By John Nyadaufe
The Malawi United Methodist Church (MUMC) has engaged in uplifting the nutrition programme and church building projects under sponsorship from the Church of Resurrection (COR), in Kansas, USA. The developments come after a visit by a team of five Volunteers in Mission (VIM) from COR (led by Director of Partnership, Reverend Cayce Stapp) to the Malawi Missionary Conference in January.
The projects, which include the construction of a church in the Madisi Circuit and the Nutrition Programme of the Church’s Heath Ministry that feeds malnourished children under five-years-old and HIV positive people, were decided on during the leaders meeting held in Blantyre; alongside focus on methodologies to improve communication and reinforce this partnership.
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| Praise singing! |
In order for them to have meaningful discussions, MUMC Leadership and the COR VIM team held a retreat meeting on 20th to 23rd January at Fishermen’s Rest Lodge in Blantyre. Twenty-four members participated, including the heads of different departments in the Malawi UM Conference. There was time to share ideas on how MUMC and COR could improve their partnership in reaching the four foci areas namely: Poverty Alleviation, Congregation Development, Health Improvement and Leadership Development.
This was achieved as the Organisational Developer, missionary Inke Johannsen, facilitated the programme and allowed the two parties to ask each other questions about methodologies to ensure that through the partnership, the Malawi UMC will become a self-reliant conference in its ministries.
Speaking at the beginning of the meeting, Malawi Conference Superintendent Rev. Daniel Mhone appreciated the United Methodists from Church Of Resurrection for supporting the church in different projects and equipping leaders with resources so that they can perform their duties effectively.
“This is a great miracle as you plant for the development of United Methodist Church in Malawi,” said Reverend Mhone.
The Superintendent added that the gathering was aimed at uplifting the name of Christ and reminded members the vision of the church is to see the Malawi Missionary Conference become an Annual Conference and raise the status of people from poverty to prosperity in both physical and spiritual lives; which he said could only happen when the partnership persists.
Reverend Stapp said he is impressed with the activities taking place in the conference and assured the participants that COR will help in the partnership so that Malawi UMC can rely on its own in the future.
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| Participants at the retreat |
“I hope that together we can journey through the departments to sustain into Kudziimira patokha initiative in Malawi,” observed Stapp.
