All over the globe right now LGBT people are under attack. Today I ask your prayerful support for two of our brothers.

On December 26th, two young gay men in love, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga held a traditional engagement ceremony in Blantyre, Malawi. They were subsequently arrested by the police when their home was stormed on December 28th, and placed in Chichiri Prison. Charged with “unnatural offenses” and “indecent practices between males” under Sections 153 and 156 of the Malawi Penal Code, the men face maximum sentences of 14 years and 5 years on the respective charges.

Today, on behalf of MCC’s Global Justice Team, I join my voice to the chorus calling not only for the immediate release of Steven and Tiwonge, but for the world to take a deep breath and focus on what really matters! Two people falling in love and celebrating that love is a good thing and really asks nothing more of us than a prayer of blessing. The criminality of people starving to death in a world of abundant resources; of people living under the scourge of wars that have raged on eight years, twenty-five year; of advances in health care that are available only to the few — these are the things our governments, legislators and judicial systems need to focus on — and focus on now,

said the Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair of MCC’s Global Justice Team.

The Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP), a Malawian human rights organization, has been providing support for the two men and advocating for their release. As a consequence, CEDEP offices were raided this week. The administrator, Dunker Kamba, was arrested for possession of pornography, a trumped up charge based on finding HIV safer sex materials used in the organization’s public health campaigns. The Global Justice Team is in contact with Gift Trapence, Executive Director of CEDEP, who has moved to a safe location to continue organizing on the ground support. It is unclear to me at this time, whether Gift has surrendered to the police.

The defendants have been denied bail, keeping them at high risk for violence as they remain in prison. Reports suggest that Chimbalanga and Monjeza will be subjected to invasive and humiliating internal examinations to ascertain whether they have had anal sex. Such treatment contravenes international, African and Malawian human rights conventions. Their trial is set for 15 January 2010.

As Moderator I am calling on all MCCers and friends to join in prayer for the safety, freedom, just treatment and restored dignity of these brave souls taking a stand for universal LGBTQI human rights, especially the right to celebrate and bless our relationships in the ways of our cultures. We pray that the God who has given us the promise of an end to all oppressions will change hearts through their witness, bringing about a repeal of Sections 153 and 156 of the Malawian Penal Code. And we pray that God will continue to raise up courageous people to challenge legislative and religiously fueled homophobia within Africa and the world.

The courage of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga cannot be overestimated. At a time when homophobia is running rife through proposed brutal anti-homosexual legislation in Uganda and Rwanda, and with reports throughout the continent of escalating hate crimes against LGBTQI people, the seemingly simple choice to celebrate a same-sex engagement becomes a line in the sand for all like minded Africans. Never again will LGBTQI Africans be quietly aquiescent to the detriment of our brothers and sisters. Please join us in speaking out and praying publicly for justice for our brothers in Malawi,

-Reverend Pressley Sutherland, Pastor, Good Hope MCC, Cape Town, South Africa.

God bless Africa.

Guard her children.

Guide her leaders.

And give her peace.

“Prayer for Africa” - Rev. Trevor Huddleston

Please join me in sending supportive messages and prayers to Steven, Tiwonge, Dunker and Gift through CEDEP, use the following link: http://www.cedepmalawi.org/contact.html .

For information to donate to the Malawian Defense Fund at CEDEP go to this link: http://www.cedepmalawi.org/donate.html .

It is for such a time as this that God has called MCC out, and in the midst of all the challenges before us around the globe, I give thanks for the great cloud of witnesses who join me in praying and working for the day of global peace and equality.

//signed
The Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches

This statement prepared in conjunction with The Moderator’s Global Justice Team,The Rev. P at Bumgardner, Chair, and The Rev. Pressley Sutherland, Pastor ofMCC Good Hope in Capetown, South Africa.