Voice of the Church is still respected in Malawi – Bishop
An Anglican bishop in Malawi has reiterated the important role the Church plays in the country.
Bishop of Upper Shire, and Chairperson of the Anglican Council of Malawi, the Rt Revd Brighton Malasa told Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS), “Despite the challenges that the country faces, the Church’s voice is still heard and respected in Malawi.
“The Church is an important agent of change in Malawi and is trusted by so many such that in many situations facing the country, people always ask: what does the Church think?”
However the Bishop also expressed his disappointment that, despite being one of the most peaceful countries in the world, Malawi still remains one of the poorest.
“Even with the positive influence from the Church, the levels of social injustice and corruption are still high in the country.”
He added: “But on a positive note, many people that occupy big positions in Malawi have been to mission schools and hence Christian principals usually come up in people’s decisions from time to time.”
The Bishop said the church is now emphasising social justice and keeps challenging the Government to make sure that “people are served, development delivered and justice prevails.
“Whoever aspires for political positions should, like Christ, have the heart of a servant,” he said.
Bishop Malasa explained that the church was not leaving developmental work to the Government alone. “As a Church we are also involved in a lot of cross-cutting developmental issues such as climate change, gender based violence issues, HIV/AIDS and political stability,” he said.
The Church in Malawi is also a major player in the education and health sectors, running schools, hospitals and a health center. In fact, more than 40% of the health facilities and 60% of the schools in the country are run by churches.
“As the Anglican Church, we also play an important role of dialoguing with the Government on issues affecting the nation,” he said. “We continue to play our prophetic role and always remind the Government that the people they’re leading are God’s people and hence deserve to be well served.”
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