Since Alan is currently in Malawi, we are providing excerpts from his weekly report as soon as available in lieu of his normal articles we publish on Saturdays …
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As I finish up my first week, the long flights from Denver to New York; JFK to Johannesburg and
Tambo to Lilongwe are now a distant memory and even the jet lag is beginning to fade. I have now
completed my time in Mchinji and am preparing to go to Kasungu.
As is often the case in Malawi, there were some problems with scheduling. Though I had sent the
dates of my visit and had even been given a schedule of where I would preach, the first three
churches were not aware of the actual dates of my coming until the day before I arrived. They had
been informed of my coming and had agreed to allow me to speak, but someone forgot to give a
specific date. This led to a low turnout(6 at the first church) and a frustration among the area
congregations who had heard of the meeting, but did not know the dates until after I was gone. I
have been promised it will be better handled next year.
I was given the opportunity to confront the error in the Mchinji district over the role and work of the
preacher. The problem arose after some preachers affirmed that preachers were over elders and
could take control of any local church as they saw the need. In addition they were immoral and
ungodly men who disgusted the brethren with their hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the efforts used to stop
the error created another. Some affirmed there is no office or need for evangelists since every
Christian was an evangelist. The church only needs elders to teach and preach in a local church.
In order to enforce this and keep other preachers out of the district they formed a committee of
brethren who now control much of what occurs among the churches there. . . .
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For more,
1) click on Malawi_2016_Report_1 (pdf) to display the full report
2) select the "more… > Malawi" menu item to see the report, associated pictures, and previous reports.
----------------------------
As I finish up my first week, the long flights from Denver to New York; JFK to Johannesburg and
Tambo to Lilongwe are now a distant memory and even the jet lag is beginning to fade. I have now
completed my time in Mchinji and am preparing to go to Kasungu.
As is often the case in Malawi, there were some problems with scheduling. Though I had sent the
dates of my visit and had even been given a schedule of where I would preach, the first three
churches were not aware of the actual dates of my coming until the day before I arrived. They had
been informed of my coming and had agreed to allow me to speak, but someone forgot to give a
specific date. This led to a low turnout(6 at the first church) and a frustration among the area
congregations who had heard of the meeting, but did not know the dates until after I was gone. I
have been promised it will be better handled next year.
I was given the opportunity to confront the error in the Mchinji district over the role and work of the
preacher. The problem arose after some preachers affirmed that preachers were over elders and
could take control of any local church as they saw the need. In addition they were immoral and
ungodly men who disgusted the brethren with their hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the efforts used to stop
the error created another. Some affirmed there is no office or need for evangelists since every
Christian was an evangelist. The church only needs elders to teach and preach in a local church.
In order to enforce this and keep other preachers out of the district they formed a committee of
brethren who now control much of what occurs among the churches there. . . .
----------------------------
For more,
1) click on Malawi_2016_Report_1 (pdf) to display the full report
2) select the "more… > Malawi" menu item to see the report, associated pictures, and previous reports.