By Rev. Joel Dykstra
It was a bright Guatemalan morning near the stunningly beautiful Lake Atitlán. A group of deacons were gathered around and
Whenever I tell people that I travelled to Africa, they invariably ask, “What was it like?” On the one hand, I suppose simple answers might suffice. I could say it was hot, or that the poverty was striking or that it was an eye-opening experience. October was described by the English who colonized Malawi as the month of suicide because of its unbearable heat. The poverty is constant, pervasive, and always visible. And it was certainly interesting to visit an open air market where you could buy goat meat lying out in the hot sun, or a stick of mice caught the night before by enterprising Malawians. And no trip to Africa would be complete without mentioning the elephants and hippopotamuses. However, none of these things really capture what I discovered while I was in Malawi.
It may help to know that I was not in Malawi as a tourist. The church in which I serve, the Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church, has committed to teaming up with Word and Deed and Logos Ministries to provide an educational ministry to lay-leaders in the CCAP Churches of the Nkhoma Synod. (For more information Google Nkhoma Synod). In order to effectively perform this service, the Mission Committee of the Wellandport ORC felt that a representative should go to Malawi to meet the people involved in this ministry and get a sense of what is required for this work. The seven days I spent in Malawi were not spent on the shores of Lake Malawi; they were spent trying to meet with as many people involved in this ministry as possible, either teachers or students. What I discovered was the desperate need for the gospel message among these people.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of Malawians identify themselves as Christians, and despite the abundant growth of the church in this country, and despite the large church sanctuaries built to hold thousands of worshippers, the truth is the Church in Malawi is struggling. What we may take for granted – our solidly Reformed and Biblical foundation – is almost entirely absent in Malawi. Not only are these brothers and sisters poor materially, they are also poor spiritually. It is this poverty that sticks with me after my brief time there.
The reasons for this spiritual poverty are manifold and not possible to explore fully in a short article. We must take the time to consider the needs of the Church throughout the world, not only to remind ourselves of how rich we are in the faith, but also to challenge ourselves to use that spiritual wealth for the benefit of those who are spiritually impoverished. Yet, even if we were to enter into this discussion, what we must be convinced of from the outset is this: like us, the people of Malawi will only truly experience blessing through the outworking of God’s redeeming love, proclaimed through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
After a week in Malawi, it was this truth that was most deeply impressed upon me. It is only the truth of God’s Word, proclaimed through faithful ministers of the Word, that can change lives by the power of the Spirit. There are no shortage of people who desire to help countries like Malawi come out of their material poverty and establish themselves as economic success stories. Throughout Malawi the buildings and SUVs of the NGOs and Relief Agencies are everywhere. But their assistance is almost entirely material. Only the living God can effect a spiritual reformation to bring these people out of darkness and into the light. It is this saving work that we as church seek to participate in; to the glory of God and to the up building of His Church.
Rev. Joel Dykstra is the pastor of Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church and travelled to Malawi in October, 2006.
