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PRESBYTERIAN
FALL 2024
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INTERNATIONAL
Pioneering Postgraduate Excellence in Malawi
graduate education. ZTU plans to repurpose underused buildings to create a vibrant postgraduate fa- cility. This centre will feature digi- tally equipped classrooms, study facilities and accommodation for intensive study sessions for stu- dents travelling from across Ma- lawi. The goal is to cultivate an environment that fosters collegi- ality, creativity and collaboration, ultimately generating transforma- tive ideas and leaders who can make a significant impact.
ZTU has already secured fund- ing to help make this vision a reality. God’s provision through existing partners will cover most of the building work. ZTU is now calling on friends of Malawi and champions of theological educa- tion to support the furnishing and equipping of these facilities.
To support ZTU, please con- tact Lily Ko at Lko@presbyterian. ca or donate online by visiting presbyterian.ca/donate-to-im and clicking “Zomba Theological Uni- versity” from the gift designation drop-down menu.
By Gary Brough, Capacity Development Facilitator at the CCAP General Assembly
Malawi’s population is increas- ing quickly, and while cities are growing, much of the population is rural. The beating heart of the church in Malawi remains in vil- lages and remote communities where climate change is threaten- ing the patterns of everyday life, and the pace of development re- mains cripplingly slow.
Daily life is changing, and the church is rapidly growing. The challenge is to meet this growth and pace of change with clergy trained and equipped for the re- alities of 21st-century ministry in
Dorica Nkhata is supported by the PCC in her calling to become a doctor in Malawi.
By Beth McCutcheon, International Ministries
“As you can imagine, this is a surreal moment for me. I am run- ning short of words to describe the feeling. It has been a very long journey. But you believed and walked with me all the way. I shall always be grateful. You have made my dream come true. Thank you!”
Dorica Nkhata’s vocational jour- ney began in childhood. In her homevillageinMalawi,thenearest health facility was close to 30 km away. Seeing the challenges of ac- cessing health care, especially the difficulty experienced by the poor population in rural areas, fuelled her desire to become a doctor.
Doricadidnothavetheoppor- tunity to go to medical school right after secondary school. Instead,
the Malawi context. Zomba Theo- logical University (ZTU) is leading the way in developing theologi- cal education with the depth and quality needed.
To meet Malawi’s burgeoning demand for advanced theologi- cal education, ZTU launched its Master of Theology program in February 2022. This initiative has already seen an impressive swell in enrolment, with 56 stu- dents pursuing their Master’s. But ZTU’s ambitions don’t stop there. With Ph.D. programs on the ho- rizon, expected to commence in 2025, the university anticipates even greater numbers joining its postgraduate ranks.
These advanced programs are
crafted with a visionary purpose: to nurture future leaders who will steer church and nation through the complexities of modern times. Recognizing Malawi’s exceptional human capital, ZTU aims to har- ness and optimize this potential through rigorous and relevant theological education.
Ruth Pemba, aged 30, is cur- rently undertaking her Master’s to advance her work with Scripture Union Malawi, developing Bible reading guides and supporting over 2,000 children’s Bible clubs. She explained: “The knowledge I will get here will enable me to help produce resources that are relevant to our context—Bible re- sources that resonated with Ma-
Construction at Zomba Theological University in Malawi.
lawians’ experiences.”
Until now, the university has
been squeezing postgraduate activities into spaces originally designed for its long-standing un- dergraduate courses. This affects learners. “We need good class- rooms and accommodation,” Ruth said. “It will save time and help us focus. Currently, other activities in- terrupt and delay our studies.”
However, this is changing with the ambitious vision of developing a custom-built centre for post-
Zomba Theological University is a long-standing partner of the PCC. The Rev. Dr. Blair Bertrand, Malawi Liaison, assists ZTU with the development of curricula and policies of the university, develops the ZTU library, and encourages research and academic exchanges.
Supporting a New Doctor in Malawi
she had an opportunity to go to a mission nursing school where she trained for three years to become a nurse. As a nurse, she was posted to Embangweni Mission Hospi- tal, located in a rural area. There, after seeing the shortage of doc- tors in the mission hospitals, her ambition to become a doctor grew even stronger. In 2017, Dorica was selected to study in the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) degree program at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (formerly University of Malawi, College of Medicine).
The Synod of Livingstonia asked The Presbyterian Church in Canada to provide financial sup- port to Dorica Nkhata, a Presby- terian member from Livingstonia Synod, for her study of medicine at the Malawi College of Medicine, situated in Blantyre. And the PCC was pleased to be able to respond positively to the request from the Church of Central Africa Presby- terian (CCAP), and an agreement was signed in 2017. The next stage in Dorica’s vocational jour- ney was about to begin.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Knox Presbyterian Church in St. Catharines, Ont., have accompanied Dorica since 2017, supporting her in her calling to be a medical doctor. Through the Leadership Devel-
opment Program of International Ministries, and with major fund- ing coming from Knox Church, Dorica has been able to see her dream come true.
At the end of 2023, Dorica completed the six-year Program of Medicine and Surgery, and in March 2024 she graduated from university. She is now a qualified
doctor beginning an 18-month internship at Mzuzu Central Hos- pital, working under experienced practitioners and specialists. Knox Church, through the Lead- ership Development Program, will continue to support Dorica through her internship.
Following her internship, Dorica will be licensed and admitted to the
medical profession by the Medical Council of Malawi (MCM) and be- gin practicing medicine in Malawi. The terms of the agreement signed in August 2017 include the require- ment that Dorica provide full-time Doctor of Medicine services for five years at the hospital location determined by the Health Depart- ment, Synod of Livingstonia.
International Ministries is the department of the Life and Mission Agency responsible for the relation- ships between the PCC and global partner churches and agencies. Through Presbyterians Sharing, we offer support to build the capacity of global partners. One way we do this is by funding education, primarily in the areas of theology and medicine, but also in other areas when needs are identified by our partners.
Previous Leadership Development Grant recipients include, among others:
• The Rev. Dr. Takuze Chitsulo, now Vice-chancellor of Zomba Theological University in Malawi. Chit- sulo received support for doctoral studies, graduating in 2016 with a Th.D. from the University of KwaZulu in South Africa.
• The Rev. Dr. Mwawi Chilongozi, Secretary General of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), received grants from the Leadership Development Program toward her post-graduate diploma in Theol- ogy at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, from which she graduated in March 2017. She is the first woman to serve as General Secretary of the CCAP.
• The Rev. Lyton Kilowe of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Blantyre Synod, received support for a Master of Business Administration from Malawi Institute of Management. He has recently been appointed to head the CCAP Blantyre Synod Internal Audit Department as well as been asked to lecture at the University of Blantyre Synod.
• This fall, the Rev. Dr. Ary Fernández Albán became Rector of Seminario Evangelico de Teologia (SET) in Matanzas, Cuba. For his Th.D. program at the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto, he was supported by Knox College along with grants from the Leadership Development Program.
To learn more about the Leadership Development Program, contact Lily Ko at [email protected].