During the Internatioanl Congress on World Evangelisation in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, Rev Chienda had the opportunity of meeting one of Africa's leading evangelical intellectuals, Dr Byang Kato. Kato was among the keynote speakers at the conference.
Nigerian by origin, Kato received his ThD degree in May, 1974 from Dallas Theological Seminary. His doctoral dissertation was titled "Universalism and Syncretism in Christianity in Africa", and it was later published by Evangel Publishing House in Nairobi, Kenya under the title "Theological Pitfalls in Africa."
Kato had great passion for promoting and encouraging theological scholarship and debate among African evangelicals. It was his desire to see a purely African theological discourse develop and flourish in the evangelical circles. He repeatedly charged African evangelicalism with "theological anaemia" and deliberately sought out and encouraged young African evangelical scholars in their studies and work.
Noticing Rev Chienda's dedication to God's work and seeing potential in him, Dr Kato suggested that he (Rev Chienda) should seek further theological education abroad. He went further, in the ensuing months, to find a suitable college, where Rev Chienda could pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It was Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, in the United States of America.
In December, 1975, a few months before Rev Chienda left for California, Dr Kato and his family took a vacation in Mombasa, Kenya. The learned doctor disappeared from their lodging place on December 18, and his body was found the following day in Mombasa river. It has never been clear what the cause of death was: whether he had drowned or had been attacked and subsequently placed in the river. One thing that is clearly known is that Africa was robbed of one of its celebrated theologians through this tragic death. He was 39 at the time of his death.
Rev Chienda left for California, USA in 1976. It pleased Nkhoma Synod to appoint Rev EE Katsuluka Acting General Secretary, pending Rev Chienda's completion of his academic work and his return to Malawi. In 1977, Mrs Chienda and the two youngest children, Annie and Tertia, followed Rev Chienda to America. The family returned home in 1978 after the Reverend had obtained a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Missiology.
While Rev and Mrs Chienda were away to America, the older children that stayed behind were being ably looked after by well wishing parents. Chief among these were Rev KJ Mgawi and Mr Nelson Chikusa. The latter was a tutor at the William Murray Teacher Training College.
On his return, Rev Chienda resumed his work as General Secretary of Nkhoma Synod, working for close to a year before moving to Blantyre to take up a new post at the Bible Society in Malawi.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Leadership in Times of Political Tension (Part 2)
On 21st February, 1974, Reverends KJ Mgawi and YA Chienda, Moderator and General Secretary of Nkhoma Synod, respectively, were summoned to meet the President, Dr Kamuzu Banda in Zomba. The Regional Ministers for the North and the Centre, Mr Chibambo and Mr Kumbweza Banda, respectively, had also been called to the meeting. Another person attending that meeting was Rev Kauta Msiska, the Principal of the Nkhoma Theological College.
The matter for which they had been summoned was that Mr Chibambo had received two letters from Rev Kauta, which were accusatory of Reverends Burger and Steytler, South African missionaries working in the Nkhoma Synod, and alleging that Nkhoma Synod was refusing to move the Theological College to Zomba.
Regarding the alleged refusal by Nkhoma Synod to move the Theological College to the university town of Zomba, Kamuzu said he fully understood such misgivings, as he had himself witnessed the difficulties of trying to annex a theological college to an American university (Brown, 2007). He, therefore, referred the matter back for further consultation. During the meeting, Rev Mgawi and Rev Chienda expressed their surprise that such a matter was reported to political leaders and not the Theological Board.
On their return to Nkhoma, Reverends Mgawi and Chienda requested an extra-ordinary meeting of the General Synod Theological Board, where Nkhoma Synod was to sate clearly that they had no problems moving to Zomba, and that they were already engaged in fundraising activities for purposes of implementing the move.
On 4th March, 1974, the Nkhoma Synod duo, Rev Mgawi and Rev Chienda were summoned to the Malawi Congress Party Headquarters to appear in the office of the Administrative Secretary, Mr Albert Muwalo Nqumayo. The general secretaries and moderators of Blantyre and Livingstonia syonds had also been asked to come. In attendance were all the three regional ministers and other party functionaries. Also present at that meeting were Rev Kauta Msiska and two students from the Theological College.
