The first link of course was the connection with Bishop Charles Mackenzie who is commemorated in the window at the east end of the north aisle. He walked from Cambridge to Haslingfield to help with services between 1851-54, and later went out to what is now Malawi following in the footsteps of David Livingstone with an aim to combat slavery in that part of Africa.
Later, around 2008 when the existence of MACS (Malawi Association for Christian Support, registered charity no. 1025416) came to our attention, the late Bishop Donald Arden and his wife Jane (who is still associated with MACS) came to a service. 2009 saw the first walk ‘In the Steps of the Bishop’ from Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge to Haslingfield Church when a sum of £3000 went via MACS towards the completion of a teacher’s house and classroom block at Magomero, where Bishop Mackenzie had made his base.
In 2010 the completion of another classroom block was also achieved, together with the renovation of a monument stone. Between 2011 and 2014 the sum of £10,000 was raised together with the Eversdens, Harlton and Barton churches towards the roof and windows of a new church, which the Magomero parish had started to build. A joint service at which the Projects Officer of MACS spoke at Haslingfield of the birth of the new Magomero church was a memorable occasion.
In ensuing years, together with the Eversdens, sums were contributed towards a new teacher’s house, a ceiling for the priest’s house and solar lights to enable the learning day to be extended for the Bishop Mackenzie School and its teachers.
In 2019, Haslingfield and the Eversdens embarked on helping to enable the refurbishment of a triple classroom (roofing sheets, paint, new windows and doors) with a target of £5000.