Capacity Development Facilitator, CCAP General Assembly Office, PO Box 112, Mzuzu, Malawi
Greetings from Malawi,
By the time you read this, we may well be on Scottish soil. We’re looking forward to time with family and friends and connecting with congregations. I’ll put a summary of dates and events at the end of the letter, and I hope we’ll see you there.
The last few months have gone by in a bit of a blur but one weekend stands out clearly. From the 23rd to 25th August 2024 the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian celebrated 100 years as an established African church. Events included the launch of a book that reviewed those 100 years and considers the years ahead, unveiling a commemorative plaque, a victory march and a service of celebration. Thousands of people from Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and beyond joined the events, including Malawi’s President and Vice President and Zimbabwe’s Vice President. Public events are always colourful, but it was truly a delight to see people gathered in unity and wearing
the special centenary cloth was designed for the occasion.
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. – 2 Corinthians 13:11 Being in unity, working together and encouraging one another are foundational practices in a healthy church. Yet, sometimes these attributes are illusive just as much here as they have been in Scotland and elsewhere. Our prayer is these celebrations and all the collaboration that have gone into them are a step towards a more lasting unity. In a similar vein, it was a delight to mark the end of our first cohort in the Emerging Leaders Programme and to hear their commitment to continue
moving together as a group of leaders gathered from across CCAP’s five synods.
In July we hosted a meeting of the Church and Society Programmes from the three synods in Malawi to consider ways to work together in preparation for the upcoming elections in 2025. The last elections were far from peaceful and recent events in Malawi, including the tragic death of the Vice President in a plane crash, create a difficult political environment. It’s at times like this that the voice of peace from a united church becomes all the more important.
We had the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson with us at the centenary events. He had first of all arrived into Blantyre along with his wife, Christine, and Carol Finlay from the Church of Scotland office in Edinburgh. We travelled together to appreciate the work of the church across Malawi including through partnerships with the Kirk. On one stop, at Mulanje Mission, I was reminded of another Malawi connection to my hometown of Kirkcudbright. Rev Hamish Hepburn was a missionary in Malawi before returning to Scotland and taking up work at St Mary’s Church, Kirkcudbright. The Moderator opened a bridge
that was constructed through a twinning with Thondwe community and gave a lecture at Zomba Theological University, where he had the chance to appreciate progress in building the new Postgraduate Studies Centre.
Now I had better go and get finished with packing and the pre-travel to do list. To say the girls are excited would be an understatement.
Every blessing and hope to see you soon,
Gary, Jacqueline, Eilidh, Morven and Caitlin
Dr Lazarus Chak
September: South West
Sat 21st Larbert Community Church
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Sun 22nd Dundonald Church
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Tue 24th John Knox Church, Stewarton
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Wed 25th Alloway Parish Church
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Thu 26th New Cumnock Church
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Fri 27th St Michael’s, Dumfries
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Sun 29th Gatehouse Parish Church
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October: Forth Valley and Clydesdale
Sun 6th East Kilbride West
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East Kilbride Old
Mon 7th Blantyre Old Leisure Group
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Hamilton Cadzow Parish, Women’s Group
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Wed 9th Wishaw Old Parish Men’s Club
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Guild Gathering, Dalziel St Andrew’s
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Thu 10th Uddingston, Viewpark
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Falkirk Trinity
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Fri 11th St John’s Parish Church, Carluke
Sat 12th Strathaven Trinity
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Sun 13th Kirk of Holy Rood, Grangemouth
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Larbert East