The two students had reported to the party that Rev Kauta had taken offence at their wearing of lapel badges depicting the face of Dr Kamuzu Banda. The hearing found Rev Kauta guilty of having commited a 'serious' offence. Brown (2007) reports that Rev Kauta actually admitted having made a mistake. He was accordingly ordered to lay down his post as Principal of the Theological College, and he left Nkhoma on 6th March, 1974.
Later the same year, the all-powerful Malawi Congress Party expelled from the party Mr Alison Reuben Nyanda, who was then Education Sectretary of the Synod, on allegations of double dealing within the party. The directive also came from the office of the Administrative Secretary, Albert Muwalo Nqumayo. Consequently, Mr Nyanda had to relinquish his post and he went to live at his home near Lumbadzi.
In 1975, two more South African missionaries, namely Reverends C Burger and P Botha were deported from Malawi. The issue at hand was that Rev Botha had began to carry out missionary work in Mozambique, operating from Dedza. He once organised a truck load of maize to feed some Mozambicans who were threatened with hunger. While in Mozambique, he came across an NGO team on a fact finding mission, who asked him if there was famine in Mozambique and he said there was. This displeased the Frelimo government, who denied the existence of famine anywhere in Mozambique. They (the Frelimo government) went ahead to launch an official complaint to the Malawi Government. This led to the immediate deportation of Rev Botha and, by association, Rev Burger, whom the government found out to be Rev Botha's immediate superior, being the Liason Officer between the Nkhoma Synod and the Mission office of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa..
Rev Chienda intervened by launching an appeal to His Excellency, Dr Kamuzu Banda for the matter to be reviewed. Although no immediate results were forthcoming, Kamuzu did allow the return of Rev Burger in 1983.
The matter for which they had been summoned was that Mr Chibambo had received two letters from Rev Kauta, which were accusatory of Reverends Burger and Steytler, South African missionaries working in the Nkhoma Synod, and alleging that Nkhoma Synod was refusing to move the Theological College to Zomba.
Regarding the alleged refusal by Nkhoma Synod to move the Theological College to the university town of Zomba, Kamuzu said he fully understood such misgivings, as he had himself witnessed the difficulties of trying to annex a theological college to an American university (Brown, 2007). He, therefore, referred the matter back for further consultation. During the meeting, Rev Mgawi and Rev Chienda expressed their surprise that such a matter was reported to political leaders and not the Theological Board.
On their return to Nkhoma, Reverends Mgawi and Chienda requested an extra-ordinary meeting of the General Synod Theological Board, where Nkhoma Synod was to sate clearly that they had no problems moving to Zomba, and that they were already engaged in fundraising activities for purposes of implementing the move.
On 4th March, 1974, the Nkhoma Synod duo, Rev Mgawi and Rev Chienda were summoned to the Malawi Congress Party Headquarters to appear in the office of the Administrative Secretary, Mr Albert Muwalo Nqumayo. The general secretaries and moderators of Blantyre and Livingstonia syonds had also been asked to come. In attendance were all the three regional ministers and other party functionaries. Also present at that meeting were Rev Kauta Msiska and two students from the Theological College.
The two students had reported to the party that Rev Kauta had taken offence at their wearing of lapel badges depicting the face of Dr Kamuzu Banda. The hearing found Rev Kauta guilty of having commited a 'serious' offence. Brown (2007) reports that Rev Kauta actually admitted having made a mistake. He was accordingly ordered to lay down his post as Principal of the Theological College, and he left Nkhoma on 6th March, 1974.
Later the same year, the all-powerful Malawi Congress Party expelled from the party Mr Alison Reuben Nyanda, who was then Education Sectretary of the Synod, on allegations of double dealing within the party. The directive also came from the office of the Administrative Secretary, Albert Muwalo Nqumayo. Consequently, Mr Nyanda had to relinquish his post and he went to live at his home near Lumbadzi.
In 1975, two more South African missionaries, namely Reverends C Burger and P Botha were deported from Malawi. The issue at hand was that Rev Botha had began to carry out missionary work in Mozambique, operating from Dedza. He once organised a truck load of maize to feed some Mozambicans who were threatened with hunger. While in Mozambique, he came across an NGO team on a fact finding mission, who asked him if there was famine in Mozambique and he said there was. This displeased the Frelimo government, who denied the existence of famine anywhere in Mozambique. They (the Frelimo government) went ahead to launch an official complaint to the Malawi Government. This led to the immediate deportation of Rev Botha and, by association, Rev Burger, whom the government found out to be Rev Botha's immediate superior, being the Liason Officer between the Nkhoma Synod and the Mission office of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa..
