Mission Work in Malawi

Essentially, mission work in Malawi began with Scottish explorer David Livingstone's journey into the interior of Africa as a medical missionary.  Livingstone sought to proselytize indigenous African groups while seeking to end the slave trade that was rampant in Africa and traveled across much of Africa.[1]  

The Journeys of Livingstone in Africa between 1851 and 1873
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Map_livingstone_travels_africa.jpg

Livingstone first arrived at Lake Malawi in 1859 on an expedition and advocated the spread of Christianity in order to "counteract slave trade activities".[2]  Many important Christian missionaries eventually followed along the slave trade routes having an impact upon future generations of missionaries, including those today.

Traditional denominations such as The Church of England, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics followed Livingstone moving in to the newly discovered Lake Malawi area continued to spread the message of the Gospel.[3]  Smaller Christian groups at the time such as "Baptists, Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the churches of Christ" were not looked upon as favorably yet continued to make their mark.[4]

While Christianity has had the largest effect on Malawi with 79.9% proclaiming Christianity as its religion,[5] Islam holds a slighter yet firm position, as well.  Sunni Islam, which is the largest branch of Islam[6] arrived with the "Arab and Swahili traders who traded in ivory, gold, and later on slaves beginning in the 16th century".[7]  Islam has had a substantial impact on Malawi becoming the second most popular religion at 12.8%[8] and, in fact, every major city in Malawi is now the home of a mosque.[9]  This may be due to the fact that part of Islam's attraction lies in that it is not all that different than many of the indigenous religions of Africa.  Islam did not interfere with local or native customs such as polygamy[10] so it was natural that the leniency in certain areas of the religion would be parallel to what the Malawians were already accustomed.

Mosque in Zomba, Malawi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zomba_Mosque_1.jpg

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1 Jerry Cutter, "Malawi Early History," (1991), accessed November 27, 2014,       http://www.newtestamentchurch.org/OPA/Articles/1991/06/OPA19910605.htm, ¶ 3.
2 World Heritage Center, "Malawi Slave Routes and Dr. David Livingstone Trail", accessed November 28, 2014, http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5603/, ¶ 13.
3 Ibid, ¶ 5.
4 Ibid, ¶ 6. 
5 CIA World Factbook, "Malawi," accessed November 28, 2014, http://www.ciaworldfactbook.us/africa/malawi.html, ¶ 12.
6 Wikipedia, "Sunni Islam," accessed November 28, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_Islam, ¶ 1, last updated November 19, 2014. 
7 Wikipedia, "Islam in Malawi," accessed November 28, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Malawi, ¶ 1, last updated June 18, 2014.
8 "Malawi", ¶ 12. 
9 "Islam in Malawi", ¶ 1.
10 Augstine Msiska, "The Spread of Islam in Malawi and its Impact on Yao Rites of Passage, 1870-1960," The Society of Malawi Journal 48, no. 1 (1995): 62, accessed November 28, 2014, http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/stable/29778728?seq=14, ¶ 1.

Malawi's Early Contact with Outside Cultures

In the early 1600s, Portuguese soldiers and traders found their way into Malawi.  A number of tribes had "united to form a kingdom under one main ruler" known as the Maravi Empire.[1]  This empire, which included the Chewa people of Malawi, traded "ivory, iron, and slaves with the Portuguese and Arabs" which was enhanced due to the "common language spoken throughout the Maravi Empire".[2]  This relationship between the Portuguese and Malawi was based on trade and proved a successful venture until trade between individual tribesmen and the Portuguese weakened, eventually destroying the kingdom in 1700.[3]  Portugal's main reason for its push into Malawi was because of trade and most of the slaves that were traded were "sent mainly to work on Portuguese plantations in Mozambique or to Brazil".[4]

In the 19th century, the Ayao people, who had been successfully trading ivory and slaves with the Arabs, moved from Mozambique into Malawi. The founding of Arab trading posts along Lake Malawi created a shift in trade "from the Portuguese in Mozambique to the Arabs of Zanzibar".[5]  In 1870 rice became a "major crop" due to the Arabs' introduction. [6]  In addition to slave trade and agriculture, Malawi saw a major conversion from animism to Islam due to the Arabs' influence.

