News From Around the World

• Malawi Churches Continue to Progress
• UCG–British Isles National Council Meets
• Canadian National Conference and Council Meet
• Ministers Visit Members in Zambia and Zimbabwe

Malawi Churches Continue to Progress

by Bill Jahns

The two United Church of God congregations in Malawi are continuing to have growth. Our newest member in Malawi is Gift Chikwela who was baptized in Lilongwe on March 21. A new attendance record was set in Blantyre on March 25 with 71 in attendance.

The brethren are very thankful for the Good Works Program donation to the famine relief fund (see article, page 1). These funds were distributed in both the Lilongwe and Blantyre congregations. The economy of Malawi was severely affected by the drought. Thankfully, the rains have come as normal this year and the maize crop is starting to hit the market.

The Good Works Program also donated funds to help the brethren with MP3 players. These players are very expensive in Malawi, so we purchased them in South Africa and I brought them on my latest trip. One of the members who will receive a player lives in Mangochi, which is over 100 miles from the nearest congregation. He is only able to attend church services occasionally because of the distance and finances.

We are still in the process of registering the United Church of God in Malawi. Registration papers were submitted using the name "United Church of God, Malawi." However, we found that we had to get government permission to use that name. We have shortened the name to "United Church of God" and hope that we will be registered officially in a few weeks.

One exciting development for the Church in Malawi is the possibility of having a Church building in the Blantyre area. One of our members has experience as a surveyor and found a piece of property owned by the local government that was not being used. They did not know it even existed until he pointed it out. An application for the Church to lease the property for 99 years has been submitted to the local authorities. The cost of leasing the property would be around $100/year. The site is approximately 1 hectare (about 2.5 acres) and has trees on it. It could also be used as a Feast site in the future. This would be a great help to brethren there who only average about $20 a month in salary. Tents could be purchased and the site would be an excellent Feast site.

Poverty and a poor economy continue to plague Malawi. Even members who live in the cities were affected because of lack of maize to sell during the latest drought, which was especially serious in the Blantyre area. The businesses of members were seriously affected because of the shortages and the extreme poverty in the country.

The members in Malawi are very thankful for the assistance from their brethren around the world. Malawians are a gentle and kind people. There is good potential for future growth in Malawi. UN

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UCG–British Isles National Council Meets

The National Council of the United Church of God–British Isles met in Gloucester on Feb. 26. Council member David Payne and Secretary Brian Crook were unable to attend the meeting.

Circulation report: Jan Schroeder reported that readers have been expressing a lot of interest in the Church. The Council discussed various aspects of the Church's mailing list, including the consequences of the rapid growth in the GN mailing list that was experienced in the second half of 2005, which was mostly due to UCG IA 's Internet advertising. The circulation level is being set on a sustainable level by the ongoing renewal program.

Financial report: Barbara Fenney reported on the Church's financial position as of Jan. 31. The Council discussed and reviewed strategies already in place and a number of other specific proposals to maintain the Church's positive cash flow and general financial health.

Child Protection: Barbara Fenney reported that the yearly review of the Church's policies and procedures had been successfully undertaken.

Feast Site Selection: David Fenney reported on behalf of the National Council's Feast Site Selection Committee concerning Feast sites for 2007 and 2008. The Council asked the committee to search out and review potentially less expensive sites, such as caravan parks, where it may be possible for all Feastgoers to be housed at one site.

Arbitration, Reconciliation and Mediation: Bryan Ellams reported on behalf of the Council's ARM Committee that the committee is a forum in which complicated issues can be addressed. He read the publication Twelve Rules of Reconciliation, which has been issued to the members of the ARM Committee.

Media and Internet: There is now the possibility of the Church being able to accept donations over the Internet by credit or debit card. The committee drew the Council's attention to the possibility of the Church's Web site hosting forums and chat rooms (of potential interest to teenagers and young adults); the Council considered that personal security and child protection issues would need to be considered before proceeding with such suggestions.

Other business:

•Bryan Ellams updated the Council with the current planning for a Young Adults' Leadership Weekend, which will likely take place in the summer.

•The annual review of the performance of the Council and its officers will be considered at the next meeting.

•Peter Hawkins drew the Council's attention to the Church's need for detailed plans for dealing with disaster recovery. This would include being able to contact and aid members in the event of an emergency.

The National Council's next meeting will be May 21 and the Annual General Meeting is set for July 16 near Reading. UN

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Canadian National Conference and Council Meet

by Linda Wasilkoff

The annual meeting of the National Conference of UCG-Canada was held in Toronto, Ontario, on March 5.

