On Sunday 31st July, Haslingfield Church welcomed over 250 people to celebrate our local mission link with the small village of Magomero, in S. Malawi.

We sang out loud, but we were especially moved by our link visitor from Malawi, sharing with us a recording of song by the School Children in Magomero. They sang specially for our celebration, from their new school room, which we have helped fund from the Parishes of Haslingfield and the Eversdens. Previously they had met under the local village tree, but had to abandon studies for the many months of the rainy season.

Haslingfield Church has a magnificent stained glass window. In it is a Bishop, blessing and freeing African slaves and establishing a Church. We didn’t understand why such a scene would be illustrated in our small Cambridge village church. We now know that this is Charles MacKenzie in Magomoro, S. Malawi, 150 years ago.

Charles Mackenzie

Charles Mackenzie was first a scholar and then a Fellow of Gonville & Caius. He was ordained a Deacon in 1851 and a priest in 1852. For three years, he walked every Sunday from the College to Haslingfield to take services and run a Sunday School in our parish church. In 1854 he heard a sermon given by George Selwyn (then Bishop of New Zealand – and in whose memory Selwyn College was founded in 1882) and this awoke his vocation to serve in Africa.

He was initially based in Natal, but inspired by Dr. David Livingstone, he was consecrated as the first missionary Bishop of the Church of England in modern times. Accompanied by Livingstone, he established the mission at Magomero in 1861. Like Livingstone, he fought vigorously against the slave trade in Central Africa. Following his death from black water fever in 1862, funds were raised to create a memorial window in All Saints Church, Haslingfield, which remains to this day. Dr Livingstone erected a cross over his grave which is portrayed in the window. A new stone memorial (which we have contributed to) will be erected in Magomero, and will be blessed by Archbishop Rowan Williams in October. We are now future partners in helping build a physical church for the village.

What Is the Mission of your Church?

Jesus gave his church a very specific mission, which he put as “proclaiming the gospel and making disciples.”

Others argue that while proclamation and disciple-making are central to the church’s mission, the church should also (theologically speaking) be about building God’s kingdom in the world. We are all called to join God in his work of making it a better world. In the Mareway group of churches, we gain so much from being alongside Christians in Malawi, as fellow pilgrims. Do also share with the rest of us the ways in which your church is changing the world, by sharing that good news, with us all here in ‘Lordsbridge Life.’

If you would like a news item included in the next edition in December, please email details to Vicki Farmer by November 25th. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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