African Baptist Assembly of Malawi, Inc.

The African Baptist Assembly of Malawi, Inc. is the oldest continuously existing Baptist organization in the Republic of Malawi, with roots in the earliest mission work of Joseph Booth (1892) and is a successor to the Providence Baptist Mission (1900).

In 1891, the British government established the Nyasaland Protectorate. In 1964 this land became the independent nation of the Republic of Malawi. The first known Baptist work in Nyasaland/Malawi was by the English Joseph Booth (1851-1932). Booth was responsible for all of the earliest Baptist work, as well as for the entrance of some other denominations into the area. He established a number of missions, but did not remain long with any of them. His work began with the Zambezi Industrial Mission in 1892, which he convinced British Baptists to help finance. He was also involved in the Nyaza Industrial Mission (1893) and the Baptist Industrial Mission(1895). In 1897, Booth took Yao tribesman John Chilembwe (ca.1871-1915) to America, where the National Baptists sponsored his education at the Virginia Theological Seminary and College at Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1900 Chilembwe returned to Africa under the banner of the National Baptist Convention and established the Providence Industrial Mission. After Chilembwe was killed on February 4, 1915 while leading an uprising against British authority, the government banned the Providence Mission. Today the nation of Malawi regards and honors Chilembwe as a martyr. His face appears on the 200 Kwacha (Malawian currency).

In 1926, the British government allowed the Providence Industrial Mission to be reopened under Daniel S. Malekbu (ca.1890-1978). Malekbu had been trained in medical and Bible school in the United States. In 1945 he led Baptists to form the National Baptist Assembly of Africa, Nyasaland, which is now known as the African Baptist Assembly of Malawi, Inc.. This group has experienced two divisions, resulting in the formation of the African United Baptist Church (1946) and the Independent Baptist Church (1971).

The African Baptist Assembly of Malawi participates in the All-African Baptist Fellowship and the Baptist World Alliance. In 1999 they had 784 congregations with 63,800 members. Protestants make up the major religious grouping in Malawi at 55%, with Roman Catholics and Muslims each at about 20%.

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