Answers to Prayer

1 The courage and outspokenness of Catholic and Protestant leaders were a major factor in ending the dictatorship through democratic change

2 Malawi continues to be spiritually the most receptive country in central Africa

Challenges for Prayer

1 Malawi has remained relatively peaceful since independence in a region of devastating wars and turmoil

2 The growth of Islam is a major challenge

3 AIDS is a terrible, but under-reported scourge

4 The CCAP is the largest Protestant denomination and the direct fruit of the vision of the 19th Century explorer, David Livingstone

5 The major issues to be tackled by the churches are:

a) Maintaining effective ministry in the midst of deep poverty and the growing AIDS crisis

b) Training new workers for spiritually weak rural churches

c) Effective theological education

d) Unity

e) A good survey of Malawi to analyze the unfinished task

6 Student ministries have flourished

7 The least evangelized. Pray that both Malawian and expatriate workers may effectively share the love of Christ with:

a) The Yao, who remain the biggest challenge in Malawi

b) The Ngonde and Lambya in the far north, who are less well evangelized, though there are some churches among them

c) The Sena and Lomwe of the Shire valley in the south with relatively few Christians

d) The Gujarati and Tamil, the main groups of Asians

8 Expatriate missionaries are primarily engaged in supporting existing denominations and agencies in training, outreach and Christian institutions

9 Christian help ministries

a) Bible translation

b) The Bible Society. There are big demands for Scriptures

c) Literature. This is much sought after, but expensive

d) Christian radio

Geography

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Area 118,484 sq.km. Central African state extending along Lake Malawi and its outflow river, the Shire.

Population (2000) 10,925,238 +2.47%AGR

Capitals Lilongwe (ministerial and financial) 480,000; Blantyre (commercial and judicial) 500,000.

Peoples

Over 22 Bantu peoples:

Maravi 81%.

Southern peoples 16%.

Northern peoples 1.6%.

Other 1.4%.

Literacy 56% (functionally half this). Official languages Chewa and English. All languages 15. Languages with Scriptures 8Bi 3por 3w.i.p.

Economy

Well-watered and fertile but impoverished by overpopulation, geography (civil wars in Mozambique), falling world prices for tobacco, tea and sugar, poor communications to the outside world and AIDS. HDI 0.399; 159^th/174. Public debt 97% of GNP. Income/person $210 (0.67% of USA).

Politics

Independent from Britain in 1964.

Religion

Freedom of religion, but some suspect a favouring of the Muslim minority.

Churches in Malawi

Missionaries from Malawi

An est. 100 in 14 agencies to 9 countries

Missionaries to Malawi

436 in 68 agencies from 20 countries

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