By whose authority? – Bishop James Tengatenga – Part 2

Malawi, Anglican Province of Central Africa

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION reports that Bishop James Tengatenga of South Malawi diocese is getting into deep water regarding the elections for a new bishop. Further to our comment in our last release about Tengatenga’s newl;y revealed racist and antidemocratic style.

It is reported by our correspondents that on Saturday 6th October 2007 at the UMCA (Universities Mission to Central Africa) celebrations at Mackenzie Church, Magomero Parish, Bishop Tengatenga said: ‘If Upper Shire diocese elects a white bishop, I will resign.’ This alarming threat was followed by: ‘People when it comes to church services always want black priests but when it comes to church leadership they want white priests because they have long noses and white colour.’

Further on Monday 3rd March 2008 at St Mary’s Church, Diocese of Lake Malawi during the celebration of Mass he informed the congregation “with harshness” that ‘If Upper Shire elects a white bishop, I shall resign’.

Our correspondents have written the following:
“Our question is does his resignation have something to do with Upper Shire diocese? Has Upper Shire benefited anything from him? Does he think we don’t want him to resign and he will of course. We wonder that all people know that Bishop Tengatenga’s life style is more western than African – why he lives more like a white man than a black man? Our appeal is this to Bishop Tengatenga to behave like a real spiritual leader.”

N.B. We have deliberately withheld the names of correspondents for their own safety but if readers wish to e-mail communications to us we will forward correspondence.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that Tengatenga has now publically and chillingly evoked the rhetoric and style of the Zimbabwe regime at a time when ugly black white tensions are being stoked by the likes of Bishop Nolbert Kunonga self-styled Archbishop of Zimabwe. It is certainly true that James Tengatenga is a black bishop who moves extensively in white circles and people who know him are shocked at these untrammelled racist revelations.

Court injunctions in two dioceses
It is Bishop James Tengatenga who has apparently taken it upon himself to appeal to the High Court in Blantyre (at great provincial and diocesan expense) to attempt to lift the court injunction that the clergy and laity of Upper Shire diocese have put upon the Provincial House of Bishops to stop them forcing their own candidate, the Rev’d Alinafe Kalemba, Dean of Leonard Kamungu Theological College upon the diocese. This will be heard on Friday 11th April.

In response we have been asked to publish the following questions from those in Upper Shire diocese who brought the original diocesan injunction against the bishops:

1. Our injunction was addressed to the Vicar General of Upper Shire diocese the Rev’d Brighton Malasa and not Bishop Tengatenga of the diocese of South Malawi – what authority does he invoke to interfere?
2. What interest does he have in Upper Shire? He is not our bishop and our oversight should come from Bishop Albert Chama, as acting Provincial Dean?
3. Has Bishop Tengatenga appointed himself Archbishop (he is known to want the job, certainly if Malawi ever becomes a separate Province) and Bishop Chama as his junior?

The plaintiffs for the people continue: “We are asking Tengatenga ‘HANDS OFF THE DIOCESE OF UPPER SHIRE’ we do not need you. When you bring the case to Court on Tuesday 15th April (the original injunction) the Christians and priests will converge on Zomba High Court (where the hearing is to take place) and they will be singing throughout the hearing. We would like Bishop Tengatenga to be brave enough to be there himself to see that the people of Upper Shire will chose their own bishop.”

Meanwhile in the Diocese of Lake Malawi the much cancelled (due to Provincial dithering) court injunction to stop the House of Bishops forcing a new election for bishop and ignoring the synodically agreed Provincial Court, is now scheduled for Tuesday 6th May, in Lilongwe. Again the Provincial Bishops have agreed to waste diocesan and provincial money in trying to persuade a civil court that they have not arbitrarily exceeded their authority, when manifestly they have.

Envoi

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that there is now serious pastoral breakdown in the Anglican Church in Malawi. The blame for which can be entirely laid at the feet of the Bishops of the Province of Central Africa for crass pastoral ineptitude.

Starting with the alarming and unpredictable Archiepiscopate of Bernard Malango who was in thrall and pocket to American conservative Episcopalians who were (and still are) prepared to fight the internal battles of the American Episcopal Church on African soil. Continuing through the weak Deanship of Bishop Albert Chama - a prevailing theme of Central African episcopal arrogance has dominated – sadly Bishop Chama associates good governance with force rather than diplomacy.

Inherited tragically from the worst characteristics of the early colonial days, the provincial bishops have acted as if they are members of an exclusive demagogic caste far removed from the democratic system of African chiefdom.

It is hardly surprising that they are meeting with stiff resistance regarding the election of new bishops as their only approach seem to be in the words of Bishop Kunonga, when he was part of the Province, “to crack down hard” on the priests and people and to ignore synodical and democratic procedures. Indeed, as James Tengatenga proves, the situation does bear comparison with Nolbert Kunonga’s new province and the current incendiary position in Zimbabwe.

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