Rev Chienda intervened by launching an appeal to His Excellency, Dr Kamuzu Banda for the matter to be reviewed. Although no immediate results were forthcoming, Kamuzu did allow the return of Rev Burger in 1983.
Monday, 13 June 2011
Leadership in Times of Political Tension (Part 1)
The 1970s were characterised by high political tension in Malawi as the sole and ruling party, the Malawi Congress Party, was in the process of consolidating its grip on power, following the 1964 cabinet crisis.
The Kongwe incident has already been mentioned in an earlier post. Apat from resulting in the closure of the school, the incident also led to the firing of some local academic staff and the redeployment of South African missionary staff: Mr CA Loots was posted to William Murray Teacher Training College, Dr JK Louw to Malingunde, and Rev MH Daneel to Lilongwe, where he was to continue his work as youth chaplain. Rev Chienda was at the helm of the Nkhoma Synod team that worked tirelessly, amid many fears, to bring order to Kongwe, in particular and to Nkhoma Synod in general.
In February, 1973, Dr CJ Blignaut and Rev M Pauw were suddenly deported from Malawi, following an incident where somebody (probably Rev Pauw) brought an injured dog into the Nkhoma Hopspital, and Dr Blignaut went ahead to treat it. Dr Blignaut, an eye specialist, was the Administrator of the Nkhoma Mission Hospital and Rev Pauw was a lecturer in the Theological College. The latter had a 'hybrid' motorcycle, fitted with pedals like a bicycle. The pedals were meant to be used to manually propel the bike in case of a breakdown or on running out of fuel. He also had a small pack of tiny dogs. It may well be that it is one of his dogs that got injured and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A Malawian who learnt about the dog's treatment at a facility meant for humans was offended and proceeded to report the matter to the political authorities. As a result, a deportation order came from the President's office to the effect that the two South Africans were to leave Malawi by 17th February, 1973.
This distressed Rev Chienda so much that he requested an audience with His Excellency, the Life President, Dr Kamuzu Banda, to appeal for the reversal of the deportation order. The audience was granted, but Kamuzu never bulged, and went ahead to implement the order. Consequently, Malawi lost its premier eye specialist with the deportation of Dr Blignaut. However, Rev Chienda's plea was not in vain, for in 1974, Dr Banda actually granted permission for Dr Blignaut to come back to Malawi to continue his work at Nkhoma Mission Hospital.
Because he was involved in academic work, Dr Blignaut could not return immediately. In March, 1975, the eye specialist came back to Nkhoma where he continued to work until his retirement in the 1990s. Shortly after the return of Dr Blignaut, Rev Pauw also mnaged to come to Malawi for a short visit.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Lunatic Alene and Company
Nkhoma had its fair share of mentally disturbed people, some living at the mission, others in villages around the mission. There was a gentleman called Madokera who had his abode at the market. He literally lived in a world of his own, having very few interactions with other people.
Twice a day, Madokera would walk up the road from the market towards the primary school, and stop at a certain tree a few metres past where Kandodo shop used to be. He would then go round the tree a few times and return to the market. That was his life, day in, day out. Not once did pick up a quarrel with anybody.
Another lunatic was from Zeze vilage, six kilometres north of Nkhoma mission. His name was Alene. Unlike Madokera, Alene was vocal and always sought attention. He used to move around with two hoe heads, which he used to bang, one against the other, making a sharp, ringing sound, to the accompaniment of his singing. Alene was basically a beggar. Some people advanced the theory that he was actually a normal person but was driven to the point of faking insanity in an attempt to run away from the problem of poll tax, which used to vex many Malawian men without a stable income.
Alene used to go door to door at the mission asking for money and food. When he was going to a white man's house, he would sing a nice hymn like Konda Dzinalo La Yesu (No. 61 in the Chichewa Hymnal), but would sing un-Chrisitian songs, sometimes loaded with profane language, on his way to a black family's house.
One day Alene came home, like he had done so many times before, and he was given a roasted sweet potato. Not satisfied, he attempted to force his way into the house, whereupon he met my father who was coming out of the house to check what was happening. For once, my father lost his temper on account of Alene's overstepping his boundaries. He pushed him outwards, and he (Alene, that is) momentarily lost his insanity. He shook his head, picked up his potato and left. As he waled away, he said, "Ee, obusa okadampanda lero! (The minister of God nearly clobbered me today)."
