I first caught this news story fifteen months ago and posted about it then. I am surprised that I had not seen any further news on it until this week. But while there is an update this week, the responses and “back story” seem to be representative of Presbyterian controversies elsewhere (or is that everywhere?).
The earlier post has a bit more background, but just briefly, the geographic Livingstonia Synod in Malawi, part of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), was talking about establishing a non-geographic presbytery based on a language group that would include churches within the bounds of the neighboring Nkhoma Synod. This was without the coordination of the Nkhoma Synod and they were not agreeable to it.
Well this week the Nyasa Times on their web site published an article in which the General Secretary of the Livingstonia Synod, Reverend Matiya Nkhoma, confirmed that a 19th presbytery had been formed and that its offices would be in Lilongwe within Nkhoma Synod. Based on the quotes in the article Rev. Nkhoma presents this issue as resolved saying “As Livingstonia Synod, we recognize churches Nkhoma has in our mission area. This matter is over.” (And no that is not a typo, the second name of the General Secretary is the same as the name of the adjoining synod according to the article.)
Well, Nkhoma Synod does not think it is resolved. According to the article:
General Secretary for Nkhoma Synod, Reverend Davidson Chifungo said a commission of inquiry instituted by the General Assembly recommended that all churches in the border areas belonging to either of the synods ought to be handed over to owners of the mission area.
It goes on to say that Livingstonia Synod has not been very Christian in resolving this dispute.
The first thing that jumps out at me is the differing views of this controversy from the different sides. One says it is resolved, or can be quickly and quietly, the other is implying the General Assembly will need to look at it. This is the same at the dispute over women ministers that just broke out in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland that I blogged about a couple of days ago.
The thing that was more interesting to me was that the article from the Nyasa Times web site has comments at the bottom where the (currently) four contributers provide local insight and history to the dispute. One comments that this was supposed to have been settled almost 40 years ago when there was a similar dispute at that time and geographic boundaries were set down. The next talks about how the problem began with movement of people groups due to economic opportunities and how Nkhoma Synod had jumped over Livingstonia first a while back. It strikes me that the basic nature of these issues is not unique to those governing bodies in those places but we see variations on it throughout the various branches of the Presbyterian church (and other churches as well).
It sounds like this issue is escalating so there may be more news on it in the next few months. In surfing around I have not yet been able to determine when the next General Assembly of the CCAP will be but I’ll keep looking.