MMI hits the ground running!

Officially launched in Lilongwe in August 2014, the Malawi Mission Initiative (MMI) lost no time in ensuring that Nico Bontenal’s (pictures left) comment reported in the last issue of Malawi Amoto – that “We need to make sure that the aims in the MMI constitution become action points, not just talking points,”  - came true.

The first major programme organised by MMI was a seven-part Mission Training Course, the first session of which was held in October at the City Pentecostal Church in Blantyre. The course, which will run once a month until May 2015, aims to give a comprehensive overview of different aspects of mission and it will look to encourage individual Christians and the Malawian Church as a whole to get more involved in overseas mission.

Biblical teaching on mission

At the first event, concentrating on Mission Strategies, local church leaders Revd Paul Mawaya, from the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) and chairman of the MMI, and Revd Elton Kananji of the Assemblies of God (AOG) outlined the scriptural basis for mission and looked at different aspects of how people can get involved with mission.

Katherine Nkosi, from the Church of Christ in Malawi

Moving testimony

There was also a moving testimony from Katherine Nkosi, from the Church of Christ in Malawi, who spoke about how God called her out of her comfort zone to go and work in a remote rural area in Malawi. She found this call hard but also very fulfilling and she saw the hand of God in many aspects of this work.

This call to go to ‘uncomfortable’ places was also echoed by Revd Mawaya. He used the call of Abram in Genesis 12 as a good example of how God can call us from the comfort of our current position to a much more, in human terms, uncertain future.

Another constant theme was the need to trust God and not to fall back on our own strength. “It is not our ability but our availability that counts,” said one of the speakers, a sentiment that was embraced by many of the 70 or so delegates at this first meeting.

Prayer for the persecuted church

“The response to the training event was very encouraging, especially as this was the first of its type that we have tried to organise as MMI,” said Nico Bontenbal who also spoke to the delegates about the plight of the persecuted church especially in Malawi’s near neighbours Tanzania and Central African Republic.

Revd Elton Kananji address the delegates

Passion for mission

“We need to build on this and make sure that the interest shown in the first part of the series continues through the rest of the programme to May next year. The fact that we have people coming from Lilongwe and Mzuzu to this event shows that the passion for mission is growing in Malawi. Also the sessions we are running are delivered by passionate Malawians who know the need for the Church here to engage with mission work.

“Already there are issues we need to think about, such as running similar events in other parts of the country, because we had people at the first one who had travelled very long distances from the north of the country. But these are good problems for us to have to solve,” said Nico.

Revd Paul Mawaya, Chairman of MMI

The rest of the programme of seminars will include sessions on:

• Mission Strategies
• Culture and Mission
• Financial Strategies
• Mission in a Muslim Context
• Mission in an African Tribal Religious Context
• Mission and Leadership
• Mission and Church Planting

MMI is supported by SIM Malawi Project MW 96753

Mission Advancement Fund