Synod rebuffs Ngoni chiefs

Bad blood continues to flow between the Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) and Ngoni chiefs in Mzimba, with the synod rebuffing the chiefs’ request to resolve an impasse over polygamy and beer drinking.

The synod’s general secretary the Reverend Levi Nyondo said accepting the chiefs’ request for a meeting will be tantamount to corruption because when delivering sermons based on Bible teachings the church does not call for meetings.

He said: “When we are at the pulpit, we just present the message: stealing is bad, polygamy is bad. It is up to them [the flock] to take it or not. We don’t force Christianity on people. They have the right to remain Christians or not.”

On threats to ban the church from the district for preaching against polygamy, Nyondo said: “It can’t happen because all land belongs to God.”

He said the church will continue preaching against every vice and suspend anyone who breaks its doctrines, especially those who practice polygamy.

Said Nyondo: “We will suspend anyone who breaks the church doctrines regardless of status. Have you not heard that we suspended even pastors? No one is immune.

“When it comes to suspension, it doesn’t matter whether you have been a [church] minister for 30 years, but if you break one law, the Bible says suspend. We do that. It is not just for the chiefs. Read our annual general meeting minutes, some pastors are suspended.”

There have been assertions that the synod’s early missionaries, notably Robert Laws and M’mbelwa II reached a compromise that the church be allowed in Mzimba as long as it did not interfere in some Ngoni cultural practices such as polygamy and beer drinking.

Mzuzu University historian Chrispine Mphande yesterday corroborated that history books have a record of the first agreement between M’mbelwa II and the missionaries. However, he could not state whether it was formal or informal.

Said Mphande: “M’mbelwa II allowed the missionaries to establish their missions anywhere in Mzimba. But there was a condition that in the event one of them was found drunk or was found in a polygamous marriage, they should not be excommunicated from the church.

“The idea was that the missionaries should keep on preaching the word of God until some of them conform to the principles of Christianity.”

He said M’mbelwa’s interest in allowing the missionaries in Mzimba was for his subjects to benefit from western education they brought alongside religion.

On his take regarding the current altercation between the two sides, Mphande said the issue presents a clash or disconnect between culture and religion.

He said: “What is missing now is the interface between culture and faith.”

But Nyondo said there was no agreement between the missionaries and the Ngoni chiefs, rather the two parties agreed on evangelising Mzimba; and not necessarily allowing the chiefs to continue with polygamy and beer drinking.

He said: “If you are a Christian, do you think there can be an agreement that you should marry two wives? Is that a genuine agreement? That is a false agreement. Even if you are not a Christian, do you think there can be an agreement that is against the Bible?

“If they say they have an agreement, can they produce that agreement to me? The Bible is above any agreement, above culture, above anything. We don’t worship culture, we worship God. And our role is not to please anyone, but God.”

In an interview yesterday, Mzimba Heritage Association secretary Aupson Thole said the Ngoni chiefs wrote the synod, asking for a meeting to discuss the matter amicably and find lasting solutions.

He wondered why Nyondo went public on the issue when the chiefs had asked for a meeting.

Said Thole: “As the Ngoni, we can’t comment any further because all we wanted was a roundtable discussion. If he says he doesn’t see any need for a meeting, then he should have written us rather than telling the media. We feel he is making more mistakes by commenting about the issue in the media.”

The clash of religion and culture was ignited during the installation of Traditional Authority Mzukuzuku at Ephangweni in Mzimba last month where Nyondo openly rebuked the chiefs, who included Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa V and Senior Chief Mtwalo, for practising polygamy and promoting beer drinking in their jurisdiction. He also threatened to discipline the chiefs and the entire tribe for the cultural practices that are against the church’s doctrine.

However, this did not go down well with the cultural custodians who said there was an agreement to allow the chiefs to be part of the church despite a clash of beliefs.

Mzimba is the biggest district by size in the country with an estimated  population of one million. A majority of the people are Ngonis and members of the Livingstonia Synod. n