Christians should extend generosity beyond Church – Rev Kanyenda
A senior church minister in Lilongwe has urged Christians to extend their generosity beyond churches and demonstrate it even in their homes and communities where the needy and non-believers need their material and spiritual support.
Reverend Christopher Kanyenda of Kapita Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP) under Nkhoma Synod said this on Sunday.
He was speaking during the launch of the church’s main theme for its 2018 sermons titled: “Serving God in word and deed” derived from James 1 verses 22 to 23.
“Your deeds should reflect the word and love for the disadvantaged. Do not only be generous in church alone, demonstrate it also to your spouses, children and all people in your neighborhood, Rev. Kanyenda said.
He pointed out that some people spend lavishly while watching the poor in their surrounding suffer miserably.
Rev. Kanyenda said ‘believers should not embarrass those who have trust’ and respect for them adding people should see Jesus in them through their love, kindness, humility, forgiveness and faithfulness among others.
Touching on this year’s main theme, the church minister said all the speakers that will be leading services both English and Chichewa will be preaching around the theme.
In 2017, the church’s main theme was: “Rebuilding the broken walls”, which was taken from Amos 9 verse 11 and in 2016 it was “Serving the Lord with Fear and Trembling.”
The launch of the theme was marked by performance by Bakili Makuwira, a musician with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) band, poetry recitals, special drama performance by Chikhulupiriro Sister’s Choir and special song by Kapita Praise Team among others.
Good to hear Rev. Kanyenda. That’s the way to go. Preach and teach the Word – the Whole Counsel of God. This is the major gap in the church today. We spend too much time on trivia. We preach without focusing on anything. We need a systematic way of preaching and teaching so that people can follow. CCAP communicants, particularly youth, fall prey to every wind of doctrines due to lack of solid teaching in their congregations. One more suggestion to the CCAP family: have youth pastors in the church who can translate such a theme to the needs of young people. For example, what would “Mending the Broken Walls” mean to a young person who is in school/college or about to get married or recently got married? How would a young person mend broken walls in the context of peer pressure or the context of personal hatred or the context of professional growth or the context of pornographic materials? This may require separate sessions for young persons and special pastoral programs. This, in my view, in the major challenge and missing link in the Presbyterian family in Malawi. Preaching in normal church services and zitsitsimutso is not adequate in meeting the needs of the youth who are a transitional society and have many unanswered questions about life in general and growing up in particular. It is lack of this approach that many youth have wandered out of CCAP and have fallen prey to unorthodox teachings that are fast eroding the orthodox Christianity in Malawi. It is for this reason that although Malawi is a highly religiously Christian country, Malawians do not live by their Christian beliefs and society is the biggest loser. The myriad socio-cultural, socisocio-economic and socio-political challenges Malawi is facing today is as a result of superficial practice of the Christian faith. True Christianity goes beyond paying chakhumi, speaking in tongues, going to church every Sunday, etc. True Christianity is about worshiping in truth and in spirit. In other words, true worship must affect and influence people’s attitudes and actions that are founded on the principles of Christ. For this to happen the church needs a consistent and solid preaching and teaching of God’s Word. It is not just about preaching or teaching. It is about both of them done in a customized manner: men, women, youth and children since each one of these have different needs and level of understanding.
However, I am aware that the CCAP church fear the cost that comes with introducing the youth pastoral office in their congregations. I find this fear misplaced. The truth of the matter is that good and adequate teaching will result is matured Christians who understand the value of hard work and giving to the work of God. The youth pastorship in my view, will reduce the exodus of the youth from the CCAP family and it is this crop of people who will give to the care of the church leaders and their ministry. This is where the Pentecostals and charismatics have succeeded. They have long hours of preaching and teaching (sometimes wrong doctrines!) and youth (who are searching for the Word) fall for them – usually before they even understand what those churches stand for. This explains why Malawi has too many “rice Christians” (Christians who go to church for nothing but material things!). This is why Malawi is full of Christian heretics and vagabonds (those who change churches at every corner of the street). Orthodox Christianity, based on the true teaching of the Word, is very fast dying in Malawi. This is sad.
Once again, congratulations, Reverend and the entire Kapita CCAP Church.
Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre (0888435629)
Wow, I am proud of this news. I was there being blessed by the word of God being preached by our own pastor C.D. Kanyenda