There was yet another mentally disturbed man at Nkhoma. His name was Nikisi. I cannot exactly recall which village he hailed from, but he was a regular visitor to people's homes. He was quiter than Alene and had an altogether more pleasant character.
Nikisi came home one day asking for money, and my father ordered that we give him some peaches. He got them and immediately started eating them. One of my sisters said to him, "Aren't they nice?" His reply was, "Unyung'unya bzunyung'unya, koma ine mfuna ndalama (Yes, they are sweet to the taste, but it is money that I want.)" With these few words, he left the scene.
Twice a day, Madokera would walk up the road from the market towards the primary school, and stop at a certain tree a few metres past where Kandodo shop used to be. He would then go round the tree a few times and return to the market. That was his life, day in, day out. Not once did pick up a quarrel with anybody.
Another lunatic was from Zeze vilage, six kilometres north of Nkhoma mission. His name was Alene. Unlike Madokera, Alene was vocal and always sought attention. He used to move around with two hoe heads, which he used to bang, one against the other, making a sharp, ringing sound, to the accompaniment of his singing. Alene was basically a beggar. Some people advanced the theory that he was actually a normal person but was driven to the point of faking insanity in an attempt to run away from the problem of poll tax, which used to vex many Malawian men without a stable income.
Alene used to go door to door at the mission asking for money and food. When he was going to a white man's house, he would sing a nice hymn like Konda Dzinalo La Yesu (No. 61 in the Chichewa Hymnal), but would sing un-Chrisitian songs, sometimes loaded with profane language, on his way to a black family's house.
One day Alene came home, like he had done so many times before, and he was given a roasted sweet potato. Not satisfied, he attempted to force his way into the house, whereupon he met my father who was coming out of the house to check what was happening. For once, my father lost his temper on account of Alene's overstepping his boundaries. He pushed him outwards, and he (Alene, that is) momentarily lost his insanity. He shook his head, picked up his potato and left. As he waled away, he said, "Ee, obusa okadampanda lero! (The minister of God nearly clobbered me today)."
There was yet another mentally disturbed man at Nkhoma. His name was Nikisi. I cannot exactly recall which village he hailed from, but he was a regular visitor to people's homes. He was quiter than Alene and had an altogether more pleasant character.
Nikisi came home one day asking for money, and my father ordered that we give him some peaches. He got them and immediately started eating them. One of my sisters said to him, "Aren't they nice?" His reply was, "Unyung'unya bzunyung'unya, koma ine mfuna ndalama (Yes, they are sweet to the taste, but it is money that I want.)" With these few words, he left the scene.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Working with White Missionaries
When Rev Chienda was General Secretary of Nkhoma Synod, there was a sizeable white community at Nkhoma Mission, and at other centres within the Synod.
His Vice General Secretary was Rev C Human, a quite, organised man with good temperament. He used to live on the hill above Mr Honde's house. One day, during the rainy season, the Honde boys and the Chienda boys decided to make life a little tougher for Rev Human by beating up the mud (with bare feet) on the road to his house. When he came along, his vehicle swerved in all directions, but he never lost his cool and still proceeded home, albeit with great difficulty.
It appears Rev Human possessed some music literacy. In the seventies, the tonic-solfa edition of "Nyimbo za Mulungu" (a Chichewa Hymnal) was developed. It was eventually printed by the Petro Van Wyk Press (now Nkhoma Press). During the proofing process, copies were sent to both the General Secretary and his vice. My father would simply keep the proofs on his shelf, but Rev Human painstakingly went through them, correcting any mistakes he would find.
The Treasurer of the Synod was Mr Reynecke. He had a passion for nature and used to keep an extensive woodlot behind his house. Within the woodlot he kept a flock of guinea fowl, which were left to roam freely. Mr Reynecke used to fly into a rage if anybody dared kill one of his fowl.
Rev Burger used be the Liason Officer. He was the linkman between the Synod of Nkhoma and the missions office in South Africa. He later got into trouble with Dr Banda's government and was deported.
