| Chapter Four Congregational Life and Church Officers 4.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will look at some contemporary issues that characterize congregational life within Nkhoma Synod. These will include the teaching at prayer houses, Chigiwirizano, the growth of Lilongwe (Nkhoma Synod�s only urban centre) churches, leadership styles, and consistent growth. 4.2 THE QUALITY OF TEACHING AT �PRAYER HOUSES� Most members of Nkhoma Synod congregations worship at local �prayer houses�, and may seldom see the minister. Rev. CL Chimkoka believes that the teaching that these members receive is not adequate. The pastoral visits are not enough, and the training of the elders fails to fill the void completely. The training that elders receive at Namoni Katengeza CLTC helps the situation. Here the elders receive instruction on such topics as stewardship and how to nurture the church. An elder may get to go there every two years. The congregation, rather than the individual elder, pays the expenses for receiving this training. Bentry Mhango was sent by Nkhoma Synod to work with the Mphatso Synod of the Igreja Reformada em Mozambique. The same prayer house system is used by both synods. In 2004 he completed a four-year term, working at a place called Chia. He had five prayer houses to oversee; the furthest was sixty-five kilometres away. The first two years he covered his territory by bicycle. The next two years he had a motorcycle. He agrees with Chimkoka that the teaching at the prayer houses is inadequate; he was unable to spend enough time at any one place. �Most of the time I was not concentrating on any one place�, he says. He tells tales of travelling to prayer houses during the rainy season, having to ford swollen rivers and streams, and heaving his bicycle over his head while doing so. Elders and deacons bear the burden of teaching the congregations. They are elected to office, and then given one-day-long training session every three years. They are required to be literate and to own a Bible. Mhango says that he was happy to introduce Veritas College into his work. This organization works through the Namoni Katengeza Christian Lay Training Centre. Pastors are brought in and given a two-week intensive course on how to equip deacons and elders for ministry. Nkhoma Synod�s Rev. Davidson Chifungu is now working with Veritas College. Rev. Brian Kamwendo, pastor of Mchenkhula CCAP, reiterates the concerns raised by Bentry Mhango. He says that elders can be inducted with only two hours� instruction. The present researcher has sat down with both Mhango�s and Kamwendo�s elders for question-and-answer sessions on the Bible. He has experienced for himself that Bible and theological knowledge in rural areas can be, to say the least, minimal (�Why don�t we circumcise like Israel? Why don�t we honour Mary like the Catholics?�). It should be noted that materials are made available for teaching elders by Namoni Katengeza. Preachers can obtain weekly sermon outlines from Mlozo. 4.3 REPRESENTATIVE URBAN CONGREGATIONS In the mid-1970s Lilongwe became the new capital of the country. This created a special challenge to Nkhoma Synod, as the city was squarely in within its territory. As we read from its report to General synod in 1977: Nkhoma Synod reports with pleasure that since the last General Synod five years ago the communicant membership has risen from 105786 to 137899. However, the number of congregations has only increased by four to 78, because Nkhoma Synod had placed a restriction on the formation of new congregations in 1970 due to the shortage of ministers. The growth in the Capital City is an especially difficult matter as new procedures have to be followed in establishing these congregations and building churches and manses, which procedures differ widely from the established way of doing this. This needs advanced planning and enormous capital, much more than Nkhoma synod can normally expect from Mother church in S. Africa. The Dutch Reformed church is especially thanked for the new Church in the Capital City, and together with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for the two manses built in this congregation. In the immediate future at lest five new congregations must be established in Lilongwe, each with a church and a manse. This appears to be beyond the financial means of Nkhoma Synod (italics theirs). Nkhoma Synod�s O.L. Joda-Mbewe gives special attention to the importance of the urban churches of Malawi. More specifically, he writes of those urban churches of Lilongwe, and that means Nkhoma Synod. To enable Reformed Christianity to address the challenges that it faces in urban Malawi, the church must devise approaches for ministry. Some of the strategies are: To evaluate the present ministry of the CCAP. To analyse valuable information, such as case studies, sources of multi-disciplinary literature and documentary reports by agencies, e.g. World Health Organisation, the United Nations, World Development Reports, World Vision International survey reports, medical reports of the Government of Malawi, and other reports dealing with the situation of people in squatter settlements. It would also be advisable to study liberation theology (italics