We Marvel at the blessings and challenges that God has taken us through over the past two years. ‘Samuti Churches’ is a new term describing a cluster of nationwide Community Churches of Malawi in Blantyre, Thyolo and Chikwawa areas. We are thankful to God, partnering churches and friends for prayers, resources and ti me invested in support of Samuti churches ministry. God has been faithful in ways that we cannot fully express. following are the highlights of God’s acts in the Samuti Churches ministry activities in recent months:

Visitati ons  

The outstanding highlight of our ministry this year was the historic visit of our Presiding Bishop, Desmond Inglesby, and his wife Jenny from 1–8 February 2012. Their visit was a source of great encouragement and strength. During their visit, they ministered at the opening of MBTI, Samuti Ladies meeting and at the ordination of Charles Tembo as Presbyter on 5 February 2012. The Bishop spent a number of pastoral meetings with BCC Council, the Rev Beaton, Barrett s and the Tembos. The encouragement we received during these meetings cannot be over emphasized. our desire is to see the Presiding Bishop visiting Malawi regularly.

Samuti Mission and MBTI Boards

For a number of years, Blantyre Community Church was overloaded with the oversight and financial responsibility of Samuti Churches. Prayerfully BCC Council decided to distinguish Samuti Churches and BCC work. I am pleased to report that samuti Churches are now under new management called ‘Samuti Churches Mission Board’, which is responsible for the oversight and financial administration under the chairmanship of Mr Logam Rangasami , a graduate of George Whitefield who works in Malawi as headmaster of Southend School. He has the mandate to report Emmanuel Church, the mother church, and other supporting churches and friends. Under the Samuiti Mission Board are Samuti Churches Council and the Malawi Bible Training Institute (MBTI) advisory Board, who are also under the chairmanship of Mr Rangasami. special thanks to BCC Council and to Rev Robbie Beaton for tirelessly working out and following through the process. We are thankful for the continued financial and prayer support of Emmanuel Church in Belville, St Peter’s Church in Fish Hoek and Christ Church Blairgowrie.

Samuti Day Care

Samuti Community Church Day Care provides spiritual and social or educational needs to the community around Samuti Church. It has been operating under the management of Amos Kateya- Yobu and his team. We have three teachers and two kitchen staff headed by Ceciliah yobu that help with the teaching and smooth running of the school. eighty children are registered at the day care facility. It has been difficult to develop and maintain teachers due to financial constraints; however, this work owes its existence to Emmanuel Church in Belville. We need more contributeons so we can have more teachers and provide children with good nutrition.

Pastors’ conference

The pastors’ conferences are organized twice a year. There is a huge need in our rural churches for conferences to impart preaching skills to the pastors who are leading churches but have not received formal theological training. This involves a lot of organization and planning for Charles and his team.

Women’s meetings

Women’s meetings for Bible teaching lessons and practical sewing and knitting skills has continued to take place twice a month at Samuti Churches Mission centre. During the Presiding Bishop’s visit in February 2012, we had the privilege of hosting Jenney Inglesby as our guest speaker at the women’s meeting. She spoke powerfully on the role of women in the church and challenged women not to reduce their role in the church to mere fundraising. Many confessed that the message had opened their understanding and strengthened their marriages.