Malawi's next noteworthy association with the west was missionary, David Livingstone in 1859.  Livingstone was a Victorian explorer hailing from Scotland and well known as "an important crusader against slavery, publicising its horrors back in Britain".[7]  Additionally, Livingstone played an important part in bringing Christianity to Malawi spurring the planting of Anglican and Presbyterian churches in the late 1860s and 1870s. 

David Livingstone, "Africa's First Freedom Fighter"
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/scotland-blog/2013/mar/19/scotland-malawi-davidlivingstone

These European and Middle Eastern contacts influenced Malawi's culture through trade and religion.  While the slave trade increased Malawi's economy such as the wealth amassed by the Ayao as well as those with whom they traded,[8] slavery was a detriment to African culture and society.  Although some parts of Malawi have continued to keep their indigenous beliefs, the mark these influences made in the way of Christianity and Islam has been impactful.    


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1 World Guides, "Malawi's History, Facts, and Timeline", World-Guides.com, last updated November 14, 2014, accessed November 18, 2014, http://www.world-guides.com/africa/south-east-africa/malawi/malawi_history.html, ¶ 3. 
2 Wikipedia, "History of Malawi", wikipedia.com, last updated November 3, 2014, accessed November 19, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malawi, ¶ 5. 
3 World Guides, ¶ 3.
4 Wikipedia, ¶ 6. 
5 Ibid, ¶ 9.
6 Ibid, ¶ 8.
7 Our Africa, "History and Politics", Our-Africa.com, accessed November 19, 2014, http://www.our-africa.org/malawi/history-politics, ¶ 4.
8 Wikipedia, ¶ 8.

Malawi's Natural Resources

From limestone to uranium, from bauxite to coal, Malawi is rich with natural resources.  Its main export in the 19th century was ivory and, in fact, one of the main reasons for slavery during this time was to "provide human porterage for the ivory being conveyed from the interior to the coast".[1]  As ivory exports began to wane, coffee became a major trade resource.  It lasted a short while, only from 1891 to 1904 due to saturation in coffee trade (namely, Brazil), but during that period Malawi experienced high trade increase.[2]

With the demise of the coffee industry, farmers turned to tobacco.  This crop resulted in productive trade within Africa, including South Africa.  It also developed trade routes with Portugal and the United Kingdom.[3]

The main cash crops for Malawi over the last century have been "tobacco, tea, cotton, groundnuts, sugar, and coffee".[4]  Its arable land has been its greatest treasure allowing agriculture to experience highs and lows over the centuries.  Malawi has been considered the "world's most maize-dependent country, except for Zambia"[5] throughout the 20th century.

Women farmers celebrate a bumper maize crop in 2007
un.org

Although Malawi is a source of coal, it was unexploited during colonial times, therefore, early on, Malawians turned to farming rice, beans, sorghum, and of course, maize.[6]  Over time, the state of arable land has gone through many changes.  Leading up to the period of 1949, the nation experienced famine spurring a government plan to export maize thus creating a cash crop exporting 38,000 tons in 1955.[7]  This surplus in maize export spanned approximately thirty years.  Unfortunately, the high price of fertilizer coupled with inconsistent rainfall has continued to impede the ability for farmers to grow large crops.[8]  After the 2007 maize bumper crop, Malawi was able to sell "more maize to the World Food Program of the United Nations than any other southern Africa country and exported hundreds of thousands of tons of corn to Zimbabwe".[9]

Although there continues to be a rise in population and debt, the past two years have seen tobacco once again become a major economy boosting export for Malawi.[10]  Tobacco crops are contributing about "60 percent of Malawi's total export earnings...directly employing 12 percent of the population and also contributing 13 percent of gross domestic product".[11]

Malawi tobacco farmer surveying his crop
http://mwnation.com/malawi-tobacco-exports-valued-650m-2012/

Currently, Malawi's biggest trade partners are "Canada, South Africa, and Belgium" and "a government 2013 annual economic report shows that overall external trade indicates that exports and imports both increased in 2012".[12]