are the researcher�s). To conduct an empirical survey in the three urban congregations Nkhoma synod (Dzenza, Lilongwe and Msonkhamanja). This approach will assist Reformed Christianity to determine how, in addition to proclaiming the Gospel, the ministry in urban centres seeks to address the needs of the urban poor. This will also provide an opportunity to investigate how the church and the government approach community development where the people, not the church or the government, are at the centre of these programmes. To train a research team within the communities concerned in research techniques with a view to conducting semi-structured and structured interviews with local leaders of squatter settlements, ordinary slum dwellers, church leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGO�s) operating in these areas. In Lilongwe, the commissions of housing and water, and authorities of forestry, should also be interviewed. To carry out Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) for community development. De Vos (1998:408) suggests: �Participatory action research could be defined as a research process where people involved in the situation that is being studied are enabled�to become actively involved in collective efforts to address and solve their social problems� (Joda-Mbewe 2001: 24-31). Therefore, this chapter will begin by focusing on the larger urban churches of Nkhoma Synod, all of which are located in the capital, Lilongwe. Lilongwe CCAP began as a prayer house at Bwalo la Njobvu in 1946. It had become impractical for CCAP members to go all the way out to Dzenza, and the membership was growing. When Lilongwe CCAP began as a separate congregation, it had a membership of around one thousand (Brown 1995: 6). Msonkhamanja CCAP Church was founded on April 1, 1957 as a prayer house, its mother church being Lilongwe CCAP. In 1959 Nkhoma Synod provided them with a building that was originally a training centre for women, teaching family care skills. With the continued growth of Lilongwe CCAP, Synod decided to split the congregation. The members living in Falls, Mphetekere, Tsabango and Biwi were instructed to go to the Msonkhamanja prayer house. The church elders of the prayer house were: Mr. Ndau, Mr. Chikafa, Mr. Msukwa, Mr. BL Agabu, Mr. Kadzamira and Mr. Masina. On October 20, 1969, the prayer house was elevated to the status of a church and was called Falls CCAP Church. The name �Falls� was taken from the name of an Italian who once had an estate in the area. In December 1969 the name was changed to Msonkhamanja and was established as a congregation at that time (Brown 1995: 6). Lingadzi CCAP church in Lilongwe was dedicated on October 6, 1974. A number of DRC dignitaries were present, including Rev. and Mrs. L. Moolman (the General Secretary of the DRC Foreign Mission Board). Synod read a letter to Rev. L Moolman expressing gratitude for DRC donations for the building of the church and for �other purposes�. Manses for Lingadzi: We mentioned in the April Newsletter that the Development Committee for the Capital threatened to take back the plots which were allocated (to Nkhoma Synod) if we do not start building two manses immediately . Manses for Lingadzi congregation: . . . The work on the manses makes good progress . . . the work might be completed by June. (The City Development Board demanded that it be completed by May). The work is being done in faith, as there are not nearly enough funds available yet . . In 1979 the Lingadzi Church Hall was completed. To mark the occasion, the General Secretary of Nkhoma Synod sent photos to J Selfridge, then in South Africa, who then passed them on to DRC Foreign Mission Secretary Rev. L Moolman. In 1989 an unusual situation developed at Lingadzi CCAP. A need for a English-language catechism class was reported. The committee received a request from Lingadzi CCAP that a Catechism in English is needed because there are people in their congregation who do not understand Chichewa. The Committee agreed that a Committee be appointed to write a Catechism in English. The current pastor of Lingadzi CCAP is Rev. A.M. Kuthyola Mwale, who came in 2003. He says that the Church now has 5 prayer houses and 3,400 members. Another daughter church of Lilongwe CCAP is Masintha, located in Kawale. Established as a congregation in 1980, it was started by a group of Christians who were meeting for Bible study after services at the Lilongwe church. At this time the pastor of the Lilongwe church, Rev. A. Mulenga, began talking to church elders about meeting the spiritual needs of Kawale residents. As a result, the session decided to go ahead with establishing a prayer house in Kawale, and this was achieved in 1975. Originally, the prayer house met in one of the classrooms at Kawale Government Primary School. The room soon proved to be too small for the number attending services there, so the congregation moved to a football field. This was the situation when in the late seventies Rev. SP Chalera came to Lilongwe CCAP. Because of his efforts, along with those of many others, funding was obtained from South Africa and Ireland and a new church building was erected for the Kawale group. In 1983 Masintha CCAP was a full-fledged