SUCCESS AHEAD OF CALAMITIES

Life of Pastor Lyson Dzaotpetsa

Drepa Chipoyfa and John Nyadaufe MUMC Publications

 He used to beat people, turned to become a member of a singing group but struggled to earn a living for the day, until he dropped out from school to do piece work to pay school fees for his brother and 2 sisters. He had no dream to become a pastor but now leading one of the United Methodist congregation in Balaka as a pastor. Meet Lyson Dzatopetsa.

Born on August 20, 1969 in the family of four children where two were girls, Dzatopetsa lived with his parents in Balaka later the parents moved to Lilongwe and he stayed with his sister.

During his youth days, the Balaka circuit pastor was well known for his violent behavior and fought his fellow children but in a way of bringing peace where there is violence and people in his village used to hire him to maintain peace whenever a fight broke out since he was a very strong boy.

“Although I used to fight others but I was active at my church (Zambezi Evangelical Church) and led my relatives in a church choir called “Ubale Singers” (meaning that all members in the group were related),” said Dzatopetsa.

In 1986 is when he passed his primary school education but with no future as the family was very poor.In an effort to earn money for a living, he moved from Balaka to Blantyre in search for a job in 1987 after failing to proceed with education due to lack of money for school fees to start secondary school education.

 Dzatopetsa did not miss any word when he continued that life was difficult in Blantyre because he tried to search for a job but no opportunity was found and ended up in molding bricks at Chileka township where he tested jail for two weeks after being caught collecting firewood in one of the protected animal sites which he wanted to use them for burning the bricks.

“When I was released from prison, I joined the Church of Christ where I worshipped the Lord for three months then a certain woman convinced me to join Seventh Day Adventist Church and I was baptized there,” narrated the now called pastor.

In 2000, Dzatopetsa lost his wife Jenny who left two kids with him.

“At that time, I stopped going to church because I met different calamities that negatively affected my spiritual life,” said Dzatopetsa.

Pastor Dzatopetsa married again in 2005and now he is surviving with a total of 5 children.

JOINING THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (UMC)

In 2000, the pastor’s brother, Philemon became sick from Tuberculosis and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. By this time, Philemon was not a member of any denomination but when his health improved; he discovered the love of God and joined the United Methodist congregation at Chiole Local Church.

After worshiping in the church for three months, he approached the now called pastor to join the church.   

He remained stubborn on his brother’s request but after three consecutive weeks he accepted the invitation.

With a sad voice during the telephone interview with MUMC Publications, Dzatopetsa said his brother died after suffering for some time and he continued worshipping the Lord in the church.

This is where Dzatopetsa’s calling was fulfilled when he attended different trainings and learned United Methodist Church culture then accepted to lead the local church as a pastor.

 “On March 4, 2008 I was told to be the pastor of Balaka circuit, a development that I experienced God’s presence in my life,” emphasized the pastor.

Challenges faced in the Ministry

Although the work of God seems to go on well, there are some challenges that the pastor and his family together with the entire circuit are facing when doing the work of God.

Dzatopetsa said the cost of living in the circuit is so high and his house which he uses to pay MWK3, 500 ($15) per month is not enough for his family.

“The circuit has no church buildings and we use rented classrooms in schools which also require money on monthly basis,” said the pastor.

The pastor observed that some of these problems can be solved if the members in the circuit are equipped in microeconomic activities for them to do small businesses. He also indicated that the parsonage and church building will also lead to effective ministry in the circuit since his family will live in a church house and they will use the rent money for other things in the house. Meanwhile, people in the community including the pastor depend on subsistence farming to earn their daily living which most of the times does not meet the family needs.

In his academic life, Dzatopetsa said he is happy that he completed the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) through the pastors’ scholarship program from the church and appreciated Reverend Herb Mather of Belmont UMC in the United States of America for the program. He said his plan is to go further with education.

“I am happy and now enrolled for my form 3 program, I will make it at form 4,” concluded pastor Dzatopetsa.

Despite these challenges, Balaka circuit pastor expresses his gratitude to the Malawi UMC Conference Superintendent Reverend Daniel Mhone for his support and encouragement all the times.

Balaka Circuit of the United Methodist Church is situated in the southern region of Malawi. It has 11 local churches with the membership of 634 according to the 2012 statistical report at the Annual Conference in Lilongwe.   

 

 

The School where Pastor Dzatopetsa went

 

Pastor Dzatopetsa's wife

 

 

Pastor Dzatopetsa's Children

 

 

Pastor Dzatopetsa

 

 

MEET HUGO NGWIRA........... MUMC OFFICE MANAGER

By John Nyadaufe MUMC Publications

 Blantyre - Malawi 

Date 30 November, 2012

Since October 2011, the office of the Malawi United Methodist Church (MUMC) Conference Superintendent has been hoarded from having many files of emails and documents about church projects. Why this is so? There is someone who is working next to this office to handle all the communications and project documentation on behalf of the superintendent. Meet Hugo Ngwira the Office Manager in the Malawi United Methodist Church. Hugo Ngwira is a young man born in the family of nine children where seven of them are boys and 2 girls. 

“I am happy to work for the church in communicating with partners as well as coordinating church projects.  This is good and I appreciate the United Methodist Church of the Church of Resurrection (COR) for their support to the church and to me,” said Ngwira while smile.

