May 2016

Innocent Wachimwa is a lecturer at EBCoM who has been studying for the past three years at George Whitfield College in South Africa. He was supported through zambesi mission’s Lecturers’ Training Fund.  This fund was originally called the Bert Matthews’ Fund, having been established in memory of zm‘s former Chair of Trustees and the Management Council. The aim of the fund is to help EBCoM staff and graduates to pursue further theological studies at post-diploma and graduate level.  The purpose of this is to assist them to serve the Church in Malawi through their teaching at EBCoM.

Innocent wrote this report following his time in South Africa:

Praise God 
I would like to praise and thank God for taking me through my studies at George Whitefield in South African for the past three years. The journey was hectic but his presence was always with me. I thank God for enabling me to finish my studies successfully. There was sickness an the loss of beloved ones (my father and mother in law) but the Lord strengthened me to continue the journey.

Thanks
God always uses weak human beings to achieve his purpose. During my studies, God had generously used zambesi mission to support financially toward the costs of tuition fees. I would like to express my hearty gratitude to zambesi mission for being faithful to God and your generosity throughout the year period of my studies. Your financial support was timely; without it I would have found it difficult if not impossible to pursue my studies in Cape Town.

Training 
The training has helped me on many levels. It has shaped and developed my mind to think critically and Biblically. Therefore, I will use this knowledge to train others at the Evangelical Bible College in Malawi. Before this training, my contribution to College was limited to the Certificate programme but now I teach the Certificate and Diploma programmes which are offered at the College. My interest is in systemic theology so at EBCoM I now teach doctrines in the Certificate and Diploma programmes.

Pastoring
The training is also beneficial to Zambezi Evangelical Church which has many Churches without well trained ministers. I want to help the Church of Malawi, particularly the ZEC, in the area of leadership. I am leading a Zambezi Evangelical local Church in the rural area outside Blantyre where I teach and preach every Sunday. The Church my wife and I are serving is a small congregation with 10 families. What is interesting to note is the hunger for the Gospel truth among the members. The area is hit with a dry spell which means most of our members will not have a good maize crop harvest. Currently, the hunger situation is worse. How does one minister in that context? We do really ask for your prayers.

Growing 
Given the current phenomenal rate of growth of the prophetic movement in Malawi, I think the Church needs people with sound Biblical teaching to provide direction and counselling to men and women who are desperate for the Truth. The landscape of Christianity in Malawi needs Church leaders with a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

Let me again thank the zambesi mission for the support given towards theological training for many Malawians. The financial support is helping to advance the preaching of true Gospel in Malawi. The giving of money to the Lord’s work is a spiritual sowing that leads to a harvest (2 Cor. 9:7). As I said, Malawi needs many well trained leaders to provide spiritual guidance. My prayer is that God would continue to bless the ministry of zambesi mission .

If you would like to know more about the Lecturer’s Training Fund or the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi please contact us