ANGLICAN-INFORMATION
Bishops continue in their attempt to steal elections and impose their candidates
News update – Diocese of Upper Shire – Diocese of Lake Malawi – Anglican Province of Central Africa
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Diocese of Upper Shire

Bishop James Tengatenga fails in attempt to block injunction

Bishop James Tengatenga’s (Malawian Bishop of South Malawi but brought up as a young man in Zimbabwe) court attempt to block the injunction taken out against the Bishops of the Central Africa Province who have been trying to impose their candidate (The Rev’d Alinafe Kalemba, Dean of Leonard Kamungu Theological College, Zomba) upon the diocese of Upper Shire, did not take place. Inadequate presentation of the case by Tengatenga and interfering with a diocese other than his own have been cited as reasons.

Injunction brought by Upper Shire priests against the House of Bishops, to be held in the High Court of Zomba on Friday 15th April

The case was not heard as the Judge was away (there is a great shortage of judicial officials in Malawi leading to frequent postponements of cases). Nevertheless as promised large numbers of laity had come to witness the case and to pres for their wise for a re-run of the election for Bishop for Upper Shire rather than letting the Bishops impose their choice of candidate.

It is reported that of the people ‘Some walker, other hired lorries for transportation, and the Mothers’ Union (a very powerful organisation in Malawi and Africa) came in their uniforms, they were joined by crowds of young people.’ All of these have promised to return when the case is once again scheduled to be heard on Friday 9th May.

They have asked us to publish this message “We ask all colleagues in the Anglican Communion to pray hard for us on 9th May, so that Upper Shire Diocese may be free of bondage and cruelty.”

Diocese of Lake Malawi

Readers will recall that the people in the Diocese of Lake Malawi have brought a similar case to stop the Bishops imposing their candidate (The Rev’d Henry M’baya) on the diocese and to insist that the Bishops follow the correct and synodically agreed procedure of a Provincial Court to investigate and pronounce on the shocking conduct of the original Court of Confirmation which tried to steal the election of the people’s chosen candidate. This case is also to be heard in early May in Lilongwe.

In both cases the Bishops are trying wasting considerable amounts of money to try and justify why they have taken arbitrary and autocratic action and ignored proper synodical procedures.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION sadly observes the growing similarities between the machinations of the Central African House of Bishops and the actions of the current regime in Zimbabwe, which has so clearly tried to steal the recent elections.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION asks why don’t the Bishops just follow correct procedures and listen to the priests and people? Trevor Mwamba, the Bishop of Botswana, when he was Dean, managed very successfully to gain the confidence of everybody concerned and set up a correct synodical process.....................................................didn’t he?
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From the Malawi Sunday Times of 6th April :

Headlined: ‘Uncertainty over Malango’s successor remains ‘
The article continues: ‘Meanwhile some sources within the church have disclosed that some bishops from countries that constitute the Province of Central Africa are fast tracking the division of the Province into four where each country will be a Province on its own’ - ‘this is because the countries are fed up with sharing the spoils from each other’.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that the incentive for ambitious bishops to stake their future claims in this volatile environment goes some way towards explaining the autocratic style that is now emerging and causing so much mayhem. The Province of Central Africa and its bishops look more like caricatures of medieval European despots every day - Machiavelli would be impressed.
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A letter from Jean Msosa
Lake Malawi House of Laity Member

Bishop Tengatenga’s threats to resign (as carried by us in our issue of 13th April)

“With due respect tell Bishop Tengatenga to resign if he thinks he is indispensable. Leaders come and leaders go but spiritual leaders never give up on God’s folk. The theme for last Sunday was Christ the good shepherd – my question to Bishop Tengatenga is “is he being God’s good shepherd or is he a shepherd of something else?

Tell him that if that is his attitude then he chose the wrong profession and must forthwith resign. God will provide another bishop.

Besides, if the leadership has failed to lead, let the Christians decide their own destiny, instead of having to listen to them (the bishops) uttering dictatorial tendencies in the church like Mugabe. Time will come when we will know who becomes a Bishop by calling and who by virtue of his own self esteem.”

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