Clothing Pastors

This past week, I have been participation in clothing pastors, spiritually and literally. The spiritual was for the newly ordained pastors. The literal was for veteran pastors.

From Wednesday to Friday, I was with the newly ordained pastors at Naming’azi Farm, a rural setting in Domasi Presbytery north of Blantyre that has a good retreat setting, just the right get-away for the young pastors and their wives to consider the rigors of life in the manse and the parish and prepare themselves spiritually before they undertake the task. This is a retreat we usually do just before their ordination, but because of the threatened demonstrations in mid August, we delayed it until after their ordination, to be certain they could travel safely. The focus is primarily on family life, which is why the wives are included. They have had lots of theological training and a year of practical experience in ministry under the supervision of a veteran pastor. This is time designed to look at the challenges and opportunities of life together, since they have had a taste of it. As training chaplain, I recruit veteran clergy couples who have had successful ministries and who are willing to be honest with the young families about the struggles and the opportunities of their own situations and give counsel from their experiences to these new clergy couples. Three of our senior ministers and one of the wives spoke about living hospitality, finding private time and space, meeting the children’s needs, managing on little money and a wide range of other aspects to living in the manse. These are not the types of things we would talk about to young pastors in the States, but they are relevant and practical here. Here the manse is a part of the parish and the family needs to know how to cope with calls to the house that begin at 5 a.m., having people come in large groups, without notice, and expectations that the spouse is a minister as well. We looked at biblical expectations for abusa (shepherd), as pastors are called here, exploring Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34 and 1 and 2 Timothy. It was a good time of discussion and discovery, a time for spiritual clothing for ministry..

                        

On Sunday, Limbe mvano (women’s guild) had a special program to “dress” 10 pastors of the Synod. This was part of their outreach ministry to others in the Synod. With the help of the Synod officials, they identified 10 pastors whose clergy garments were wearing out and they replaced them. This included clerical shirts, clerical robes, trousers, shoes, and socks. They came from the remote areas like Chingale, Mangochi, Ntcheu, and Zomba South, where travel is difficult. When there is a funeral, the pastor travels with his clergy garments on bike or foot on dust roads. The garments wear out from wearing and from washing. The mvano got the pastors’ measurements and purchased all that was needed. Then the pastors were invited to Limbe for the Chichewa service, to receive their clothing. At the time of offering in the service, the mvano processed up the aisle with the garments. They placed them on the offering table to be blessed by the senior pastor, Rev. Bona, and then we distributed them to the visiting pastors. The recipients were overwhelmed by the gifts. This was a first of its kind outreach by a mvano group to pastors outside their own congregation. The pastors were without words to express their gratitude. The mvano have plans to do this for 20 more pastors, in two more grouping of 10 each. The mvano were as delighted with the project as the pastors were. They have done a good job of clothing these pastors for more ministry.