Malawi: Training of qualified church coworkers
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Around 70 pastors and evangelists work for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) throughout the country.
The first woman was ordained as a pastor in September 2021.
At about 90.00 Euro per month, the church's salaries are very low. This makes it almost impossible to recruit well-trained staff. Many of the full-time staff come from humble backgrounds and have qualified for church leadership roles through church training courses.
This is why ELM supports training and further education in three ways:
- 15 pastors (and hopefully more and more female pastors) come to the church's conference centre for a fortnight at a time. There they can reflect on their leadership behaviour in the congregation and expand their theological and pastoral knowledge. They also learn how to support their parishioners in planning and implementing micro-enterprises to promote ways out of poverty.
- 15 evangelists each are trained for service in the congregations - from biblical interpretation and practical issues such as dealing with domestic violence to questions of liturgy and church regulations.
- Around 20 volunteers are trained at church district level, who are then expected to pass on their knowledge in the congregations. In addition to knowledge of the Bible, they also learn how to deal with everyday social, economic and traditional issues, human rights and health.
"I am a changed person. I have gained confidence through the topics which were covered."
Dorika Kadzombe is a good example of a participant. She is a full-time evangelist and responsible for women's work in her congregation. She now preaches very well and confidently leads services in her church as a liturgist. More courses are being organised so that the church can have more such employees.
With your donation, you are helping the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi to empower their employees for a relevant service in their congregations.