Mr Gideon Retief was briefly Principal of william Murray Teacher Training College, succeeding Mr Honde. In the early seventies a serious incident happened at one of Nkhoma Synod's institutions, Robert Blake Secondary School, where a student tampered with Dr Banda's portrait by drilling holes through the eyes and writing on on the portrait, "You are a great fool." This incident naturally led to the closure of the entire school, and on reopening, a year or so later, the government demanded that Nkhoma Synod should send a strong disciplinarian to become headmaster. The task fell squarely on Mr Retief; so he left Nkhoma for Kongwe, and was succeeded by Mr Van Rensburg.
Other heads of department within the Synod were Dr Blignaut, a renown eye specialist, who headed Nkhoma Mission Hospital; Mr Vilejon, who was in charge of the Mission Garage and the Water/Electricity Departments; Mr De Wet headed Petro Van Wyk Press; and Mr Decock was head of the Building Department. Mr Decock used to be a man of peculiar tastes. He used to wear bell bottomed trousers long before bell bottoms were introduced to Malawi.
My father used to get along very well with all these, and others that were working for institutions that were not directly under the Synod such as the Theological College. Because of the cordial working relationships that flourished, the Synod lacked nothing in terms of basic services and utilities.
There were about fifteen white South African families living at Nkhoma at that time. The population warranted a special school for the children of the missionaries right at Nkhoma. Once or twice a year the school would stage an athletic tournament where events like sack racing, relay race, pole vault and others were featured. The white adults had a huge tennis court and they too would stage tennis tournament every now and then.
Mr Van Rensburg used to own a bee hive. Some boys one day decided to ransack the bee-hive, with a view to collecting some honey. I was among them. As it turned out, the activity was badly organised and although we managed to overturn the wooden box, we were chased by the angry African killer bees. One of us, James Levi (popularly known as Dala) had a special tough time with one bee that never left him. He ran and ran and ran, shouting, "Anyamata, tandiphani! (Colleagues, please kill the insect for me)." Somehow Mr Van Rensburg noticed that among the mischievous boys were the two sons of the General Secretary. He did not hesitate to let Rev Chienda know about it. Surprisingly, my father handled the issue without any extreme emotionalism. He simply asked us to go get everyone of the boys involved and go back to put the box in its proper place. It was at night, but we obliged.
His Vice General Secretary was Rev C Human, a quite, organised man with good temperament. He used to live on the hill above Mr Honde's house. One day, during the rainy season, the Honde boys and the Chienda boys decided to make life a little tougher for Rev Human by beating up the mud (with bare feet) on the road to his house. When he came along, his vehicle swerved in all directions, but he never lost his cool and still proceeded home, albeit with great difficulty.
It appears Rev Human possessed some music literacy. In the seventies, the tonic-solfa edition of "Nyimbo za Mulungu" (a Chichewa Hymnal) was developed. It was eventually printed by the Petro Van Wyk Press (now Nkhoma Press). During the proofing process, copies were sent to both the General Secretary and his vice. My father would simply keep the proofs on his shelf, but Rev Human painstakingly went through them, correcting any mistakes he would find.
The Treasurer of the Synod was Mr Reynecke. He had a passion for nature and used to keep an extensive woodlot behind his house. Within the woodlot he kept a flock of guinea fowl, which were left to roam freely. Mr Reynecke used to fly into a rage if anybody dared kill one of his fowl.
Rev Burger used be the Liason Officer. He was the linkman between the Synod of Nkhoma and the missions office in South Africa. He later got into trouble with Dr Banda's government and was deported.
Mr Gideon Retief was briefly Principal of william Murray Teacher Training College, succeeding Mr Honde. In the early seventies a serious incident happened at one of Nkhoma Synod's institutions, Robert Blake Secondary School, where a student tampered with Dr Banda's portrait by drilling holes through the eyes and writing on on the portrait, "You are a great fool." This incident naturally led to the closure of the entire school, and on reopening, a year or so later, the government demanded that Nkhoma Synod should send a strong disciplinarian to become headmaster. The task fell squarely on Mr Retief; so he left Nkhoma for Kongwe, and was succeeded by Mr Van Rensburg.
Other heads of department within the Synod were Dr Blignaut, a renown eye specialist, who headed Nkhoma Mission Hospital; Mr Vilejon, who was in charge of the Mission Garage and the Water/Electricity Departments; Mr De Wet headed Petro Van Wyk Press; and Mr Decock was head of the Building Department. Mr Decock used to be a man of peculiar tastes. He used to wear bell bottomed trousers long before bell bottoms were introduced to Malawi.