church. The first pastor at Masintha was Rev. Katundu. He was followed by Rev. A. Chipiko, who later became youth coordinator of Nkhoma Synod. Following him was Rev. AS Chalera (Brown 1994: 20,21). The list of Nkhoma Synod CCAP churches in Lilongwe includes: � Chimwala � Dzenza � Kaning�a � Kapita � Kawira � Lilongwe � Lingadzi � Lumbadzi � Msonkhamanja 4.4 WOMEN�S GUILD (CHIGWIRIZANO) Martin Pauw speaks of the crucial role played by the women of Nkhoma Presbytery beginning in the 1940s. In due course a Women�s Guild (Chigwirizano) was formed under the guidance of lady missionaries and the Women�s World Day of Prayer introduced. By 1941 it was reported that the women already regarded this day as their own. At that stage a beginning had been made with the training of three Malawian women as special social and religious workers in their own Church. They were called otumkira and worked with congregations. The three who were trained in 1942 did some practical work afterwards. Ten years later another group was selected for training, first at Mphunzi and then transferred to Nkhoma. Afterwards they worked under supervision of local Church councils. In 1955 the training of otumikira was established at Malingunde. At the General Missionary Conference of 1949 the following activities were reported in connection with work amongst women: Chigwirizano (Women�s Guild), training of social workers, Bible Study (Mlozo) classes, teaching on how to raise children in a Christian family, training of Christian women to evangelise others, child welfare and ante-natal care and instruction at hospitals and camps during August and September. Articles regularly appeared on such matters in Mthenga, the magazine published at Nkhoma (Pauw 1980: 203). An illustration of Chigwirizano�s work can be seen in a 1980 request from the Chigwirizano Executive Committee to the Synodical Committee. The request was for ministers to remind the ladies to spend their funds by the end of each year towards the work of the synod, although �a small part of it � could be spent in church- or manse-building. South African personnel could participate in Chigwirizano. The 1982 CCAP General Synod received from Nkhoma Synod the following summation: More women are joining this guild in all congregations. Miss Anna Marrie (sic) de Klerk is the Secretary of the Women�s guild. She visits many groups of the Women�s Guild in various congregations. This work was not without its challenges. At the 1983 Synod Meeting, the officers of the guild were instructed to call upon those chapters that were delinquent in their contributions. The Synod reminded them that the responsibility of instructing the wives of deacons and elders was that of ministers exclusively. Finally, �Synod states emphatically that before the committee of the Women Guild take any firm resolutions (sic), it should consult with either the Synodical committee or Synod itself.� Over the years Chigwirizano continued and expanded. At the CCAP General Synod meeting of 1990, Nkhoma Synod was able to report: This movement continues to grow rapidly and has developed into a strong active and much appreciated church organization. It has proven to be of tremendous value to the Church. It has influenced the lives of thousands of women, uniting and activating them for church work and providing a strong formative power in their lives. Today there are no less than 227 branches of this organization in the 94 congregations of this Synod, with about 30,000 women involved in the various activities and bi-weekly meetings. The following development from 1990 illustrates the industriousness of Malawian women. Bear in mind that this came about in the same year that the Synod found itself in a deep fiscal bind (see section 3.3, �The Financial Challenges of Autonomy�). It was reported that certain people in America had donated money to the Women�s Guild of Lilongwe CCAP for the buying of a Maize Mill. The women would like to put this maize mill on the premises of Lilongwe CCAP Congregation. Permission was granted, provided that the running of thee mill be properly managed. Therefore Rev JGM Maseko and the General Secretary were delegated to meet with the congregation and work out a proper set of rules. Not only was this operation of the Lilongwe CCAP Chigwirizano chapter a success, it was even extended. Money was given by Lilongwe CCAP�s chapter of Chigwirizano to the Kaning�a CCAP chapter of Chigwirizano for the purpose of operating their own maize mill. Both are doing well. At the CCAP General Synod of 1994, Nkhoma Synod reported 353 branches in 100 congregations. The total number of members at that time stood at 37,748. The 2001 edition of Zolamulira, Nkhoma Synod�s book of Church Order, devotes an entire chapter to Chigwirizano. It describes how a 1939 report to Nkhoma Presbytery cleared the way for the formation of the organization in 1940. Its purpose is to equip women to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. The women of Chiwirizano are to engage in evangelism, to serve as Sunday school teachers, to visit the sick, the elderly, and those who have become slack in church attendance. They are to look after the needs of the pastor. Every woman is to start her teaching with her own