalised on DVD. Some of them have already been featured on local TV stations. The DVD production is ongoing, and it is hoped that the final DVD will be launched some time time in 2012.

Cathedral Undergoing Renovations

Rev Clement Scott's masterpiece, the St Michael and All angels cathedral, which was built between 1888 and 1891, has developed some cracks on its wall and roof structures, necessitating some repair work. As a result, the Management of the congregation decided to engage a contractor to carry out the repair work.

The work started on Monday, 19th September. As a result, the cathedral cannot be be used for worship over the next two months or so. All services previously held in the historical church building will be redirected to the Multipurpose Church Hall.

The 6 o'clock Chichewa service will now start at 5:45 in the morning, followed by the contemporary service (again in Chichewa) at 7:30, having been shifted from 7:00 am. Thereafter the English service will start in the same Hall at 9:20 am while the 10:30 service will start at the same time, but in the prayer room behind the amphitheater. The 5 pm English service will also be conducted in the prayer room.

The entire repair works will cost something in the region of k21million and has been divided into several phases. The first phase, which is the one that commenced on 19th September, will concentrate on the roofing structure. The other phase(s) are to come later.

Its Maulana, Chilapula

At the ongoing bianuall conference of the Blantyre Synod, delegates elected Rev Maulana to the post of General Secretary and Rev Chilapula (Mrs) as Moderator of Blantyre Synod. The new Deputy General Secreatary is Rev Nyekanyeka and the Vice Moderator is Rev Andrew Kamponda.

Rev Maulana was previously Executive Director of the Chilema Lay Training Centre in Zomba while Rev Chilapula is the Moderator of Mount Pleasant congregation in Blantyre City Presbytery.

The posts of Moderator and Deputy General Secretary fell vacant earlier in the year following an incident where the then holders of th these posts jointly addressed a press conference distancing Blantyre Synod from a pastoral letter that had been issued by the Roman Catholic clergy critical of some aspects of the sitting government. At an extra-ordinary assembly of the Synod, delegates resolved that this action was deplorable and that the two should not continue in their offices.

Inauguration of Biannual Conference

The 2011 biannual conference of the Synod of Blantyre was inaugurated with a special service of worship on Sunday, 21st August, 2011. The service was held in the St Michael and All Angels Multipurpose Church Hall. With the exception of the 6 oclcock am service, all the other services at St Michael and all Angels were merged into one joint service.

The service was attended by the Blantyre Synod management (comprising the Acting Moderator, the General Secretary and the Acting Deputy General Secretary), delegates from the Presybteries, representatives of foreign missions from Canada, Scotland and Australia and St Michael and All Angels congregants.
One of the special activities during the service was the ordination of thirteen ordinands to become full ministers of word and sacrament. These had been on a one year internship at various congregations within the Synod, following their completion of formal trainng at the Zomba Theological College.

The English sermon was taken by Rev Mike Burns, a Canadian missionary currently attached to St James congregation as Associate Pastor to Rev Songola.

Rev Gertrude Kapuma took the Chichewa sermon. She bemoaned the apparent division along tribal lines within the Synod. "Why should a newspaper reporter list Blantyre Synod candidates as 'so and so from this district and such and such from that district'", she querried, in reference to an article that had appeared in a local newspaper giving details of ministers chosen to run for various positions of leadership during the conference.

She also strongly spoke against the tendency by some candidates or their agents to offer gifts of money to some voters with a view to winning them over. She submitted that the best approach would be to ask God, through prayer and supplication, to chose the best people to become leaders of the Synod.

The biannual conference will continue in the Multipurpose Hall for another four days. On 22nd August, delegates will vote to chose a new Moderator and Vice Moderator, General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary.

Rev Hoekstra Bids Farewell

Sunday, 12th June, 2011 was a special day at St Michael and All Angels Church. Rev Eddie Hoekstra, who had been the congregation's Associate Pastor, bade farewell to the 4000 strong congregation as he rounded up his tour of duty to Malawi. Only one service was held on this Sunday morning, the meeting place being the Multipurpose Church Hall.

It has been said that each time we part we die a little. And indeed the occasion marked some dying of the congregants to the Hoekstras and, in turn, the Hoekstras to the individual members of the congregation. Until, of course, we meet again hopefully on this side of eternity or on the other side. From that perspective, it was a sad occasion.

From a different perspective it was a happy occasion because it afforded everybody the opportunity to reflect on the Hoeksras' accomplishments since coming to St Miachel and All Angels. As the Moderator, Rev A Kamponda enthused, Eddie Hoekstra was a man full of "get up and go". Each time the two pastors needed to go somewhere to discharge their pastoral duties, Eddie did not hesitate to hoist his bag and say, "Let us go, what are waiting for?"

The musical talent of the Hoeskra family was very much cherished by the musically minded congregants at St Michael and All Angels. Each time he preached, Eddie would slot in a special song either sung by himself or with the congregation. Mrs Hoekstra and the children were helping out with various musical instruments at the 5:00 pm service.

While in Malawi the Hoeskras adopted the clan name Phiri (Mountain). In the traditional Chewa society, the Phiri clan was the ruling elite, the nobility. Eddie Hoekstra and his family, therefore, found their place among the Malawian nobility.

Rev Hoekstra, originally from Canada, was at St Michael and All Angels Church for nine months, having previously served at Chigodi Centre and St. Columba Church.

St Michaels celebrates 120 years

The St. Michael and all Angels Church held a special ceremony on Sunday, 15th May, 2011 to commemorate 120 years of the existence of the magnificent St. Michael Cathedral. Built by David Clement Scott from 1888, the cathedral was dedicated on 10th May, 1891 with only 30 local congregants. Today, 120 years on, the membership of the church stands at a staggering four thousand.

Present at the colourful ceremony was the Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, the Rev. Dr. Billy Gama who was representing the state President. Other dignatories included the Very Rev Silas Ncozana and Chief Kapeni, a descendant of the chief that granted a parcel of land to Henry Henderson to start mission work at Blantyre in 1876.

Over the years Blantyre Mission, where st. Michael and All Angels Church is based, has had a significant impact on the life of Malawians, spritually, economically and culturally. When it was completed, the cathedral was the only structure built for purposes of organised worship standing between the Zambezi and the Nile. The first African pastors were ordained in 1912. On the economic front, the missionaries introduced new crops such as tea and coffee to the country, among other trade activities, that were meant to replace the abhorrent slave trade, which had been rampant in this part of Africa