Naught for your comfort this Christmas

Further appeal from the House of Laity Diocese of Lake Malawi.

Further to their earlier letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury issued 19th November 2007, the House of Laity, Diocese of Lake Malawi still await an official reply. In the meantime matters in the Province of Central Africa continue to deteriorate and divisions deepen.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION has been asked to carry this new letter from the House of Laity who surely have the right to expect a reply from the Archbishop of Canterbury immediately after the Christmas period.

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His Grace Archbishop of Canterbury

We are following up our Open letter which we sent a month ago regarding the situation is getting out of hand in the Lake Malawi Diocese. There is deceit in the administration of Lake Malawi Diocese by the Leadership. We are reliably informed that the Bishops of Central Province met in Lusaka on Thursday this week and the Dean of the Province informed the house that the people of Lake Malawi have agree to fresh elections. The meeting has agreed that on 14th January 2008 he will start announcing in church to start preparing for fresh elections.

The fact of the matter is Bishop Chama came to Malawi on 15th December and called for Diocesan Standing Committee of which in true sense it was not a normal diocesan meeting since he only allowed the clergy to speak not giving opportunity to the Laity to Speak. This was well planned with his Vicar and the some clergy. Our question is, is the church the clergy or Laity? Can clergy be clergy's without Christians?

The House of Laity met on Saturday and feels the Leadership is not after reconciliation in the diocese but wants to continue dividing it. The House of Laity is after Justice, and it only when this issue sort to find the root cause of it only then can the Church of God prevail with dignity otherwise even if fresh elections are held people will not trust the process since the leadership seems not to follow the canons but what they want not even what the bible teaching say. You all aware that all the Synod both diocesan and archdeaconry all agreed that this case should go for review to the provincial court where they have decided to ignore it.

We there for ask your office to consider sending a Panel of Reference and help normalizing the situation. As House of Laity we feel according to Cannon 26 caption 7 it is provided that we have the right to appeal to a higher court since we have no confidence in the Provincial Court.

In the name of Jesus we plead with your office to act expediously since things are getting out of hand.

In the name of mighty Jesus Christ we ask. Amen

Jean Msosa-Maganga

For House of Laity
Information
jeancmm@yahoo.com

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ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that it looks very much as if Bishop Albert Chama, the acting Dean of the Province of Central Africa and Bishop of Northern Zambia is contriving to bypass the carefully and synodically agreed process of resolution regarding the Bishopric of Lake Malawi arranged under Bishop Trevor Mwamba of Botswana, after much consultation when he was Dean of the Province and before his effective sacking by former Archbishop Bernard Malango. As reported earlier this year, all parties in the Diocese of Lake Malawi had agreed to an independent Provincial Court to re-examine the failure of the original Court of Confirmation to endorse the election of the new Bishop of Lake Malawi in 2005.

Unfortunately, after all the work of reconciliation and resolution Bishop Chama now seems set to attempt to force new elections for a Bishop of Lake Malawi in order to avoid the close scrutiny of an independent Court. This is a unwise move guaranteed to cause even more division and unrest; even Bishop Chama should always follow correct synodical procedures and it is obviously not true that the people have agreed to new elections – if Chama continues to act so dictatorially it will all end in tears.

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In the meantime another officious regime – that of dissident Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of Harare, Zimbabwe is up to more mischief and serious and worrying reports are reaching us of Kunonga’s close working relationship with President Robert Mugabe producing a potentially dangerous situation for the churches in Harare.

Names of respondents have been withheld for security reasons but e-mails coming through speak of serious concerns for the safely of Bishop Sebastian Bakare formerly of Manicaland who has the invidious task of regaining the Diocese of Harare from the clutches of Kunonga.
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“Incidentally did you know that police are now being used to support
Kunonga's illegal hold on parishes in Harare? The parishioners of
Christchurch Borrowdale found a sentry post erected outside their church this morning and they have been told to get a court order if they want to use their church for worship over Christmas...”
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“Terrible news from here…....Bishop Sebastian was invited to Christchurch, Borrowdale, yesterday (23rd December). Ten thugs arrived from Mbare and took hold of him. Outside the riot police were surrounding the church, and Sebastian was taken off to the police station, made to remove his dog collar. He was not, thank God, detained. The congregation were all listed and are now banned from entering the church. They are having their Christmas Service at a local private school. The (ex) priest at Christchurch, Harry Rinashe, is a close friend of Kunonga’s. We are all devastated, and
praying hard for Sebastian and Ruth as we are sure you all are. Kunonga is a very evil and dangerous man.”
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ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that Kunonga is also a close confidant of former Archbishop Bernard Malango and he a confidant of confidants throughout the dioceses and so the web is woven across a sad and fractured Province of Central Africa intent, it seems, on self-destruction. It’s time for a response from Lambeth Palace.

The Christmas Carol ‘It came upon a midnight clear’ comes to mind.

‘Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long
beneath the Angel-strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong
and warring humankind hears not
the love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing!’

If you can, may you all have a happy and holy Christmas - preferably with some proper food.

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