MALAWI: “I Expect Church Communicators to be More Vibrant,” Secretary General of Malawi Bishops Conference
Fr. Alfred Chaima, Secretary General ECM. Credit AMECEA Online
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Media practitioners from National and Diocesan communication commissions in Malawi have been called upon to be more vibrant in their mission of disseminating information to the public.
Addressing over 20 communication coordinators of various media stations within the conference, the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) Fr. Alfred Chaima highlighted that communication is the central departments in the Church without which evangelization may not be effective as it should be.
“For the Church to reach to the people with her message, communication must be done and that is why I say do not undermine this ministry you have received as communicators,” Fr. Chaima who has been at the helm of ECM secretariat since August 2022 said during his address.
He added reminding communicators that they are in the right ministry: “I expect Communicators to be more vibrant. You are not in the wrong ministry, just build up on your talents and skills for this is going to help you carry out the ministry well on behalf of the Church.”
Since the Gospel must be announced and evangelization must continue in the Church, the Secretary General stressed, “You need to up your game and I urge you, let us preach the Gospel, we are here to evangelize to the people.”
The three-day workshop held at Malawi Institute of Management (MIM), in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe focused on stakeholder’s engagement on situation and performance assessment for communication coordinators in the conference.
Fr. Chaima appreciated the convening of such capacity building workshops where people can learn more and express themselves saying, “Going forward we need to create such opportunities where we look at our challenges and way forward together.”
He also hoped that after the workshop the coordinators “will be renewed, energized and will have new resolutions towards the significance of communication in the Church.”
According to Fr. Chaima, even though the Decree on the media of social communication, Inter Mirifica was promulgated 60 years ago in the Church to promote the Gospel using the modern means of social communication, there is still more to be done in order for the Church to fully embrace the media.
“I think sometimes we take things for granted and at times we luck awareness opportunities to help us understand what the Church expects of us,” the Secretary General said and continued, “Besides we might have lacked good coordination and this might have pulled back the efforts which were proposed by the Church. Hence organizing workshops of this nature is an eye opener and needs to be encouraged.”
He further encouraged collaboration among communicators for smooth dissemination of information in conferences and the entire Church.
