Church of Scotland sends friendship message marking 150 years since mission founded in Blantyre, Malawi

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly has sent a message of friendship to believers in Malawi, marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Church’s mission in Blantyre.

Blantyre is a small town in South Lanarkshire, best known as the birthplace of the missionary David Livingstone. The name is also used for the second largest city in Malawi. According to the report, that city was founded 150 years ago by Scottish missionaries and named in honour of Livingstone’s birthplace.

The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) held three days of celebrations for the anniversary. Events included lectures, tours of historic mission sites, a March for Jesus and a commemorative Sunday service. During that service, a message from Moderator Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy was read by Professor Ken Ross, Dean of Postgraduate Studies at Zomba Theological College and a long-term resident of Malawi.

Ross said the Blantyre Synod now has more than one million members and is a thriving church. He also noted that when the mission began, there was no country called Malawi. In his account, the country came into existence about 15 to 20 years after the mission started, a development he said was largely due to the mission’s influence.

The report describes the ties between the two nations as historic and ecclesiastical, and also current. Malawi is the main international development partner of the Scottish government, and many Scottish schools and churches support projects in Malawi. Ross, who has spent much of the past four decades in Malawi, said that many people in Scotland have some connection to the country, whether through a school link or a relative who was closely involved.

In his letter of friendship, the Moderator gave thanks for the lasting friendship between Malawians and Scots. He said the mission had been broad in scope from the outset, “integrating evangelism, education, healthcare and development work,” and that the present relationship between the two countries is similarly wide-ranging, reaching government and non-governmental organisations in both nations. The shared work of education, healthcare and development is a practical form of generosity (Hebrews 13:16).

The Moderator also said the Scottish church could learn from the church in Malawi. “In the Church of Scotland today we are very much aware that our life and witness need to be revitalized and reinvigorated,” he wrote. “We have much to learn from you, and we are truly grateful that our 150 years of travelling together has taught us how to bear one another’s burdens and to strengthen one another in time of need.”

Source: Read the original report