Visitors from Africa

FEATURE

The Malawian students and staffat the Centre for Ministry Studies in Aberdeen. From left: Rev Thomas Nya’gamah, Rev David Kawanga, Dr Mike Lain, Rev Dr Ken Jefrey, Prof Paul Nimmo, Dr Katie Cross, Rev Brian Theu

A series of visitors from African churches have passed through the doors of the Church of Scotland offices in Edinburgh during the autumn.

Hailing from Mozambique, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Egypt, some of the visitors came to take part in the World Mission Council’s interfaith conference in September, while others were in Scotland as part of scholarship programmes or the Faithshare programme.

While visiting the Church offices in Edinburgh for meetings with World Mission staff, many of them visited other congregations around Scotland.

The Rev Angela Kanuyu of Kenya attended the conference on ‘Living Together in a World of Religions’, as part of her trip which also formed part of her scholarship from the Church of Scotland to do her Masters degree in the United States.

She said: “One thing I learned more about was how the Church of Scotland has played a major role in terms of Christianity and Presbyterianism in Kenya. This has given me the opportunity to come over and learn more of what is happening, the connections between the Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church in Kenya.

“During my studies, one of the things I have been majoring on is women in ministry, and I’ve had the chance to meet all these women who have been in leadership in the Church of Scotland, to hear of their achievements and the challenges they have faced.”

Another purpose of the visits is to allow representatives of the Church of Scotland’s partner churches to update the Church on the latest situation in their home countries.

Gibson Blazo of the Presbytery of Zimbabwe, part of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, arrived in Scotland in the aftermath of elections in his home country, the results of which had been challenged by the opposition party.

Gibson, the Session Clerk and former treasurer of his congregation, said: “The elections were marred by some laws, and then the announcement of the results was delayed. The opposition challenged the result in the constitutional court, but the outcome was in favour of the ruling party.”

He added that the upheaval had led to violence in some areas, and that some protesters had lost their lives in confrontations with the military.

“The churches are still mobilising, still in talks with the current government and the opposition to try to end the violence and work together for all Zimbabweans.”

He added that as Zimbabwe is a 70 per cent Christian country, the churches have a lot of influence, and are respected by political leaders: “They believe the church is the voice of God.”

Also this autumn, three ministers from Malawi, all distance learning PhD students, visited Aberdeen. The Revs Brian Theu, David Kawanga and Thomas Nyang’ama visited the Granite City to take part in the University of Aberdeen Centre for Ministry Studies’ Summer School Programme.

The visit was part of a unique partnership between the University and Zomba Theological College, created in 2016 to provide the opportunity for church leaders across sub-Saharan Africa to study for a MTh Ministry Studies.

The Rev Dr Ken Jefrey, co-ordinator of the University’s Centre for Ministry Studies, said: “In 1875 Aberdeen Alum, Dr Robert Laws founded the first Christian mission in Malawi and played a crucial role in the education of local people there.

“I am delighted that more than 100 years later, the university is maintaining its ties to Malawi.”

This article appears in the November 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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