MISSION REPORT FOR APRIL 2011
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST
MISSION OF MALAWI
PO BOX 60150 BT. 6 BLANTYRE MALAWI AFRICA
TEL. 265-999-741-007 or 265-888-751140 (mobile)
Missionary / Evangelist: Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite04@gmail.com
Website: sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Date: 26/ 04/ 2011

Dear Pastor, Church, and Supporters;

I write to you in Jesus’ Name, He who Was, Is, and Forever shall be Amen!

I would like to take up from my last report and give you an update on the work and our lives here in Africa. I used to say Malawi, but I am in and out of Malawi a lot and into Mozambique so now days it’s hard for me to determine where I will be from one week to the next.

I assured you that there were some developments, which, had occurred in the work of which I felt important to share. As I have written in many reports in the past, I not only report on the good, and the blessings, but I also report on the bad, and things which seem to be obstacles that hinder the work. I believe the Missionary is to report on everything in order for God’s people to know how to pray and assist in the needs if able.

I want to give a brief summation of what I am dealing with now in the work. As most of you will remember how I have reported much on the purging of this work. You may well remember how I detailed the events of a certain person who came in the name of a missionary and was successful in sowing discord among the brethren here in this work in Africa. I explained further how that after Ten years of labour for the LORD, this person became responsible for the almost complete destruction of a True, Real, and unadulterated mission work. The people had been taught what we Landmark Baptist believe, the churches had been organized in a Biblical way, with Biblical Authority, and the pastors (many of them) had been taught no less then four years each in the Bible School, both by myself as well as my father (Elder Fred T. Halliman), others taught there, Elder Gordon Wiegold, as well as Jason Brown (member of my home church), in 2008 Elder Mike Prater (pastor of LMBC- Roseville) came here to teach in the school as well. Elder George Hurst –(aged 85) at the time who spent six (6) months teaching here. Regardless what some may want to believe or negate, the worthiness of these witnesses rests undisputable. I have always wondered how some preachers and or pastors can somehow disqualify other preachers, pastors, evangelist etc… who have been called, and qualified by God.

I was left with three pastors and their churches at the end of 2008, as many as thirty churches and pastors decided to sell their “Birthright” for a bowl of porridge”, as though it were. It is now 2011 – and several of those pastors want back in the fellowship.

We have had a meeting here at the mission station with several of the pastors and they have openly and publicly confessed that they were wrong, that they followed the wrong man. They have asked those pastors who are still with me, and for I to receive them back in the fellowship. I had asked three new pastors who came with an older pastor why did they want to work with me since I had no money to buy their bowl of porridge. Their answer to me was this… the missionary we have been working with for the past three years, does not come out to our villages, nor does he teach anything. After questioning them about how they were baptized and how the churches were organized, they replied…

“We were not examined before baptism, we were simply baptized… we were then told to return to our village and we would know what to do about organizing our own churches… - this we don’t know, and we have been waiting for three (3) yrs for the missionary to come and organize a church so we may worship properly.”

I am appalled at the manner in which these men were advised and in fact treated. I have to now ask, what was the purpose of the baptism… they were not members of any church, they were under no Authority, they could neither vote, or take the L.S. neither could they be disciplined if they behaved in such a manner demanding such action.

For the sake of any new readers, bear with me as I deliberate for you some history and now the matter at hand - About 2005 there arose a doctrine mainly from the State of California of which some of our LMBC’S held to regarding the Authority to become a (N.T. Baptist church) their position stated that it was NOT necessary to pass on or hand over church authority to a new group desiring to become (organized) that the (Authority) rested within the people themselves. Some of us disagreed, and therefore there was division AGAIN.

This issue was brought to Malawi and it was implanted in the minds of some of the local pastors whom had been taught by myself believing then, and now, that it does take Authority from a already organized church to hand over, or pass onto a new group in a public ceremony which wants to become a N.T. church.

Now, I am faced with three men, one whom is a pastor, one a deacon, and one a Christian – (but not a member anywhere) though he received Baptist baptism??

They have informed me that they were baptized and then sent to the village with the understanding that they now had Authority to organize their own churches.

They are confused, and concerned that they have waited for three years without instruction, or advice from the previous missionary.

I informed them that I would work with them and I would make a date to come to their village and take care of what should have been done some three years ago.

I do have to ask those who take the position which has been stated above regarding the (self-constituting Authority) – what answer will you give these men? Why did they know nothing about organizing themselves into a church? And why did they themselves wait for three years if they were taught properly? This seems to be the way of the Catholics – to fill their coffers with numbers but the numbers have no meaning.

One of the key pastors who was with these three new men, by name is Pastor Sokonyera, he was one of the first pastors who was ordained with the other six back in 1998 when Bro. Rick Perdue (my pastor then) came with five others to visit the work here. In 05 he (Pastor Sokonyera) needed school fees for his son to continue on in school, he found his chance in 08 when there was the division between Friendship Baptist Church in Sacramento, CA and my (then) home church – LMBC (Roseville, CA).

The missionary of Friendship – sponsored his son’s school fee’s, now after three years of getting what he wanted, he is now ready to sell out his missionary and come back to us.

When I spoke with him regarding this issue in the presence of the other pastors who are with me, he simply replied (yes all you have said was true, and I have nothing to say except… I am sorry)… I asked him why did he want to leave the missionary he was working with since he supported his concerns and come back to me which, he knew would not entertain these issues. His reply, you work with the people and simply preach God’s Word.

I will have another report following this one with some more information regarding the expansion of the work in some new areas.

May our LORD continue to shine his Grace upon each of you, and may HE bless the work of your hands.

By His Mercy,


Missionary Peter Halliman

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