family. They must work completely within the context of the Church, and not as individuals. They must be under the authority of the Church. Zolamulira calls for a big convention at least once a year, involving the full membership of Chigwirizano. This is to start on a Friday and run through Sunday. Every chapter is to elect officers � a chairwoman, a secretary, and a treasurer. These officers must be literate and able to teach. There must also be a representative (oimilira) at the presbytery and at the synod levels. Zolamulira gives specific instructions regarding badges and uniforms (they are black and white, making the women of Chigiwirizano very distinctive). A member may be buried with her badge. The chapter ends with a provision for the reinstatement for expelled members who have repented. Each synod of the CCAP has a women�s guild. In Livingstonia Synod it is known as Umanyano, and in Blantyre Synod it goes under the name of Mvano. A woman must attend a new members� class for nearly a year in the other two synods; in Nkhoma Synod she attends only six class meetings. The women of Chigwirizano are to meet fortnightly, except during the months of November and December when many must work in the gardens. This is especially true in the villages. In the towns this practice is diminishing, as many there do not have to go to the gardens. A Chigiwirizano woman is expected to reject such traditional practices as placing charms around her babies� necks. In 2001 there was inaugurated in the Nkhoma Synod a branch especially for women in ages 15 � 30 called Chigwirizano cha Anyamata. It was begun earlier in the Livingstonia Synod, where it is known as Baukirano. 4.5 CHURCH OFFICERS AND CONGREGATIONAL LIFE H. Jurgens Hendriks has studied the effects of different types of leadership upon African congregations. Leadership styles may differ in the planning process and it helps to be aware of different styles. Once again, the contextual cultural situation would have a decisive influence on the best style to implement. Some of the more participative styles that foster the empowerment of the laity are: Received or delegated style: the decision-making body gives people specific tasks. This often is the case with a congregation�s programmes or ministries. Autonomy: group members are given sphere of authority in which to act autonomously. In most African countries, two very good illustrations would be the Women�s guild and the youth movements. Assertiveness: frequent and intensive interaction between persons or bodies. This was quite common in congregations with a Western background. However, in the process of urbanisation and globalisation, one finds that this is of the relationship between the youth and the elders in a church council. Integration: a teamwork style, where everything is shared and done together. In congregations that function in a mechanistic paradigm or have a very strict authoritarian style, a teamwork style is non-existent. However, it is becoming more popular and has both dangers and potential. When it relies on consensus, decision-making can become very burdensome during avoidance of important issues that need attention. The fear that consensus, team spirit, and co-operation will suffer leads to avoidance. On the other hand, this style has the potential to empower members and to equip and motivate them to take part in the congregational mission and ministries. Involvement and trust lead to commitment, meaningful co-operation, and spiritual growth (Hendriks 2004: 158). All three Presbyteries of Nkhoma Synod met 1 � 6 August 1966. It coincided with the Year of the Child, leading to discussion regarding the perceived disintegration of the Malawian family. Three main areas of concern were identified: it was suggested that the more educated children had difficulty showing proper respect to their less educated parents; it also noted that Christian Education was falling into neglect at public schools; and finally, it observed that urban ministry was falling behind while much was continuing in rural areas. It was suggested that the building of urban Christian community centres might contribute towards the correction of the problem. The issue of developing a Christian community centre will be looked at again in section 8.1, �Outreach to Youth�. It is mentioned at this point because anything to do with impacting Malawian youth has a significant impact upon �congregational life�. One Nkhoma Synod minister, Osborne L. Joda-Mbewe, has been critical of the role played by the General Secretary in the past. In the process of a paradigm shift regarding the roles of the laity and clergy, the role of the General Secretary is fast changing to becoming one of co-ordination, thus providing a wider view of mission, offering an important challenge and support, providing connections to resources, and making technical assistance available for launching new ventures. The role of the General Secretary must change from being autocratic to supportive. The new role should include provision of a stable back-up system, and should be available to congregations whenever the need occurs. Previously, the role of the General Secretary was very powerful, equal to that of the Bishop in other quarters. He