Over the last couple of weeks one news item from Malawi is that the three synods of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Malawi have agreed to an arrangement that would end their dispute over having churches in each others’ territory.  The synods have essentially agreed to become non-geographic or flexible synods.

The disagreement goes back a number of years.  I became aware of it when it hit the media in the late summer of 2006 when there were complaints that Tumbuka language congregations associated with Livingstonia Synod were established within the boundaries of Nkhoma Synod which is predominantly Chewa speaking.  However, the reverse of Chewa language congregations in Livingstonia had been the case for a substantial time before that.  Over the last three years there have been additional developments in this story but recently there has been news of an agreement to end the disagreement.

The solution – an agreement that all three Synods will have flexibility in membership.  Essentially, each will have a geographic component but will be non-geographic to the extent necessary to include churches based on their predominant language.  While the news broke at the beginning of the month (Nyasa Times Feb 2 article, Feb 4 op-ed) the Livingstonia Synod Moderator did a radio interview on Thursday with some more information.  The Nyasa Times writes:

CCAP’s Livingstonia Synod moderator, Rev. Mezuwa Banda has said the wrangle over border issue with the Nkhoma Synod has been settled with a “gentleman’s agreement” and is not legally binding.

and

“That’s no longer an issue. You will remember that Nkhoma recently has agreed with us to say there is no border not only with Livingstonia but with Blantyre as well.”

“Let Nkhoma go as far as they can go, Livingstonia can go as far they can go. The matter is over.”

However, the story does say that this agreement comes at a loss of connectionalism:

On membership, Nkhoma Synod said in a statement signed by moderator Vasco Kachipapa that any individual will have the right to belong to any congregation under a synod of their choice and not have allegiance to another synod.

“That there shall be no transfer of eldership or deaconship across synods and that church leadership shall only be attained through the expressed wishes of the local congregation, presided over by an ordained minister of the same Synod,” the statement reads.

While this interview was with the Livingstonia Moderator the two earlier articles both indicate that this ultimately came about by a unilateral decision of Nkhoma Synod.  The Feb 2 article begins:

Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma synod has finally given up  over the boundary wrangle with Livingstonia synod and say the synods should operate on a no boarder basis.

Nkhoma Synod the made its position in a pastoral letter that was read in all its prayer houses signed by the moderator Vasco Kachipapa and senior clerk Rev Kamwendo.

…

In a statement the synod said, it has finally decided to stop pursuing the matter following the disturbing and worrisome developments that have taken place since the row started.

And the Feb 4 Op-ed includes:

Going by recent events, I am relieved to see that the hot air seems to be simmering away, what with the Nkhoma synod declaring unilaterally the new “no boundary policy”, not just with their erstwhile “enemy” but across the country and beyond, meanwhile bringing Blantyre and other international synods into the fray.

So where is the General Assembly in this?  The Feb. 2 article quotes the Nkhoma statement with a mixed assessment – “We acknowledge with gratitude the initiatives taken by the CCAP General Assembly in order to resolve the border conflict, which to say, have all been in vain.”  And the Christian Observer reports that Livingstonia Synod requested a postponement of the December 2009 meeting of the General Assembly as Nkhoma Synod worked out their current response to the situation.

From the viewpoint of being Presbyterian this would not be the end point.  Will this loss of connectionalism continue and the two or three synods essentially operate as independent denominations on the same territory? Or, over the next few years can the General Assembly work out an arrangement that will preserve the flexible nature of the synods while recognizing membership and ordinations across the boundaries?

In other news, and with a touch of irony, about a month ago it was reported that a faith-based alliance called Church Foundation for Integrity and Democracy (CFID) was launched in Malawi.  In an interesting commentary on the boundary dispute resolution the General Secretary of the new organization is the Reverend Andrew Kamponda from Blantyre Synod of the CCAP.   At the conference announcing the new group his comment was that it is time for the church to stand and speak with one voice against evil.  What is one of the particular evils named?  Tribalism, often cited as being at the root of the boundary dispute between the other two CCAP synods.

(Editorial note:  While this story talks about the launch of the group I do find it on an old list of organizations (#58) accredited to provide voter education for the 2009 elections.)

The group is chaired by the Reverend Malani Mtonga, a former adviser to Malawi’s president.  The Nyasa Times reports:

According to Mtonga the organization has been formed to restore human dignity and sustain moral responsibility in the country and was quick to tell the audience that came to witness the launching ceremony that the organization is purely apolitical.

“We are here to pursue a common goal of seeing to it that the country (Malawi) is fully enjoying the fruits of democracy attained in 1994,” Mtonga told Nyasa Times on the sidelines.

He said the grouping will not tolerate evils to take roots in Malawi.

Mtonga cited homosexuality, tribalism and intra-party divisions as some of the things the clergy need to stand up against.

Readers are probably aware that in many places in Africa homosexual practice is a topic of some debate and illgele.  While the proposed legislation making homosexual sex a capital offense is Uganda has been grabbing headlines, in Malawi the arrest of a gay couple has been lower profile but raising complaints and requests for release
of the couple from NGO’s.

Finally, I mentioned at the beginning of January how pastors from Livingstonia Synod were protesting against the University Council and government quota system for getting into the University.  That is ongoing with comments on both sides being disputed by the other, as evidenced by an article in the Feb. 14 Nyasa Times that quotes critics (not necessarily from the CCAP) of the Education Minister, and another from Feb. 18 where the Moderator of the Livingstonia Synod has critical comments of the President and the government about this.

We will see how all of these situations develop.