Day's Diary

January 26, 2007 ~ The General Assembly

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Earlier in the week I wrote about the opening of the General Assembly of the Central Church of Africa, Presbyterian, (CCAP) and I asked you to pray for their deliberations and struggles. Let me bring you up to date on God’s answer to many hours of prayer about this meeting.

As just a bit of background: there has been an ongoing dispute about Synods working within one another’s boundaries, beginning new churches that are staffed and belong to that neighboring Synod. This has happened over a long period of time and has been done by more than one Synod, but has recently come to a head between Nkhoma Synod and Livingstonia Synod, and even most recently between Livingstonia and Harare, in Zimbabwe.

The General Assembly actually began Wednesday, after three days of deadlock. There were serious questions about whether they would just call everything off, if they could not find some way to proceed. There was a way found “around” the stalemate, if only temporarily. The decision was to allow the present Moderator and leadership to lead this meeting and conduct the elections at the end. Livingstonia Synod abstained from all voting ( Harare is not here at all, in protest), so there is a question of how fully this represents CCAP, but at least there was a meeting. Dr. Chingota, from Nkhoma moderated, with his team. The Synods that were voting, affirmed that borders exist (contrary to Livingstonia’s claim) and that they are to be observed, as a Task Force commissioned to investigate had recommended. They voted to select representatives from each Synod to work on the details of this and bring recommendations for implementation to a special session of the General Assembly, to be called when the report is ready, hopefully in 3 or 4 months. Livingstonia said they needed to take this back to their churches to see what they would say, since this is not their understanding. This all happened in the morning while I was teaching (this comes in a report from Silas). Silas phoned me at lunch time to say I should come to Blantyre for the afternoon session, since I was a Partner Representative, so I went on Wednesday.

The afternoon’s discussion began with an overture from Harare, demanding an explanation of the scope of the CCAP, which opened again the border dispute issue. Livingstonia representatives sat as a whole, in the back of the Multi Purpose Building at St. Michael’s, in absolute silence. The other Synods sat, more or less together, but not in such obvious unity. Harare’s question was how can we be one church if we do not recognize each other’s rights. Lengthy discussion followed, rehearsing the dispute in history and at present, and offering suggestions of how to proceed. The recommendation always was to allow the Task Force to work. A representative from South Africa, Dr. Poe, invited them to think of more or less asking permission to labor within the bounds and working for and with that Synod. (He has been laboring within the bounds of the CCAP since 1964. He knows the history and the people. He was Silas’ teacher when Silas was in the theological college when it was in Nkhoma.) Then came the issue of churches begun in Johannesburg by all three Malawian Synods. Some defended this as “missionary” rights, others as caring for their own people there, and some called for them to be turned over to the church in South Africa. Again, it went back to the Task Force. This Task Force (persons yet to be named) would have to walk on water to make any of this work. The evening was to be the discussion of how to proceed with the elections of a new moderator, since the rotation said that the moderator and executive team for the year should come from Livingstonia, but some protested that they could not moderator when they were at the center of the most heated debate to be addressed. That is the core of the controversy. I had to leave, since I had to get back to Zomba to teach on Thursday, and I am not brave enough to drive alone after dark on the road between Blantyre and Zomba. (Call me coward, but at least I’ll live to hear you say it.)

Thursday we got the report from Dr. Chiphangwi, the principal of the college who stayed for the evening meeting that everything had fallen apart after the dinner break. This all disintegrated over discussion of elections. Livingstonia refused to join in the discussion and decided that they were no longer accepted by the rest of the CCAP, that all decisions had gone against them and what they believed and that Blantyre was siding with Nkhoma and therefore were not impartial helpers in the process. Zambia decided that they would stand with Livingstonia and determined to leave on Thursday morning. There was a plea for a temporary group to lead the General Assembly, until such time as this could be sorted out and the elections be held. People worked in the background (just as at any GA) to try and bring the parties to an agreement to at least hold a meeting to elect an interim committee, to prevent the deliberations, and ultimately, the denomination from disintegrating. After much talking, a meeting was agreed to, and the GA continued on Thursday morning. A compromise was reached, whereby an interim leadership team was appointed for six months. That team is made up of the three Life Members of the GA (one from each of the three Malawian synods) and a secretary general from Zambia Synod. Silas Ncozana is the Life Member from Blantyre, so he will be part of this interim team that is to meet with each of the synods individually and try to provide a compromise that will work for all, saving face for those who have taken hard stands and still upholding the constitution of the CCAP. The GA did not dismiss, but rather adjourned for 6 months, with all of the delegates from this GA to return to resume the work of this GA at that time. At that time, hopefully, elections can be held and the denomination can move forward.

All of this was explained to the students at the college this morning. Silas and Dr. Poe from South Africa were both here to speak. Dr. Poe had been instrumental in the background conversations that enabled all of this to come about. As you might expect, these future leaders of the church have been greatly concerned for the future of their church, and for their own futures. After the explanation, we had an awesome time of prayer. There was a great peace from the Holy Spirit in the chapel this morning. We agreed that prayer is the most powerful resource that we have. We need to use it.

These are difficult and important times for our brothers and sisters of the CCAP. Much prayer is needed. I would ask you to continue to uphold this process in prayer, and particularly pray for the interim team, and especially our friend Silas, as the team faces the daunting task of brokering compromise and peace.