My father used to get along very well with all these, and others that were working for institutions that were not directly under the Synod such as the Theological College. Because of the cordial working relationships that flourished, the Synod lacked nothing in terms of basic services and utilities.
There were about fifteen white South African families living at Nkhoma at that time. The population warranted a special school for the children of the missionaries right at Nkhoma. Once or twice a year the school would stage an athletic tournament where events like sack racing, relay race, pole vault and others were featured. The white adults had a huge tennis court and they too would stage tennis tournament every now and then.
Mr Van Rensburg used to own a bee hive. Some boys one day decided to ransack the bee-hive, with a view to collecting some honey. I was among them. As it turned out, the activity was badly organised and although we managed to overturn the wooden box, we were chased by the angry African killer bees. One of us, James Levi (popularly known as Dala) had a special tough time with one bee that never left him. He ran and ran and ran, shouting, "Anyamata, tandiphani! (Colleagues, please kill the insect for me)." Somehow Mr Van Rensburg noticed that among the mischievous boys were the two sons of the General Secretary. He did not hesitate to let Rev Chienda know about it. Surprisingly, my father handled the issue without any extreme emotionalism. He simply asked us to go get everyone of the boys involved and go back to put the box in its proper place. It was at night, but we obliged.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Caring for Visitors
The work of the General Secretary was extremely demanding in the sense that it was by no means confined to the office. My father had the added responsibility of looking after hoardes of visitors that frequently came to Nkhoma for a whole range of reasons. Nkhoma mission did not have a decent public lodging place or a guest house at that time, and therefore, many of the visotors coming on Synod related business had to lodge at the General Secretary's residence.
The irregular visitors would comprise those that came from all corners of the Synod to purchase some stock, things like altar wine or church stationery, and those that came to the hospital. The more regular ones came to attend departmental meetings or committee meetings such as the General Administration Committee (GAC).
While many visitors arrived during the day, it was not unusual to receive some way after sunset. Whatever the case was, Rev Chienda had to ensure adequate care for them in terms of food, bedding and other lodging needs. Some of the regular ones like Rev Chikapa, Rev Kachaje and Rev Mlenga always demanded to be served with nice, hot tea. They made it clear that they wanted the tea served from the gigantic teapot, which was part of the crockery set in the home.
Rev AWW Mlenga used to be very particular about taking a bath. Whenever possible, he would give advance notice about his coming, with the special instruction that the boiler should be heated adequately so that on his arrival he would take a nice, hot bath. The houes was not equipped with an electric geyser at that time, so the water had to be heated in a specially provided boiler using firewood.
My father employed a local man called Mizilemu, from Mtenje village just outside Nkhoma mission to help with house chores. It was his duty to always make sure that there was enough firewood for the boiler and that a fire was kindled in the boiler every evening. These efforts were to be doubled each time the likes of Rev Mlenga were coming home.
Mizilemu harboured the ambition to one day go to South Africa to work in the mines. He consequently gave himself the special task of learning Fan Kalo, the language of the mines, as a way of preparing himself for his eventual trekking down to the south one day. He got into the habit of trying out his broken Fan Kalo on unsuspecting individuals like ourselves. Each time he learnt about the instruction from Rev Mlenga regarding the boiler, he would say in a mixture of Chichewa and his version of Fan Kalo, "Obusa omenewa ngotchaya phambele eti (I think this minister of God is highly ambitious)."
My father, in his usual joking mood, relayed Mizilemu's remarks to the visiting team of ministers, and they all rolled into bouts of laughter. One Rev Katundu gave Mizilemu the nickname "Phambele". Each time he came home, he would enquire about the whereabouts of his special "friend" Phambele.
To help with supply of meat, my parents reared some chickens. One day Mizilemu picked one white chicken and placed it under his armpit as he walked to his home. My sister, Mercy, saw him from a distance and, without knowing what he was carrying, she called out "a Mizilemu!" (Mr Mizilemu!). Startled, he replied, "N' chipepalatu ichi!" (It is a white sheet of paper that I am carrying!").
The irregular visitors would comprise those that came from all corners of the Synod to purchase some stock, things like altar wine or church stationery, and those that came to the hospital. The more regular ones came to attend departmental meetings or committee meetings such as the General Administration Committee (GAC).
