Another pastoral letter: Evangelical Church leaders divided over its contents

Divisions have erupted in the leadership of the Evangelical Church of Malawi over a pastoral letter scheduled to be read out in its churches this Sunday.

Evangelical leaders divided over pastoral letter

A section of the leadership of the church have described the letter as hypocritical and political on the part of the church.

Among the contents, the letter accuses the government over attacks which people living with albinism have been experiencing in the country.

One of the pastors said it is sheer hypocrisy for Evangelical Church of Malawi and the church in general to accuse the government of not doing anything to protect albinos.

“This is dishonest. And coming from the church, it is worrisome. On the issue of albino attacks, government has done well through its law enforcement agencies. This is well known. It is the church that has failed to do anything to support the government,” said one of the pastors in church.

He added: “We know of a bishop who killed our brother Masambuka in Machinga. His church and the church in Malawi in general in Malawi have been quiet about it. Only Muslims have spoken out. So what will our members say hearing us condemning government and not condemning ourselves?”

Todate, apart from demonstrated political will by the President, only government has in place a 6-point strategy which it is implementing in the fight against albino attacks while no church in Malawi is known to have any plan in place.

The Evangelical Church leaders are also at issue with the question of electorial reforms bills which the letter is raising.

Government took the bills to Parliament in December and MPs rejected them.

“We all know that cabinet did its part. The bill went to Parliament. Both oppostion and government MPs rejected it. So why is this letter going to government and not to Parliament? We suspect the church is playing politics and we do not want to be party to it,” said another pastor in the church.

The Evangelical Church pastoral letter comes after another by the Catholic Church. For the first time in the history of pastoral letters in Malawi, the Catholic one came under heavy criticism from members within the church also for being hypocritical and political.

The letter opted to conveniently leave out the issue of albino attacks in Malawi, just a few weeks after one of the clerics  of the church in Zomba, Father Thomas Muhosha, was arrested for involvement in the killing of albino Macdonald Masambuka in Machinga.

Some of the churches did not read the letter at all. In some parishes in Mwanza, reading of the letter was curtailed with priests who argued it was a waste of time. In other churches such as at Mponda in Balaka, people walked out in protest as the letter was being read out.

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Omex70
Omex70
5 years ago

I am not surprised with the tone of those members of the clergy who are against the pastoral. I know these pastors pictured here and I can mention their name though the author of this article decided to hide their names. These pastors belong to Evangelical Church of Malawi whose headquarters is at Mtambanyama in Thyolo. I know they are backing government because the president is from their home district. All their arguments do not hold any water at all. It’s hypocrisy at its best for these pastors to cheat people that government brought the electoral reform bills to Parliament… Read more »

Myp paulendo
5 years ago

Foolish Catholics. You are the beast in the boo of revelation. Where is masambuka all you fools and killers

Chilungamo
Chilungamo
5 years ago
Reply to  Myp paulendo

Using your same numbskull-logic of deriving conclusions, would it be wrong to similarly say that some DPP gurus are indeed the real ‘Anamapopa’ amapha anthu in Lhomwe belt miyezi yapitayi?
And knowing DPP politics of blackmail, the Machnga albino saga, may indeed be DPP political maneuver to deflect Catholics’ criticism of government.
Zinazi tisamadabwe matsoka osatha’wa!!!
SHAME!!!

Tasowana
Tasowana
5 years ago
Reply to  Myp paulendo

Muchedwa. Reread your bible

innocent
5 years ago

the more APM keeps quiet the bad for those very loud at the moment,no matter how one can expose the ills of another man the truth is none is perfect n the locals are very informed of this.I won’t be surprised when APM clinches a landslide May 2019.The attacks on him are so numerous but they do not offer convincing solutions exactly what they will do to change the situation.It’s easier to see a problem but it takes wits to offer a soluti on, we need one who is gonna tell us what he will do n how will that… Read more »

Ame
Ame
5 years ago

All our churches should stop talking politics. The Catholic Church has lost its credibility because of too much interfering in politics. It’s attempt to instal Chilima is going to backfire. People are tired because of the hypocricy of our churches – RC, CCAP, Anglican, Pentecostal and so-called Evangelical. Priests and pastors engaging in immoral acts, church organisations ill-treating employees. Let them take the log out of their eyes first.

Mesimadzi
Mesimadzi
5 years ago

The walking out by the Roman Catholic faithfuls was a vote of no confidence for the authors, the Roman Caholic bishops in Malawi, of the letter. The stand by the evangelical church is a commendable one. The church and politics must be clearly separated and therefore it is extremely insane for one to leave church for politics.
Evangelical church, you are really God fearing sizinazi ai za Mdalitso wa bodzazi.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
5 years ago

WOE TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES — WHY DIVISIONS AMONGST YOURSELVES ?? THE SUFFERINGS /TORTURES THE PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING IS JUST NEWS /JOKES TO YOU ??ARE YOU LIVING IN A DIFFERENT WORLD THAT YOU DON’T SUFFER WITH US ? ? GOD IS NOT DIVIDED HE IS ONE GOD –PLEASE COME UP WITH ONE THING THAT WITH RESCUE MOTHER MALAWI WITH THE FEAR OF THE LORD /GOD —

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

Please government hear and understand the message from the evangelical church, irrespective of how you feel about the clergy. The point of the matter is that we have a serious problem that needs to be attended to seriously and swiftly. Innocent people are dying from ruthless gangsters or opportunists…..albinos are being slaughtered left right and centre. The government needs to send a strong message to those that have committed or thinking of committing these atrocious crimes, that they will be hunted down until they get locked up for life (with keys thrown into the river), and that law enforcement units… Read more »

Dipipi wa Yudiefu
Dipipi wa Yudiefu
5 years ago

The letter must been written by a DPP cadet. Muhosha is not even a Bishop. The pastoral letter of the Catholic Church was written long before the Muhosha issue took place and Bishop Tambala of Zomba Diocese, nevertheless condemed Muhosha’s alleged connection to Masambuka’s killing. Did the writer of this article go to all the places mentioned for him to be sure of what was happening there (Mwanza, Balaka, etc),? But it is the DPP led government in power with all the bad news, wopopa msgazi, wopha anthu adazi, wopha anthu alibino, eish.

Dr Manga
Dr Manga
5 years ago

Wasting time pastoral letters

Heavy-duty
Heavy-duty
5 years ago

Hahahaha this Albion issue ask the Catholics, I am sure they know something on all the 20 or 30 albinos murdered. Their condemnation was because the issue came in public domain. What do you think they could do in that case. Shame on you guy. You killed Jesus, you killed William Tyndale, you killed Galileo Galilei, you killed in Rwanda and you are continuing your reign of terror till today.

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