Not surprised that this sort of thing is orchestrated by people sympathetic to Bernard Malango.

No, it is clear if you read the linked newspaper reports that the 'thugs' and 'hooligans' are associated with the Nicholas Henderson 'faction'. I hope Mr Henderson will make attempts to restrain his supporters.

Andrew
Are you quite about this? One of the reports mentions that:

"Matchiya said while his group was holding prayers and thought the threats were over, two Muslim young men entered the church armed with chains and started threatening people, while some of the assailants waited outside.

³These young men were hired by another Bishop who
supports Mwenda. Even later when the police arrested the two young men they confessed to have been hired.

³They said they were paid K1,000 each while others were given K400,² Matchiya said"

Muslim supporters of Henderson? Sounds unlikely to me.
Another bishop who supports Mwenda? Henderson is not a bishop. So who is this other bishop?

Andrew
I also received the following email. I cannot yet vouch for the authenticity of it, though I have started enquiries. I am not making any claims about its accuracy, just offering it as information.
Simon
----
REPORT FROM MALAWI ­ by Martin Chibwana

Regarding an incident at All Saints Cathedral Nkhota-kota on Sunday 2nd July 2006

Background:
Bishop Mwenda, and Fr Frank Dzantenge, acting Vicar General, despite clear instruction from the courts and legal advice from the Anglican Chancellors that they should desist from any ecclesiastical action pending the Anglican "Panel of Reference" declared their intention to go to Nkhota-kota Cathedral to conduct services. The Revd Denis Kayamba is the previously suspended priest appointed Dean of the Cathedral by Bishop Mwenda.

Report:
I wanted to gather as many facts about the incident in Nkhota-kota before issuing this report. My wife and me made more calls to keep informed since Friday until late last night.

Mr Machiya from Nkhota-kota has also been informing us.

First of all the laity took all the precautions by informing the police that they were going to stop Bp Mwenda from performing any church functions at the Cathedral and Saint Annes Church.

The police gave them permission to go ahead, but said they will not be there. They also demanded that it should be a peaceful demonstration.

The Christians, mostly men, kept vigil the whole night. It is the same night that Denis Kayamba and his wife left the house. After noticing that there were people at the entrance to the Cathedral. He asked them the reason there were there. He was openly told that they there to stop Mwenda and his agents from conducting any church service.

They did not harass him. But on his own he vacated the house.

The laity were camped there until Satuday Morning, They had their meals there including breakfast. The majority of the Christians surrounded the Cathedral. Placards were hosted informing Mwenda that he is not wanted in Nkhota-kota. Somebody did a cartoon of him. It is reported that one of Kayamba's supporters through a stone which hit one of the laity. They caught the stone thrower, they did nothing to him, they did not even take him to the police.

The laity were there until, Sunday when the thugs hired by Kayamba, wilding sharp matchets came to force the laity to clear the entrance and chase the all the Christians who had surronded the Cathedral. They stood their ground. It was at this juncture, when one of Kayamba's thugs raised
the matchet to strike one of the laity, that he striked himself and was injured. The power of the Lord. The laity took him to the hospital for treatment.

He went to the police to report that one of the laity had struck him with a matchet. It is then that some of the laity were taken to the police. They denied the offence. Later on the thug told the police the truth. That he had injured himself when he was trying to strike one of the laity and that they were hired by Kayamba. The laity were released except one who will be released this morning.

Kayamba is now at large, he is wanted by the police to answer charges for citing violence by hiring thugs.

Andrew Carey:

"No, it is clear if you read the linked newspaper reports that the 'thugs' and 'hooligans' are associated with the Nicholas Henderson 'faction'. I hope Mr Henderson will make attempts to restrain his supporters."

Funny, I thought it was equally clear that the thugs were associated with Malango, that is, until I read all the articles and realized the issue is muddled with each side accusing the other. Given that there are conflicting reports, how is it clear?

Sad. In my world, hiring non-Christian thugs to do your dirty work is at least on a par with Paul's slagging off the Corinthians for resorting to secular courts.

Apologies, if I misspoke. On a first glance at the reports they seemed to suggest that the trouble and thuggery was begun by the pro-Henderson faction. If I'd put my brain in gear I would have realised that things are always more complicated than they seem. I hope that Nicholas Henderson and Bernard Malango (and Mawenda) attempt to restrain their supporters. In my experience of them, neither men would wish any violence to be committed in their names.

The reason I responded above so strongly is because it seems to me that it is utterly reasonable to criticise Archbishop Malango for his handling of Kunonga in Zimbabwe, but utterly unreasonable for us to judge him on the situation in Lake Malawi. Henderson had no business allowing his name to be up for nomination. The days when white men could gain preferment in Africa for their largesse is long gone.

"The days when white men could gain preferment in Africa for their largesse is long gone."

Bang goes Martyn Minns's career move then.

Does that extend to white men acting as Akinola's lackey in America, supposedly to minister as bishop to Nigerian churches in the USA?

Odd attitude, that there should be a colur bar on who should be a bishop. Should Sentamu be sent back to Uganda? Or is this typical evangelical excusing of everything which comes out of Africa (personally, I think the vast bulk of the African church is corrupt, fundamentalist and premodern, I can't understand why anyopne would want to go there, unless to sort it out - liberal imperialism has its good points)

"Henderson had no business allowing his name to be up for nomination. The days when white men could gain preferment in Africa for their largesse is long gone."

I don't know how bishops get their mitres in Malawi, but presumably someone must have nominated him. And, from what I read, there's a seemingly large group of people in the diocese who like him. I also understand he worked in the diocese for quite some time and is known and liked by the people. If I'm wrong, set me straight, but this doesn't sound like a white man gaining preferment for his largess. You seem to be saying that he was appointed because he is white and therefor that this is some sort of "colonial" thing. Can you explain this, since I don't see it at all. Thanks.