MCC under fire over abortion stance

The Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP has distanced itself from the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) stance to accept a proposed law which gives girls and women new grounds for terminating unwanted pregnancy.

L a s t w e e k , M C C executive board chairperson the Reverend Alex Maulana backed the Termination of Pregnancy Bill during a two day consultation meeting in Mangochi.

But Livingstonia Synod general secretary Levi Nyondo said the position of the synod remains no to abortion. “We were not consulted and even if we were consulted, we could have opposed it. Our position has not changed because God’s law doesn’t change. If they consulted people in hotels, they should not say that is the position of the church,” said Nyondo.

Maulana, in an interview yesterday, insisted that MCC members were present and in agreement with his position that sparked the debate.

“We do not speak as individuals. We were at a meeting. It was in the meeting context that we acknowledged that some of the conditions were accepted. Members were present and some didn’t come.

“If it [the story] was presented in full context there could have been no debate, but it was not quoted in full. Rape, incest and minors getting pregnant according to certain conditions for example due to rape, this is what we want people to think about. This is coming because people are getting a lot of unsafe abortion and women and girls [are dying],” said Maulana.

The chairperson was quoted as saying “from all the discussions, we have observed that our interests are similar to that of the State. On one hand, government and churches are saying no to abortion. On the other hand, both sides realise the need to protect and save lives of expectant women.”

According to sources, several church leaders have disassociated their churches from the remarks reported in our sister paper The Nation, over the Bill.

MCC Board of Trustees chairperson Bishop Joseph B v u m b w e c o n f i r m e d disagreements have emerged in the body over the stance by the chairperson.

“During the last executive meeting, I personally warned against rushing into a position. The fact that one pastor is convinced this is okay should not be used as a position of the diverse grouping. Even in USA the issue is very contentious. As a church, we find life to be sacred and if government accepts this it does not mean the church too should support this,” said Bvumbwe.

A Special Law Commission on abortion law report indicated that Malawians rejected legal abortion without any conditions but activists hope a new law can still be passed to curb many deaths at hands of unsafe abortions.