Kansengwa Branch Dedicated to the Lord
By Rosslyn Kausiwa
Happiness engulfed the members of Seventh-day Adventist at Kansengwa church [then a branch] on 26 May 2019 upon the branch being dedicated to become an organised church in Bunda district of the Central Malawi Conference, in Lilongwe.
Previously, Bunda District which is under the leadership of Pastor Brian Nthengu had three organised churches namely Mkwende, Bunda, and Mitundu. The inauguration of Kansengwa as a stand alone church makes the district have four organised churches.
Pastor Macray Bowa, Pastor Harrison Kalima and Elder James Golombe were among the delegation of the officiating clergy from Central Malawi Conference and were accompanied by the District Pastor, Brian Nthengu, who came to dedicate Kamsengwa.
The function also pulled visitors from other surrounding churches which includes Zion, Catholics, and African Bible who came to appreciate the ceremony.
Narrating the historical background of Kansengwa, Mr Wilson Tenganjira told the congregation that Kamsengwa started way back in the 1990s with himself. Gogo Tenganjira got the news of Adventist church when he was in Blantyre. He was convinced and got baptised by Pastor M’gwagwa who came from Zambia for a mega evangelistic effort.
With his flesh happiness of being an Adventist, he decided to return back home at Kansengwa in Lilongwe to find means on how he could start the church in his village.
Fellow villagers thought that Tenganjira was mad having seen him and his family going to church on Saturday on a far distance from his home to Mitundu. They mocked and laughed at him but he did not turn back. He maintained his faith in Jesus, and just like Abraham he moved forward.
Later in 1992 he started worshiping with a group of people from Mozambique who migrated to villages near Dzalanyama range because of war in their country. Tenganjira family and the immigrants found it easier meeting in the village than at Mitundu which was 50 kilometers away from the site.
In the following year, with the coming in of an Adventist teacher at Chiunjiza primary school, Tenganjira and colleagues started worshiping at the school. But few days later, these faithfuls were chased away by the headmaster at the school as he was not an Adventist.
Helped by Group village headman (GVH) Kampambanya, in the year 1994 they started worshiping at Kampambanya primary school. Unfortunately, they were later chased because this school was under a different denomination. This prompted GVH Kampambanya to offer his land to this group to establish a church.
When the colleagues from Mozambique went back to their country, the church remained with few members, but in 1995 the membership of the church increased to five families.
Pastor Malopa who was the Malawi Union president by then visited the place and offered a church building to Kansengwa in order to relieve them from traveling a long distance.
Between 1997 and 2017, various campaigns has been held by different Adventist Pastors at villages surrounding Kamsengwa and many people joined the church. Today, it has 56 members and four branches.
Speaking after the official organization of the church, Pastor Macray Bowa, appealed to Kamsengwa congregation to remain grounded in their faith and stand firm for the Adventist truth.
“We pray that the Holy spirit must guide you and keep you alive and continue proclaiming the soon coming message of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” Pastor Bowa concluded.
In his remarks, Lay Preacher Hamsen Tambala commended Central Malawi Conference for setting aside Kamsengwa as the fourth organised church in Bunda district and assured the congregation that it will work hand in hand with other pastors and sister churches.
Among choirs present on the day were the New Ambassadors group from Mitundu church which showered the congregation with sweet melodies, and Hymn number 228 marked the commencement of the program.
