Rev Chienda was back in the Nkhoma Synod in 1988. He was posted to Mlanda Congregation in Ntcheu District.
His going to Mlanda afforded him the opportunity to renew his association with Mr and Mrs Retief, South African missionaries who had worked at Nkhoma and at Kongwe and were now teaching at the newly established Mlanda Girls's Secondary School.
Close to Mlanda is the Nkosini, the headquarters of the Ngoni paramount chief. The Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani III was a congregant at Mlanda, and became a very good friend of Rev Chienda. He (Rev Chienda) once took me to the Nkosini to have a chat with the paramount chief.
One day death struck in the royal family. The chief's sister died. My father and I rushed to the Nkosini to check on the funeral arrangements. We were surprised to learn that the chief had not been to the siwa (the house where mourners gather and the body is kept pending burial). We were told that according to strict Ngoni culture, the chief does not, under any circumstances, go anywhere close to the siwa.
Mlanda lies very close to the Malawian border with Mozambique. In the late 1980s, there were in Malawi scores of Mozambican refugees fleeing the conflict in their country between Renamo and Frelimo. One would see many refugee camps around Mlanda. Gunshots could sometimes be heard across the border. One day, while returning from Lilongwe, the vehicle that Rev Chienda was driving developed a flat tyre as we got to Mlanda turn off. It was after sunset, and we heard gunshots close by. In fright, we decided to drive the vehicle on the flat tyre until we got to the mission. The tyre was completely tattered.
At the end of September, 1988, Rev and Mrs Chienda traveled to Blantyre to attend the wedding of the man writing this blog to Elubie Kaliati. The wedding, like all the others before it, was officiated at St Michael and All Angels Church on 1st October, 1988.
Thursday 28 July 2011
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Blantyre for Jesus
In 1983, the Africa (Evangelical) Enterprise, under the leadership of its founder, Michael Cassidy, entrusted Rev Chienda with the responsibility of coordinating a city wide evangelistic campaign in Blantyre, dubbed "Blantyre for Jesus". It was the first of its kind in Malawi.
Assisted by people like Evangelist Steven Lungu and others drawn from various churches in Blantyre, Rev Chienda and the team organised several rallies to take place in various residential districts of Blantyre. It was a new philosophy in the manner of conducting evangelistic campaigns, in the sense that instead of expecting people to come to a central place to hear the gospel, rather the gospel was taken to where the people lived. For a whole week, evening rallies were held in places like Chilomoni, Chilobwe and Ndirande.
They also involved the local churches by sending preachers to some congregations to preach during the normal church services.
Many people gave their lives to Christ during these campaigns. One of the enduring ones was Gerald Kandulu, who has since been used greatly by God. He subsequently went to a theological college in Zimbabwe, from where he proceeded to carry out his pastoral work in South Africa. Later he came back home and pastored in the Agape Church before rejoining the CCAP.
The following year, 1984, Africa Enterprise made the decision to engage Rev Chienda as a full time worker of the the organisation. Initially he operated from Blantyre but later relocated to Lilongwe, where Africa Enterprise provided a house in Biwi Township.
Assisted by people like Evangelist Steven Lungu and others drawn from various churches in Blantyre, Rev Chienda and the team organised several rallies to take place in various residential districts of Blantyre. It was a new philosophy in the manner of conducting evangelistic campaigns, in the sense that instead of expecting people to come to a central place to hear the gospel, rather the gospel was taken to where the people lived. For a whole week, evening rallies were held in places like Chilomoni, Chilobwe and Ndirande.
They also involved the local churches by sending preachers to some congregations to preach during the normal church services.
Many people gave their lives to Christ during these campaigns. One of the enduring ones was Gerald Kandulu, who has since been used greatly by God. He subsequently went to a theological college in Zimbabwe, from where he proceeded to carry out his pastoral work in South Africa. Later he came back home and pastored in the Agape Church before rejoining the CCAP.
The following year, 1984, Africa Enterprise made the decision to engage Rev Chienda as a full time worker of the the organisation. Initially he operated from Blantyre but later relocated to Lilongwe, where Africa Enterprise provided a house in Biwi Township.
Monday 25 July 2011
The Reverend's Children's Weddings
While he was in Blantyre, Rev Chienda had the opportunity to witness the weddings of some of his children.
The first wedding in the series was between his first born daughter, Mercy, and Herricks Gwazeni. It was officiated at St Michael and All Angels Church on 18th September, 1982. Rev Chienda bought a whole cow in Chikwawa, had it slaughtered there, and hauled the beef to Blantyre to feed guests to the wedding.
Next was Glady's wedding to Patrick Chimutu. Prior to the wedding the couple had a traditional engagement ceremony, which was ably hosted by the Reverend's cousin, Mr Kafumbi Njewa in Limbe.
The actual wedding took place on 3rd September, 1983. Like Mercy's wedding, this one too was officiated at St Michael and All Angels Church. A day before the wedding, Rev Chienda got news to the effect that his lifetime friend, Rev Abyud Mndala, was hospitalised in Lilongwe with a heart problem. Rev Mndala had wanted Rev Chienda by his bedside, but sadly this was not possible since the latter was deeply involved in the wedding arrangements of his daughter. Subsequently, Rev Mndala died. The Nkhoma Synod entourage to the wedding was split, with some people leaving Blantyre for Salima to attend Rev Mndala's burial, while a few remained to attend the wedding.
The third wedding taking place while Rev Chienda was resident in Blantyre was Cliff's to Ivy Sapangwa. It took place in August of 1985, after Rev Chienda had left the Bible Society. At that time he was with African Evangelical Enterprise. Ivy was the grand-daughter of Mayi Florence Tsamwa, a prominent member of Malawi Congress Party Women's League, who was a close and trusted associate of His Excellency Dr Kamuzu Banda.
The first wedding in the series was between his first born daughter, Mercy, and Herricks Gwazeni. It was officiated at St Michael and All Angels Church on 18th September, 1982. Rev Chienda bought a whole cow in Chikwawa, had it slaughtered there, and hauled the beef to Blantyre to feed guests to the wedding.
Next was Glady's wedding to Patrick Chimutu. Prior to the wedding the couple had a traditional engagement ceremony, which was ably hosted by the Reverend's cousin, Mr Kafumbi Njewa in Limbe.
The actual wedding took place on 3rd September, 1983. Like Mercy's wedding, this one too was officiated at St Michael and All Angels Church. A day before the wedding, Rev Chienda got news to the effect that his lifetime friend, Rev Abyud Mndala, was hospitalised in Lilongwe with a heart problem. Rev Mndala had wanted Rev Chienda by his bedside, but sadly this was not possible since the latter was deeply involved in the wedding arrangements of his daughter. Subsequently, Rev Mndala died. The Nkhoma Synod entourage to the wedding was split, with some people leaving Blantyre for Salima to attend Rev Mndala's burial, while a few remained to attend the wedding.
The third wedding taking place while Rev Chienda was resident in Blantyre was Cliff's to Ivy Sapangwa. It took place in August of 1985, after Rev Chienda had left the Bible Society. At that time he was with African Evangelical Enterprise. Ivy was the grand-daughter of Mayi Florence Tsamwa, a prominent member of Malawi Congress Party Women's League, who was a close and trusted associate of His Excellency Dr Kamuzu Banda.
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