The Anglican Church has excommunicated Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire (Adus) Bishop Brighton Malasa for allegedly disregarding the constitution and the canons of the church.

In a letter dated October 23 2022 addressed to Malasa, the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa Archbishop Albert Chama said they have excommunicated Malasa, members of the Diocesan Standing Committee (DSC), Board of Finance and other members of the church for refusing to have a meeting with him.

Confirming the development in a separate interview yesterday, chairperson of the Anglican Council in Malawi Bishop Alinafe Kalemba said the Archbishop has appointed Vicar General Canon Grant Tebulo as the acting leader of Adus.

Malasa prays during Independence Day celebrations

“Canon Tebulo will be overseeing the welfare of the diocese for now and he will be reporting to the Archbishop Chama,” he said.

Chama was scheduled to meet Malasa and the DSC on October 14 and 15 2022, respectively, as part of his initiatives to resolve the outstanding wrangles between Malasa and the church, but they told him that they will not be available for the meeting.

The meetings followed a resolution of the church on April 27 2022 which resolved that Malasa be compelled to resign in accordance with Canon 13, Subsection 3 which also provides that “no action be taken by the Archbishop until he is satisfied that due provision has been made for the maintenance of the Bishop required to resign his See”.

Reads the statement in part: “By refusing to have meetings that would have assisted the Archbishop fulfill this requirement, former Bishop Malasa, members of the Diocesan Standing Committee and the board of finance have cast aside the constitution and the canons of the Church of the Province of Central Africa. 

 “Through the authority of Christ committed to us, we thereby separate them from the Church of the Province of Central Africa and the Anglican communion for actually failing to avail themselves for the two meetings when the Archbishop actually arrived in Zomba.”

Malasa yesterday said he would revert to The Nation later, but did not by press time at 9pm.

The wrangle between Malasa and 28 church members dates back to 2017. He is being accused of mismanagement of funds, maladministration, greed, and being power-hungry, allegations he described as unfounded.

In January 2019, over 200 members from 35 out of 41 churches in the diocese stormed Malasa’s offices in Zomba, demanding his immediate resignation. However, the bishop, who was given up to June this year to resign, refused to do so until the church pays him his retirement package which was pegged at around K1 billion.

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