had powers to make independent decisions, without referring to any person in the church. This brought about much dissatisfaction amongst fellow ministers, let alone congregations at large (Joda-Mbewe 2002: 296). Nkhoma Synod General Secretary Rev. Dr. Winston R. Kawale does not agree with Joda-Mbewe�s assessment. Kawale asserts that the General Secretary of Nkhoma Synod, unlike the ones in Livingstonia and Blantyre synods, is merely the executive who carries out the decisions of the Moderamen and of the Synod. He does not even have the power to appoint people to office. Joda-Mbewe also discusses the role of the minister operating at the congregational level. The ministers in Malawi continue to see themselves as holding authority and high-status roles. They see themselves as a �ministry�. They feel they can do anything that they want without any objection from the laity. One negative practice, which the clergy needs to observe, is the issue of handover. A situation has developed that ministers do not handover congregational management plans and financial records to the successor when they have accepted a call to a new congregation (Joda-Mbewe 2002: 294). The implications of Joda-Mbewe�s observations impact heavily upon the congregational life of Nkhoma Synod. This has a direct effect upon the office of the elder, and how the rank-and-file members relate to him. This was illustrated in the Twelfth Meeting of Synod, held 25 July to 2 August 1972, which accepted the introduction of the office of deacon in Nkhoma Synod and gave detailed instructions regarding the duties of this office. In 1980 the Synod was helping five congregations in Machentche Presbytery to pay the salaries of their ministers. It laid down certain guidelines such as: the money was to come from congregations in South Africa; and if the Presbytery wanted any other congregation helped, it had to submit its name to the General Secretary who would put it on a waiting list to receive future help. While the Synod acknowledged that ministers are poor and needy, it sought to dispel rumours that ministers were helping themselves to goods. Therefore a 1980 Synodical Committee meeting was charged with setting the guidelines for the distribution of funds from charitable organizations overseas. In doing so, it established three committees: the Synodical Charity Committee, the Presbytery Charity Committee, and the Congregation Charity Committee. Due to the stresses of the intensive poverty and food shortages, many of those participating in relief programs have come under suspicion in all denominations. In recent years, the present researcher observed a nearby pastor (not CCAP) get involved in a food distribution scheme for the poorest and hungriest of his village, only to be falsely accused of hoarding grain (Brown 2004: 215). The 1982 CCAP General Synod received a report from Nkhoma Synod on the state of its congregational life. Ability to pay ministers was a major concern. All Congregations support their own ministers. However there are some congregations which cannot support their own ministers in a full year. This has caused great difficult (sic) to some ministers, especially now that the Synod has revised the salary scales of all ministers. Five of these smaller congregations are being supported by some Dutch Reformed Church congregations in South Africa to boost up their financial standing for a period of four years. The grant diminishes from the highest in the first year to the lowest in the last year when it is hoped that those congregations will be in a better position to stand on their own. All congregations continue to hold services. There are many more people who attend these services in many congregations. Most churches are filled to capacity especially with the youth who organise themselves into singing groups. It is a new type of revival which has taken root in our modern society. In towns services are held more than once. English services are also being conducted for those who can�t speak Chichewa. This is mostly notable in the capital city, Lilongwe. The struggle to pay ministers continues. A 2004 graduate of NIFCOTT, Rev. Brian Kamwendo, pastor of Mchenkhula CCAP, says that while he is supposed to receive MK 15,000 per month, it is actually much lower some months. The problem is especially severe in the months preceding harvest time. The Synod met at Chongoni on 10-16 April 1985 for its bi-annual meeting. Some of the decisions reached concerned changes to the office and role of General Secretary. It was determined that the General Secretary would now be chosen for a period of 6 years and like the Liaison Officer, he would attend all meetings of the Moderamen only in an advisory capacity. There would no longer be an assistant Liaison Officer. The Moderamen further decided that all correspondence would be addressed to the Senior Clerk of the Synod. The Moderamen would represent the Synod at all meetings, at funerals and even at Zomba Theological School � the General Secretary would no longer have that responsibility as the Moderamen were to be considered as the �trustees� of the Synod and of all Synod departments. The Moderamen Committee would consist of a moderator, vice-moderator, Synod clerk, and