While many visitors arrived during the day, it was not unusual to receive some way after sunset. Whatever the case was, Rev Chienda had to ensure adequate care for them in terms of food, bedding and other lodging needs. Some of the regular ones like Rev Chikapa, Rev Kachaje and Rev Mlenga always demanded to be served with nice, hot tea. They made it clear that they wanted the tea served from the gigantic teapot, which was part of the crockery set in the home.
Rev AWW Mlenga used to be very particular about taking a bath. Whenever possible, he would give advance notice about his coming, with the special instruction that the boiler should be heated adequately so that on his arrival he would take a nice, hot bath. The houes was not equipped with an electric geyser at that time, so the water had to be heated in a specially provided boiler using firewood.
My father employed a local man called Mizilemu, from Mtenje village just outside Nkhoma mission to help with house chores. It was his duty to always make sure that there was enough firewood for the boiler and that a fire was kindled in the boiler every evening. These efforts were to be doubled each time the likes of Rev Mlenga were coming home.
Mizilemu harboured the ambition to one day go to South Africa to work in the mines. He consequently gave himself the special task of learning Fan Kalo, the language of the mines, as a way of preparing himself for his eventual trekking down to the south one day. He got into the habit of trying out his broken Fan Kalo on unsuspecting individuals like ourselves. Each time he learnt about the instruction from Rev Mlenga regarding the boiler, he would say in a mixture of Chichewa and his version of Fan Kalo, "Obusa omenewa ngotchaya phambele eti (I think this minister of God is highly ambitious)."
My father, in his usual joking mood, relayed Mizilemu's remarks to the visiting team of ministers, and they all rolled into bouts of laughter. One Rev Katundu gave Mizilemu the nickname "Phambele". Each time he came home, he would enquire about the whereabouts of his special "friend" Phambele.
To help with supply of meat, my parents reared some chickens. One day Mizilemu picked one white chicken and placed it under his armpit as he walked to his home. My sister, Mercy, saw him from a distance and, without knowing what he was carrying, she called out "a Mizilemu!" (Mr Mizilemu!). Startled, he replied, "N' chipepalatu ichi!" (It is a white sheet of paper that I am carrying!").
Local and International Trips
The Ford Cortina was traded in with a Renault 4 in 1972. Being a front wheel drive vehicle, the Renault 4 was better suited than the Cortina for the rugged terrain on which Rev Chienda trod as he criss-crossed the Nkhoma Synod territory on official business.
I remember once travelling with him to Ntakataka on the lakeshore side of Dedza district. The route taken was the one branching off the M1 at Masasa Trading Centre, going down the meandering escarpment road via Mganja to Ntakataka below. It was an earth road at that time, and therefore quite a challege to drive on. On this particular rainy Sunday morning, our major challenge was not so much the condition of the road as the rainwater itself. The rain had been so heavy that, although the poor Renault never got stuck in the mud, yet some water spilled over into the bonet. Just before we reached Ntakataka, the vehicle stalled.
An officer in a police Land Rover that pulled over discovered that water had gone into the carburetter. After some fiddling by the officer, the vehicle roared back into life and the journey continued.
In 1973, Rev and Mrs Chienda decided to take my brother and I to Blantyre to attend Republic celebrations. He used to get invitation cards and special windscreen stickers every year to attend these celebration at the Kwacha International Conference Centre and at the Kamuzu Stadium. This time round, he thought it was necessary to expose us to this important state function.
We started off in the morning by the Renault. Initially it appeared that the trip would be uneventful. However, as we pased through the Chilobwe area in Ntcheu, we had a flat tyre. To add insult to injury, we did not have a spare wheel. My brother and I helped my father take off the wheel, and he stopped a bus to go to Ntcheu boma to get the tyre mended. When he was gone, a lady passed by and noticed that we were stranded. She quickly went back home and came back carrying a meal for us. My father reappeared about an hour and half later. We fixed the wheel and hit the road again.
The Zalewa road was not developed then, so we had to go via Zomba. Just after Namadzi - and after sunset - the same tyre got flat again. There was not much hope of any relief this time round. In his usual sacrificial spirit, my father disappeared into the darkness to look for a place where he could phone from. In his search, he landed on another good Samaritan, for not only was he able to phone his cousin, Mr Kafumbi Njewa, but the family from whose home he phoned were so kind as to prepare some food for us, just like the Ntcheu lady had done earlier in the day. An hour or so later, Mr Njewa arrived, equipped with everything needed for tyre mending.
