The Missionary Mandate in Diaspora: Bishop Mtumbuka’s Call to the UK Malawian Community
On Saturday, 16th May 2026, the historic walls of St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham did not just echo with traditional liturgy—they resonated with a profound, spirit-filled wake-up call to the Malawian diaspora. Catholics from across the United Kingdom gathered for their annual National Mass, presided over by the Right Reverend Martin Mtumbuka, Bishop of the Diocese of Karonga and President of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi.
In a beautiful demonstration of ecclesial communion, His Grace, the Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, attended the celebration. By choosing to stay in Choir and generously lending his personal pastoral staff to Bishop Mtumbuka, Archbishop Longley set the stage for a message that would set the hearts of the faithful on fire with the Holy Spirit.
You Are Not Guests—You Are Missionaries!
The true climax of the celebration came when Bishop Mtumbuka delivered a powerful, uncompromising missionary mandate to the diaspora. Not holding back, the Bishop shattered the notion that Malawians are in the UK merely for economic survival, to blend quietly into the background, or simply to accumulate the material things of this world.
“Every confirmed Christian is a missionary,” the Bishop proclaimed. “You are not here to bury yourselves in isolation. You are here as agents of evangelisation!”
He reminded the congregation that their presence in the United Kingdom mimics the early Christians, who were scattered by circumstance but carried the living Word of God wherever they went. The Bishop directly challenged the diaspora to step out of the shadows, shake off the mildness that often keeps them quiet, and boldly stand up as vibrant witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Salt of the Earth: Re-Evangelising the West
Bishop Mtumbuka made it clear that the UK Malawian community is called to be the “salt of the earth,” explicitly tasked with re-evangelising a modern, secular Western society. He urged them to bring their raw, vibrant spiritual heritage into their local parishes—their uncompromised faith, their traditional devotions, and the rhythmic, soulful songs that echo the very heartbeat of Africa.
However, to be true missionaries, the Bishop warned that the community must live lives of absolute authenticity and integrity. He delivered a strong message on preserving the holiness of marriage vows, strongly admonishing anyone living double lives or keeping secret second families. Furthermore, he warned against the spiritual danger of material prosperity, urging the faithful not to “get lost” or desert the Catholic Church for local sects offering superficial emotional experiences.
True missionary fire, he insisted, requires holding fast to the uncompromised truth taught by scripture, tradition, and the parents and catechists back home.
A Beautiful, Living Witness
This fiery missionary spirit was perfectly mirrored in the beauty of the liturgy. The Mass seamlessly blended English with Chichewa, while the Bidding Prayers rose to heaven in different languages spoken across Malawi – Chichewa, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Yao, and Sena – uniting the tribes in a singular apostolic mission.
The cathedral was lifted by the angelic voice of Tiwungane Leoni Malewezi, a Malawian-British soprano in her first year at the Royal Academy of Music, who sang the responsorial psalm, “God is king of all the earth.” In a breath-taking moment of living tradition, the Book of the Gospels was balanced perfectly in a basket (Dengu) upon the head of a respected elder, Gogo Njerenje, and escorted by Ngoni warriors. This profound gesture symbolised the wisdom of the Holy Spirit being carried forward by the community—the very Word of God that Malawians are now called to proclaim to the streets of the UK.
A Fire That Cannot Be Hidden
Founded by Deacon Justin Malewezi, what began as a small gathering to honour the tragic passing of the late Vice President, the Honourable Dr Saulos Chilima, has now been set ablaze by the Holy Spirit. Celebrating their fifth major national gathering alongside weekly online prayer networks, the UK Malawian Catholic community has been sent forth, to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord!
Standing alongside Archbishop Longley, Bishop Mtumbuka urged that the diaspora become the “many hands, legs, and mouths” that the local hierarchy can rely upon to strengthen the Church. Under the maternal protection of Our Lady of Africa, the Malawian community left St Chad’s Cathedral no longer as residents in a foreign country, but as a missionary army set on fire to bring richness, diversity, and the living Gospel to England and Wales.