24/08/2026
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Malawi Union Conference Conducts First-Ever Communication Advisory Meeting
By McAllan Mapinda | MUC Communications
BLANTYRE โ The two-day Malawi Union Conference Communications Advisory Meeting officially opened on 19 August 2026 at Mo and Mic Lodge in Namiwawa, Blantyre, and concluded the following day with a strong call for church communicators to be intentional, united, and mission-focused.
Opening the meeting on the first day, Mrs. Linda Kasambara, Malawi Union Conference Communications Director, spoke on the topic โCommunications Values.โ She emphasized that the Communications Department is not merely about publicity, but is a ministry intended to share the gospel of the birth, death, resurrection, and soon return of the Savior, to strengthen Adventists, and to manage the churchโs identity.
She said churches should be visible to the community, but with greater care to ensure that branding aligns with the values and identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Kasambara noted that the department should also serve as managers of communication during crises and that new evangelism opportunities have been created where the gospel message is spreading faster than before. She appealed to church leadership to strengthen the department by creating permanent positions such as graphic designers, journalists, and videographers at conference level. She further urged communicators to read and understand the SID Communications Policy, the protocols for establishing social media platforms, and local church communication policies.
Facilitating the meeting was Pastor Dr. Pako Mokgwane, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division Communications and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director. In his presentation titled โCommunications Opportunities and Challenges,โ he engaged participants in a team-building exercise that demonstrated how messages can be distorted without clarity. Quoting from his slides, he said, โThe strength of our mission will be measured by the clarity of our communication.โ Mokgwane pointed out that digital platforms have opened unprecedented doors for evangelism, citing the rapid growth in social media and mobile phone usage and a young, tech-savvy membership as opportunities. He added that platforms such as Hope Channel, AWR, and organizational pages provide a strong foundation, while local mission stories remain underutilized. He also highlighted OneVoice27 as an initiative to unify messaging across all church entities.
On challenges, he cited fragmented communication caused by multiple uncoordinated platforms, unofficial pages using the churchโs name without governance, limited digital literacy at leadership level, gaps in content quality, slow turnaround times, and resource constraints. He outlined three mission priorities: unify the churchโs voice under OneVoice27, strengthen governance and policy to enforce branding and communication standards, and invest in capacity building for digital literacy and content creation. He concluded that the digital space is now the new mission field and that an online presence is central to evangelism.
Another presentation was delivered by Otieno Mkandawire, an IT expert and designer from the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, on Office and Church Management and Branding. Mkandawire challenged conferences and local churches to preserve and present the image of the Seventh-day Adventist Church uniformly across all platforms. He stressed that branding extends beyond logos to signage, letterheads, business cards, certificates, and social media pages. Using examples, he demonstrated the preferred naming convention โEntity Name of Seventh-day Adventistsโ and showed approved layouts for department logos, conference branding, bulletins, letterheads, and credentials. Participants described the session as practical and timely.
The second day began with a morning devotion titled โDONโT WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITYโ by Pastor Peter Phaiya, Executive Secretary of South West Malawi Conference. Reading from Isaiah 38:1-8, he used the story of King Hezekiah to remind communicators to put their houses in order and to remain faithful in times of blessing. Quoting Ellen G. White, he warned that forgetting God makes people vulnerable and causes them to lose sight of their mission. He challenged the gathering that God has elevated them for a purpose and that the Communications Department is at the center of the gospel.
Pastor Charles Thangalimodzi, Malawiโs Hope Media Director, also addressed delegates on the topic โCommunication Department as Hope Media Partners.โ He said local church communicators and Hope Media should work as partners, not competitors. He outlined roles for Communication Directors as promoters, local correspondents, representatives, story gatherers, and ambassadors. He stressed that Hope Media exists to reach everyone regardless of religion, culture, or tribe, and closed with the theme, โOne Church. One Mission. One Voice. Together Reaching the World for Christ.โ
In his closing remarks, Pastor Dr. Pako Mokgwane introduced as a commemoration of Jesusโ baptism in 27 AD. He urged members to use every platform available to tell the world about Jesus and called on all to join from 5 September and to study The Great Controversy, Daniel and Revelation as part of the campaign. The initiative aims to reach people ahead of 2027, marking 2000 years since Christโs baptism, with a climax planned for September 2027. He challenged every communicator to return to their conferences and local churches with one mission: to speak with One Voice for Christ, and urged the establishment of Communications leadership in every local church.
In attendance were Communications Directors from South East Malawi Conference, Eastern Malawi Conference, Central Malawi Conference, South West Malawi Conference, and North Malawi Conference. The meeting ended with delegates posing in OneVoice27 shirts as a symbol of unity in mission.
Following the advisory, Pastor Dr. Pako Mokgwane concluded his service tour in Malawi with a visit to Hope Media in Blantyre where he was welcomed by Hope Media Malawi Director, Pastor Charles Thangalimodzi. He toured the Blantyre studios, interacted with staff, and was later interviewed by presenter and producer Peter Mwangwa on the effectiveness of the department and the use of social media in ministry. He also delivered a pre-recorded 10-minute devotion encouraging viewers and staff to have faith and hope.