vice-Synod clerk. They, rather than the General Secretary, would be the paramount authority, and these were to be elected to office by the Synod. The offices of Senior Clerk and General Secretary were spelled out. The Senior clerk was to organise all Synod, Synodical committee, Moderamen, and Financial Committee meetings. Along with the Junior Clerk he was to appoint members for all of these committees. The duties of General Secretary were many, but they included receiving overtures and presenting them to Synod, and seeing that all decisions of Synod were implemented. The Synod meeting of 1985 at Chongoni further decided that unmarried ministers would be allowed to do theological training, but under no circumstances would they be inducted at congregations. It was further decided that all ministers would receive the same salary, whether they were entering service for the first time, or they were nearing retirement, �because all do the same work.� The salaries were raised to MK160 per month effective Jan. 1986. In 1989 Synod reiterated that the proper length of time for the catechumenate was twenty-four months. This had been the rule for many years. It was felt that this was necessary �for members to be well-grounded in church doctrine�. This would have a significant effect upon the life of a particular congregation, especially one that is largely made up of relatively new members. In 1997 Synod decided that the retirement age for ministers was to be 55. The prescribed number of years of service required for retirement was to be 25. However, many of Nkhoma Synod�s ministers significantly exceed this guideline. The wife of the present researcher teaches a course on leadership at African Bible College. A majority of the students at this college are CCAP members, and most of these are Nkhoma Synod members. In October 2002, these students were given the assignment of describing the leadership style that they have observed at their respective churches. One female student wrote the following (bear in mind that English is their second language): In and every organization, club and even churches there are rules and regulations which are set to be followed (sic). In these organizations leaders are also chosen just to see for the proper running of the organization (sic). There are a lot of leadership styles used by different groups such as, autocratic which is called Authoritarian sometimes, Bureaucratic, Permissive and Laissez faire style of leadership (sic). My church practices more of Bureaucratic style of leadership and is also Authoritarian (sic). The leadership church focuses much on the rules and regulations set up by the Synod (sic). This is seen in many ways some of which is the way they handle church activities (sic). I remember when there were preparations for a wedding of our reverend�s daughter (sic). As it is in the rules and regulations of the Nkhoma Synod when a reverend�s daughter or son is getting married the church has to contribute a lot of money than the reverend (sic). So, when this was communicated to the church, we were reluctant to give in our money because we thought it was not right and proper to do so. As leaders in the church they tried to convince us about what the Synod had set but still more we were hard (sic). Then the leaders just took some money from the church�s account and gave the reverend for his daughter�s wedding and later we were told to refund the church (sic). Everybody was willing to give just because we knew that development work and all that needs money would suffer if we were not to give the money. So willingly we gave our money, this is a Bureaucratic system of leadership in which church members were not feared, but rather the leaders acted according to the rules and regulations set by the Synod (sic). According to Dr. Hennie van Deventer, principal of NIFCOTT, this definitely is not a written rule but rather informal custom. When a pastor�s daughter gets married, there will be an �organizing committee�, which usually will include church elders. They are charged with the responsibility of raising funds, by whatever means. Dr. van Deventer acknowledged that this custom has become a problem, and he tells his students, who are ministers, to address it and correct it. Synod decided in 2001 to create the post of Vice General Secretary. The reasons given were that there was a lot of work in the office and the office was closed whenever the General Secretary was away. The Vice General Secretary was to serve for four years, so that he would not leave office at the same time as the General Secretary. Synod decided to keep the General Secretary�s term of office at six years, but emphasized its authority to replace him if he �does not perform satisfactorily.� The decision to create the post of Vice General Secretary was rescinded after six months. 