ANGLICAN-INFORMATION
‘A voice for the voiceless’

Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire Malawi – update
The Anglican Provincial Bishops under the oversight of acting Dean Albert Chama of Northern Zambia are, it seems, still determined to impose their candidate Alinafe Kalemba, currently dean of Leonard Kamunga Theological College, Zomba, as bishop of the Diocese of Upper Shire. Confirmation of the imposition is scheduled to take place in Lusaka, Zambia (well hidden from Malawi) at the Bishops meeting on Tuesday, 16th December.

In a tacit acknowledgment that their action is of dubious legal validity and will be undertaken in the face of overwhelming opposition in the diocese of Upper Shire, James Tengatenga, Bishop of South Malawi, has met recently with representatives of the diocese.

Four members of the House of Laity together with Frs Joel Malanda and Roy Makope with their representative lawyer met with Tengatenga who declared that he was in turn representing the Episcopal Synod, which rather grand title simply means that he was probably speaking for the other bishops.

James Tengatenga is known to have a very high doctrine of the episcopate more akin to the authoritarian Roman than the conciliar Anglican model. This will have been enhanced from his point of view by the recent award of the Lambeth Cross of St Augustine given to him on 5th November as a member of the 2008 Lambeth Conference Design Group. Tengatenga is a frequent traveller to various corners of the Anglican Communion.

The hotly debated issue for the Upper Shire meeting was that of the lack of mandate given to the Central African Provincial Bishops to appoint their choice in Alinafe Kalemba. The elective assembly did not grant such a mandate to the bishops. Asked by the mediator at the meeting to to bring proof that there was no such declaration (it’s an odd thing having to prove a negative) the members of the Upper Shire Diocesan Elective assembly have all signed a resolution to the effect that the bishops do not have their consent to proceed.

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ANGLICAN-INFORMATION
‘A voice for the voiceless’

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