In 1974, the Reverend undertook a trip by road to Livingstonia to attend the centenary celebrations of the Synod. He carried with him a fellow minister and two family members. The relationship between the two Synods was very cordial then, a far cry from today's situation. A year earlier, the Nkhoma Synod had, in collaboration with Bible Society, organised and conducted the 50th anniversary commemoration of God's word in Chichewa at Kaso Hill in Mvera. It was from Kaso Hill that William Murray had spearheaded the translation work 50 years earlier. In his capacity as General Secretary, Rev Chienda played an important role in the Kaso celebrations.
He also travelled extensively, internationally, to attend the so many ecclesiastical meetings abroad. In July, 1974, as he was attending a meeting in Lausane, Switzerland, Mrs Chienda back home gave birth to a baby girl. Rev Mgawi, then in charge of Nkhoma CCAP, relayed the news by telegram to his "brother" in Switzerland. A response came back, by telegram too, stating that the name of the girl would be Tertia, Lausane. The name Tertia given to her was somethig of misnomer, as it actually means third born daughter, which our Tertia was not. She was in fact fourth born daughter.
I remember once travelling with him to Ntakataka on the lakeshore side of Dedza district. The route taken was the one branching off the M1 at Masasa Trading Centre, going down the meandering escarpment road via Mganja to Ntakataka below. It was an earth road at that time, and therefore quite a challege to drive on. On this particular rainy Sunday morning, our major challenge was not so much the condition of the road as the rainwater itself. The rain had been so heavy that, although the poor Renault never got stuck in the mud, yet some water spilled over into the bonet. Just before we reached Ntakataka, the vehicle stalled.
An officer in a police Land Rover that pulled over discovered that water had gone into the carburetter. After some fiddling by the officer, the vehicle roared back into life and the journey continued.
In 1973, Rev and Mrs Chienda decided to take my brother and I to Blantyre to attend Republic celebrations. He used to get invitation cards and special windscreen stickers every year to attend these celebration at the Kwacha International Conference Centre and at the Kamuzu Stadium. This time round, he thought it was necessary to expose us to this important state function.
We started off in the morning by the Renault. Initially it appeared that the trip would be uneventful. However, as we pased through the Chilobwe area in Ntcheu, we had a flat tyre. To add insult to injury, we did not have a spare wheel. My brother and I helped my father take off the wheel, and he stopped a bus to go to Ntcheu boma to get the tyre mended. When he was gone, a lady passed by and noticed that we were stranded. She quickly went back home and came back carrying a meal for us. My father reappeared about an hour and half later. We fixed the wheel and hit the road again.
The Zalewa road was not developed then, so we had to go via Zomba. Just after Namadzi - and after sunset - the same tyre got flat again. There was not much hope of any relief this time round. In his usual sacrificial spirit, my father disappeared into the darkness to look for a place where he could phone from. In his search, he landed on another good Samaritan, for not only was he able to phone his cousin, Mr Kafumbi Njewa, but the family from whose home he phoned were so kind as to prepare some food for us, just like the Ntcheu lady had done earlier in the day. An hour or so later, Mr Njewa arrived, equipped with everything needed for tyre mending.
In 1974, the Reverend undertook a trip by road to Livingstonia to attend the centenary celebrations of the Synod. He carried with him a fellow minister and two family members. The relationship between the two Synods was very cordial then, a far cry from today's situation. A year earlier, the Nkhoma Synod had, in collaboration with Bible Society, organised and conducted the 50th anniversary commemoration of God's word in Chichewa at Kaso Hill in Mvera. It was from Kaso Hill that William Murray had spearheaded the translation work 50 years earlier. In his capacity as General Secretary, Rev Chienda played an important role in the Kaso celebrations.
He also travelled extensively, internationally, to attend the so many ecclesiastical meetings abroad. In July, 1974, as he was attending a meeting in Lausane, Switzerland, Mrs Chienda back home gave birth to a baby girl. Rev Mgawi, then in charge of Nkhoma CCAP, relayed the news by telegram to his "brother" in Switzerland. A response came back, by telegram too, stating that the name of the girl would be Tertia, Lausane. The name Tertia given to her was somethig of misnomer, as it actually means third born daughter, which our Tertia was not. She was in fact fourth born daughter.
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