The Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian is a Presbyterian denomination. It consists of five synods: one in Zambia (Zambia Synod), one in Zimbabwe (Harare Synod) and three in Malawi - Livingstonia Synod in the north of the country, Nkhoma Synod in the centre, and Blantyre Synod in the south.
The CCAP is the largest Protestant denomination in Malawi, with more than 1.3 million members.[1]
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Following the arrival of David Livingstone, Scottish Presbyterian churches established missions in Malawi. In 1875, the Free Church of Scotland established itself in northern Malawi with headquarters in Livingstonia, while in 1876 the Church of Scotland set up a mission in Blantyre. In 1889 the Cape Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa began work in central Malawi. Initially its base was Mvera, but it later relocated to Nkhoma.[2] These three missions were the start of the three CCAP synods in Malawi. In 1924 the Livingstonia and Blantyre Synods joined together to form the CCAP, with the Nkhoma Synod joining later. The Harare Synod joined in 1965,[3] while the Lundazi Synod (now called the Zambia Synod) joined in 1984.[4]