New church plant in Malawi

Alan and Sandra Skene write: ‘Although this is still the rainy season we are continuing to visit outlying branches of the church and last month were delighted to go to a relatively new church plant. When we arrived we were greeted by a lively group welcoming us in song.

Their church was an extremely small mud brick building with a grass roof and mud benches measuring 4metres x 3 metres! As we were increasing their numbers that day they had built a shelter onto the church and we had our meeting outside.

We are always pleased to visit a branch for the first time, but on this occasion it became more special when we heard the history of it. At the end of the service the church leader introduced us to an elderly lady – in Chichewa we say “gogo” meaning grandmother – and explained how she was responsible for this church being planted.

So keen was this lady to hear the word of God she was “footing” ( walking) to the next nearest Apostolic church – quite a feat for someone her age. She did this for some time and when she met with the district Pastor she would beg him for an Apostolic church in her village.

The Pastor responded by asking one of his church leaders if he would be prepared to travel to this village to set up a work there and so the church began with 9 people.

They now have around 30 -40 members and the gogo is in easy reach of her church! After giving us this history, the church leader turned and begged to be given Bible training saying “I know some, and I teach some, but I want to know more so that I can teach the people more!”

We were rejoicing in our hearts to see this desire and to acknowledge the hard physical work entailed in setting up this new branch. Please pray for the church leader as he travels week by week to this church, pray for the gogo and her ongoing witness in that area.

Pray also for the district Pastor, Pastor Makumba, who oversees many churches in that district over a large area. He recently lost his job as his company was moving and wanted him to go with them. His reply was that he was a Pastor and he could not walk away from his people. This has placed him and his family in hard circumstances financially, pray that God will bless him for the choice he has made.’