The Right Reverend Brighton Vitta Malasa, the Anglican Bishop of the Upper Shire Diocese has come under intense fire from his flock for being among the ‘officiating clergy’ at ‘New Year Prayers’ held at Mulli Brothers Limited Headquarters in Chigumula, Blantyre “without appropriate justification”.

There were ‘New Year Prayers’ at Mulli Brothers premises on Wednesday “to pray for blessings in 2013” and according to an Anglican Christian who attended the function, “it was all politics and not prayers.”

“It was all politics where the officiating clergy that also included former president late Bingu wa Mutharika’s advisor, Reverend Bill Gama and Reverend Misheck Nasiyaya, both of the Blantyre Synod, kept on referring to the former DPP regime in their sermons....

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • - Anglican: Latest News • Anglican Provinces • Church of Central Africa • * Christian Life / Church Life • Spirituality/Prayer • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * International News & Commentary • Africa • Malawi

Delivering his sermon whose theme was kings and judges, Mr. E.L.C. Chirwa, a lay leader at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Lilongwe, said that it was the responsibility of Christians to pray for both religious and political leaders for them not to go astray.

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Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on 7 October discussed the Anglican church's involvement in economic and agriculture projects with Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika.

"I talked about how sustainable agriculture methods should be developed and I am glad our church is involved in this," said Williams, who is visiting Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia from 5-13 October.

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Anglican Church head Rowan Williams on Saturday praised pioneer missionaries to Malawi for ending the slave trade, at a service to mark their arrival in the country 150 years ago.

"The missionaries devoted their lives to liberation and challenged the evil of slavery," Williams said at Magomero, northeast of Blantyre, at a colourful ceremony attended by President Bingu wa Mutharika and hundreds of worshippers.

The slave trade "degraded everyone and everything it touched," the Archbishop of Canterbury said, adding, "The Church has done a great job in Africa."

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On the other side of the table the extra-parliamentary dialogue group – also led by an Anglican bishop – has been consciously constructed to accommodate government sensitivities. To avoid antagonising [President Bingu wa] Mutharika's government, key activists Undule Mwakasungula (Malawi Centre for Human Rights and Reconciliation), Rafik Hajat (Institute for Policy Interaction) and cleric Moses Mkandawire (Church and Society) have been kept out of the six-person team.

It is headed by current Anglican Bishop James Tengatenga and includes: Martha Kwataine (Malawi Health Equity Network), Robert Mkwezalamba (Malawi Congress of Trade Unions), Dorothy Ngoma (Nurses' Union), Robert Phiri (Public Affairs Committee) and group spokesperson Voice Mhone (Council of NGOs of Malawi).

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Church of Central Africa • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * International News & Commentary • Africa • Malawi