The CCAP synods of Nkhoma and Livingstonia have cut ties with the Church of Scotland over homosexuality, ending a 150-year relationship.
Nkhoma synod general secretary Vasco Kachipapa said the decision was made at a recent biennial conference for the synod.
to be bullied
“We are not going to be bullied into acting against our conscience no matter the cost. We have made our stand very clearly from the onset. We don’t and shall not condone such an abomination into our church.
“We believe we are a church that was founded on the Bible which we believe is God’s sacred word to humankind. And the last time we checked God had not changed and we do not see why we should, in the name of accommodating some ‘minority groups’ among our flock. So yes, we are against gay issues,” he said.
wrote them
Kachipapa, however, said as a church, they have an obligation to minister unto all people irrespective of their social affiliations. Nevertheless, he maintained that this does not mean diluting their teachings.
“Should some gay affiliations come forward in the church, we are going to suspend them from the church membership, continue to minister to them towards repentance until they get right with God’s teachings. Simple!” he said.
Synod of Livingstonia general secretary Levi Nyondo said the synod already wrote the Church of Scotland on the issues, saying they told them off immediately the church voted for gay rights in church.
“We even told them to stop deploying their human resource they used to sponsor in our health and education sectors. We feel the Church of Scotland has lost direction and we just do not want to be part of that, hence our stance,” he said.
When asked if the synod is going to survive without the support from their mother church, Nyondo said: “We already are. Actually, we are better off now without them as little is much when God is in it.”
Despite agreeing with the two synods against homosexuality, Blantyre synod general secretary Alex Maulana said his synod is yet to decide on whether to sever ties with the Church of Scotland.
“Honestly, I don’t see how what they decided there can be stuffed down our throats as we are an autonomous body, just like the other synods or the Church of Scotland itself.