Various reports were given. The first address was from the director of operations, Anthony Wasilkoff. He made reference to several scriptures that described the work of the original apostles as fishermen who became "fishers of men." We continue this work today.

David Palmer gave a report on behalf of the Media Team. He began with some statistics on recent growth. Then, with assistance from Dennis Horlick, he related the ongoing negotiations to place the Beyond Today program on the Christian Channel television station.

Robert Berendt was introduced for a presentation on behalf of the Ministerial Services Team. He said that the team is committed to working toward developing new ministers. They are asking how to develop more unity, urgency and commitment with the congregations.

In his treasurer's report, Edwin van Pelt read a letter that accompanied the audit report.

The last address was by the chairman, Rainer Salomaa. He pointed out that we all find it easier to remember the names of those who have impacted our lives and care about us. He then expressed thanks to his fellow laborers in the work.

The results of the ballots were read. The Strategic Plan, Operation Plan and Budget for 2006-2007 were all approved. The proposed amendment for restrictions for Canadian Council members was not ratified. The conference chose Robert Berendt, David Palmer and Anthony Wasilkoff to serve three-year terms on the Council. The next National Conference meeting will be in Toronto on March 4, 2007.

At the end of the meeting, members of the conference were given the chance to ask questions and make comments.

Canadian National Council

The Canadian Council met by teleconference March 5. The first item on the agenda was to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Amendment Committee. Michael Erickson of Prince George, British Columbia, was reappointed.

The Council has appreciated the efforts of Glen White who finished his second term on March 31.

Anthony Wasilkoff was appointed to the Strategic/Finance Committee.

The next face-to-face Council meeting will take place in Calgary, Alberta, from June 13 to 15. Clyde Kilough, the president of UCG IA, and his wife, Dee, plan on attending.

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Ministers Visit Members in Zambia and Zimbabwe

From March 12 to 26 André van Belkum, chairman of UCG in Southern Africa, traveled to Zambia and Zimbabwe to visit members and attend Sabbath services in various locations.

He carried three MP3 CD players and electrical converters purchased by the Good Works Program for use by the congregations in the Mumbwa region of Zambia. He was concerned about paying for excess weight, as his bag weighed more than 70 pounds, largely due to the equipment. However, when he arrived at the check-in counter, the scales were not functioning. As a result, there was no charge for exceeding the baggage weight allowance.

There was another blessing on his arrival at the Lusaka, Zambia, airport. His bag had been left behind in Johannesburg, and arrived on another flight about two hours later. A member, who has a senior position in the Zambian Home Affairs Department, met him at the airport and was able to facilitate passage through customs. Also there to meet him was the minister in the region, Kambani Banda, and his family.

On Friday, March 17, they departed Lusaka and traveled by car to visit the congregations in the Mumbwa province. The distance is about 80 miles, and the roads are generally in poor condition. Along the way they had a punctured tire, then got stuck in thick mud. After many attempts to extricate the vehicle, they finally had to be pulled out by four oxen.

Sabbath morning they met with 62 brethren in Kasumpa, and in the afternoon they met with the combined churches (north and south) in the Nalubanda area, with 65 in attendance.

From Nalubanda they traveled to Lusaka, then to the border with Zimbabwe at Kariba. All went well, except for an official at the Zimbabwe border post who confiscated a bag of maize and a bag of rice they had purchased in Zambia for some of the brethren who were experiencing food shortages in Zimbabwe. That evening they had a meal, and get-together with a number of members living in Kariba.

From Kariba they journeyed to Harare where they met with a member, Harris Hlazo, and two young men eager to be baptized. From Harare they traveled to Bulawayo, visiting members along the way. First was Mrs. Chichaya, a widow, who lives on a small plot near Kadoma. She does exceptionally well as a farmer, producing plenty of maize as well as vegetables and fruit.

Next they visited Elsie Nel and her family who have a dairy farm near Kwe-Kwe. So far they have not been forced off their farm, and have been shown a lot of favor by the local government leaders. They need prayers for their safety and, in particular, that they can remain on their farm. If forced off the farm, they will be in an extremely difficult position.

Their last stop was in Bulawayo, where they observed the Sabbath (March 25) with the largest group in Zimbabwe (22 attended). Stephen and Vetina Tshabalala hosted the study in their home. In the afternoon of the Sabbath they baptized three people Mr. van Belkum had counseled previously. They were: Johanna Ndlovu, wife of member Joseph; Brenda Tshabalala, daughter of Stephen and Vetina; and Dennis Dube, a teacher in the Nyayi region.

On Sunday, March 26, Mr. van Belkum returned to Durban. UN

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