4.6 CONSISTENT GROWTH OVER THE YEARS 1963 1971 1979 1990 Church Members 76,057 98,615 132,545 246,995 Catechumens 25,181 29, 826 26,215 72,772 Ordained Ministers 48 55 94 90 (1988) Congregations 54 74 82 93 (1988) Prayer Houses -* - 1, 213 1,540 Presbyteries 4 7 10 10 Adults Baptized - 6,255 7,935 13,898 Children Baptized - 3,677 10,683 16,408 Elders - - 2,292 2,697 Deacons - - 2,327 3,642 * �-� Indicates no information available At the 2000 General Synod meeting, Nkhoma Synod reported the following statistics: 110 congregations, 13 presbyteries, and 600,000 members. Unofficially, informants report a present membership of over a million to the present researcher. Notice that the number of congregations more than doubled from 1963 to 2000. The number of presbyteries more than tripled. The number of church members grew eightfold. The growth of the number of ministers was less than doubled. This fact in itself has huge ramifications for congregational life and the presbyteries of Nkhoma Synod. 4.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Since the early days of the Nkhoma Synod, challenges have faced the church. Already in the sixties a change could be detected in the Malawian home. It was alleged that children, having gone to school, lacked the traditional respect for parents. As Malawian society moves forward in the areas of education and literacy, it is anticipated that these types of tensions may be expected to increase. Urban churches face the problem of unemployment and underemployment. Another problem is unsupervised youth. Joda-Mbewe did a thorough job of pointing out the special needs of the urban poor, how the church can reach out to them, and what resources exist in order to bring this about. While this is certainly a significant problem in all of Malawi, it should also be remembered, however, that not all of Lilongwe�s people are poor. The church must therefore be equally equipped to reach out to growing needs of the rising professional class. Although prohibited from assuming leadership positions in the formal structure of the church, women continue to play an essential role, as it is the Malawian mother who sees to it that all the children go to church each week. The role of Chigwirizano continues to be significant, an organisation which contributes much to women�s sense of community, of belonging � essential to the life of any church. The evolution of the office of General Secretary bears mention, because he continues to wield considerable power, like the Stated Clerk of American Presbyterianism. While not a dictator, he nevertheless commands great respect and the role of the Moderamen, which includes the General Secretary wields significant power. The authoritative character of Nkhoma Synod abusa (ministers) is also revealing. In some cases, they appear to be similar to traditional village headmen. The present researcher has observed the same behavioural patterns described by Joda-Mbewe. As Outreach Coordinator at African Bible College, he once asked the students of ABC to participate in an international children�s outreach program known as AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) . Nkhoma Synod abusa who were students at the college protested, saying that it was beneath their dignity to play with children, underscoring the concept of separation of the clergy from the layperson. The same researcher has seen pastors from other denominations interact with children with great alacrity. Closely related to this issue is the story of the congregation that was coerced into giving for the minister�s daughter�s wedding. On the other hand, one remembers the dedicated pastors who must minister to congregations divided into twenty or thirty �prayer houses�. Some must cover far-flung territories on foot or by bicycle, and some of them are not young. Furthermore, they are often called upon to make difficult personal sacrifices, such as not always being able to receive all their salary, or salary delays. It has been suggested that the problem could be alleviated by commissioning elders to be ministers of the Sacraments as well as the Word. Concerning prayer houses, one concludes that this must remain an area of deepest concern. Many expatriate initiatives (example: �mission trips�) restrict themselves to urban areas. Yet the vast majority of Malawi�s people live in these villages that must make do with �prayer houses� that are often not equipped with leaders able to meet the multifaceted needs of their congregations. Pastors are spread so thin in trying to minister to multiple groups of people that the needs of the rank in file member suffer neglect. This chapter does much to answer the second secondary question, �What is the nature of Nkhoma Synod�s church polity?� Clearly it is not congregational, elders rule. Equally clearly, it is not Episcopal; there is no bishop. Yet the General Secretary wields much authority. Mention should also be made of the offices of Senior Clerk and Junior Clerk, with their power of appointment to committees. Their job descriptions suggest a top-down ecclesiastical structure. This also has bearing on the third secondary question, �Has Nkhoma Synod become a Three-Self church (see section 1.2)?� The evidence of this chapter suggests that it most certainly is a self-governing church. And so again one feels a sense of completeness in its development, pertinent to the research question, �How has the Synod developed its sense of being a church?� Whatever the repercussions, the Synod, in the manner of Presbyterians everywhere, remains committed to education. This will be illustrated at length in the following chapter. |