CHANCO CCAPSO FELLOWSHIPS WITH PRISONERS

Chanco CCAPSO fellowships with prisoners BY ANANIYA ALICK PONJE Members of Chancellor College CCAP Students’ Organisation (CCAPSO) last Sunday had a service of worship with inmates at Zomba Maximum Prison. The service was organized by the Social Welfare section of the students’ organization. Among other things, the service was punctuated with singing by Chanco CCAPSO Choir and another choir of CCAP inmates at the correctional facility. The chairman for Zomba Prison CCAP expressed his gratitude on the student organization’s gesture to fellowship together in God’s union with them. He said that most of the times, when one gets to prison, the society tries to alienate itself from him. “What you have done has shown that you really care about us here and we feel greatly blessed. Most of the times, someone who has been sent to prison is considered as an outcast by society but this is not the case with God. God rebukes whom he loves and we know we are here for a purpose,” said the chairman. In his message according to the scriptures, the preacher Albert Mlomba, former CCAPSO chairperson, said whatever, the situation, God’s love is the same upon every human being. He said that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary so that all may be saved regardless of their status. He appealed to the inmates, who belonged to different denominations, to look upon God always for their welfare. An elder from Zomba Zero CCAP who is Zomba Prison CCAP’s patron thanked the students for deciding to fellowship together with the inmates. He said many people associate prisoners with very wicked things and do not want to associate with them. The Chaplain for the correctional facility also thanked the students for organizing such an event. He said the students were always welcome if they felt like visiting the prison again. “My office in collaboration with the whole administration will always welcome you. As you can see, not all these inmates are CCAP; some of them belong to other denominations but they are gathered here because God is one and the same,” said the chaplain in reference to the multitude of inmates who gathered at the prison courtyard. At the end of the service, the CCAPSO Social Welfare section presented gifts of assorted items to the 210 CCAP inmates at the prison, both male and female. The items included clothes, soap and salt among others. One of the students who worshipped with the inmates, Foster Gondwe, said he felt good to have associated with the prisoners who usually lack such warmth and passion. “It was really good to see them brighten their faces, a thing which shows how significant the service was to their lives. It was a rare moment altogether,” said Gondwe. Chanco CCAPSO has other ministries as well which organize visits to other places like the hospital and orphanages. Some of these ministries are the Hospital and Evangelism ministries. The visit to the prison was supposed to take place on 6 July, Independence Day, but it was staved off due to other circumstances.