He continued that the MUMC and COR are more than partners but family members.

Many thanks to COR for your support to Malawi UMC !!!!!

Hugo Ngwira, the Office Manager

Hugo has assisted in many ways.

Six Motorcycles for Six Circuits

Edgar Luken, Malawi UMC Missionary

29th October, 2012

Blantyre, 

Traveling to the far ends of their Circuits has always been and will always be the toughest challenge for our pastors in the fields who serve up to 20 preaching points.

Now six out of 22 Circuits have received some relief for their pastors.

One of our partners in the USA, the Church of Resurrection (COR), donated the funds for purchasing strong Suzuki motorcycles.

All Malawi UMC pastors and a COR delegation were present at the roll-out of the motorcycles  last week in Lilongwe.

In a brief ceremony at the suppliers’ branch in the Capital, the people present expressed their overwhelming gratitude: towards our Lord who has brought us thus far, and towards each other in His vineyard.

It is our sincere prayer that our Lord may always protect the driving on rough paths and may turn the blessing of few into a blessing for many.

Pastors admiring their new motorcycles

Pastors posing with the new motorbike

Pastor Rose Chitsonga can afford a smile after a new motor bike

Malawi UMC Model Nursery School

By John Nyadaufe MUMC Communicator

Blantyre.

Germany World Mission of the United Methodist Church (GWUMC) has pledged to continue supporting nursery schools run by the Malawi United Methodist church in the country as part of the early childhood development program which the church is currently doing with 15 nursery schools across the conference.

Speaking at the official opening of the United Methodist model nursery in

Blantyre on Friday the 5^th Oct, GWUMC General Secretary, Frank Aichele emphasized that the church will continue providing funding for construction of nursery schools in Malawi as one way of promoting early childhood development

In his statement, Aichele said that Germany World Mission provided support to the nursery school project following the bible teaching as caring for children since they are future church leaders and community leaders as well. He however advised MUMC leadership and the community around to take care of the school for it to have a positive outcome to the children.

“Use the school wisely for this to have a good impact to our children,” said Aichele.

Commenting on the development, Group Village Chief, Baluti paid a vote of thanks to the church through its partners from Germany for building a nursery school in his community which he observed will help children to get quality education at an early stage.

He promised to commit himself in all activities leading to the development of the school and pledged support for the school and said he would encourage his community to support the school by sending their children to the Methodist school.

Records indicates that the project had cost 10, 000 Euro and 13, 000 US Dollars which the United Methodist Church of Resurrection in Kansas, USA contributed on roofing the building.

Meanwhile there are 15 United Methodist Nursery Schools under the supervision of the church’s women’s ministry.

The nursery school building in Bantyre, Mpenya circuit

Some of the pupils at the school on the official opening day of the school

Rev. Frank Aichele addressing people during the opening ceremony

Aichele, officially opening the nursery school

Surrendering the Nursery school in God's Hands

MHONE THINKS DEEPER IN AGRICULTURE

MHONE THINKS DEEPER IN AGRICULTURE
By John Nyadaufe
Baptist Theological Center; Lilongwe

The Agriculture Manager in the Malawi United Methodist Church, Lester Mhone has asked the conference to employ two farm assistants to help him in operating the church farm in Mchinji.

The development erupted at the beginning of the first session of the church's Provisional Annual Conference held at Baptist Theological Seminar in Lilongwe on July 6, 2012.

Speaking when he was asked to elaborate on Agriculture report, Mhone said that the church can benefit from the farm if funding and potential workers are provided in time.

Mhone doing what he knows best in the farm(Picture MUMC file photo)

"The farm requires committed personnel to help me in operations so that we can have good outcome," said Mhone.

Responding to the development,  the Conference Office Manager, Hugo Ngwira agreed that the farm needs some individuals to work with Mhone.

He added that there is hope that one of the two students who are being trained in agriculture in Lilongwe will be recruited to help.

In delayed funds, Ngwira stated that the ministry involves many stages such as proposal confirmation for the funds to released from donors which sometimes takes time.

Ngwira advised that plans are in progress to have tangible projects on the farm to fulfill the manager's vision and dreams.

Agriculture is the major project which helps pastors in the MUMC provisional Conference to have enough food for their families through farm inputs implementations.

“Ready to teach the Church members in Giving” Nkhata

Kalondola Nkhata in the house

Nkhata (right) telling the house of his readiness

“Ready to teach the Church members in Giving” Nkhata.

The Newly appointed evangelist for the Malawi United Methodist Church, Kalondola Nkhata has announced his commitment to support the Council of Finance and Administration CONFAD through teachings on giving this year.

Nkhata made the remark when CONFAD chairperson, Francis Mzumara said many circuits in the conference are failing to complete their church assessment which is a major challenge for the council to collect enough money in church.

“I sacrifice myself to leave other jobs to teach people on giving so that this may not be a counted as a challenge in future,” said Nkhata.

Kalondola Nkhata has been an evangelist in the country since 1984 and he promises to support in making disciples of Jesus Christ in the Malawi United Methodist Church starting from thisyear.

Story By John Nyadaufe

Lilongwe Baptist Centre, Malawi