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1 C. A. Baker, "Nyasaland, The History of its Export Trade," The Nyasaland Journal 15, no. 1 (January, 1962): 9, ¶ 3, accessed November 13, 2014, http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/stable/29545910:seq=3&uid=3739920&uid=2133&uid=2134&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21104531124031.
2 Ibid, 12, ¶ 2.
3 Ibid, 15, ¶ 2.
4 Wikipedia, "Agriculture in Malawi," accessed November 12, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Malawi, ¶ 1.
5 Ibid, ¶ 16.
6 Ibid, ¶ 2.
7 Ibid, ¶ 9.
8 Ibid, ¶ 37.
9 Ibid, ¶ 43.
10 Dumbani Mzale, "Malawi Tobacco Exports Valued at $650m in 2012," mwnation.com, (August 29, 2013), accessed November 13, 2014, http://mwnation.com/malawi-tobacco-exports-valued-650m-2012/, ¶ 1.
11 Ibid, ¶ 4.
12 Ibid, ¶ 10.

Religions in Malawi

Although Malawi is home to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional native religions, "Christianity is the majority religion".[1] 
  

Major religions distributed in Africa
http://www.thefullwiki.org/Religion_in_Africa

Missionary, David Livingstone, ushered in Christianity in the 1800's and it quickly spread, giving rise to Protestant, Catholic, Baptist, and Presbyterian, and Jehovah's Witness denominations.[2]  While Christian influence has been positive and well-received, the traditional, indigenous beliefs and values have begun to slowly disappear due to the large scale conversion over the centuries.[3] 

Islam, "the second most prominent religion in Malawi"[4], makes up approximately twenty percent of the population.  Arab slave traders brought the religion in the 1800's, first converting tribes who lived along Lake Malawi.  The rise of Islam may have initially been for reasons of monetary growth or expansion of power [5] but as the centuries have passed, it continues to hold a large place in Malawian culture.  

Although Christians and Muslims live, for the most part, harmoniously, tensions can rise during political situations.  Because "political affiliation, religious persuasion, and tribal identity are closely bound together in Malawi"[6] conflict sometimes breaks out due to differences in beliefs. 

The traditional indigenous religions are present in approximately five percent of Malawi's population and although they are not given too much notoriety, African doctor's medicines can still be found in the markets.  Additionally, secret societies such as Gule Wamkulu dancers continue ancient practices connected to religious beliefs and customs such as dances and initiations which take place in taboo locations such as cemeteries.[7] 

Gule Wamkulu in traditional dress

http://www.thetravelword.com/2010/07/22/malawi-opens-the-warm-heart-of-africa-to-whl-travel/

The Gule Wamkulu are a mysterious group living alone and in anonymity.  The chief of the tribe, the only person who is privy to their identity, appoints them in order to "drive away evil spirits from the village".[8]  Dressed in their full costumes, the Gule are avoided as much as possible for fear of being taken for one of their rituals.  They are considered to be in an "animal state and are not to be approached".[9]  The myths surrounding the rituals and dances performed by the Gule Wamkulu date back to the "Great Chewa Empire of the 17th century"[10] and continue to intermingle between Christianity and these ancient societies.

Christianity, although it has had a major impact across Malawi by quickly became the major religion of the nation, is often coupled with indigenous religions such as Gule Wamkulu. Christian missionaries worked to suppress these ancient religions and practices but the people who practice it and take part in it have continued to survive by "adopting some aspects of Christianity" while staying true to their ancient heritage.[11]   

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1 Religion, Friends of Malawi, accessed November 4, 2014, http://www.thetravelworld.com/2010/07/22/malawi-opens-the-warm-heart-of-africa-to-whl-travel/, ¶ 1. 
2 Ibid, ¶ 2.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid, ¶ 4.
5 Msiska, Augstine, W.C. "The Spread of Islam in Malawi and its Impact on Yao Rites of Passage, 1870-1960." The Society of Malawi Journal 48, no. 1 (1995): 49-86. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/stable/29778728?seq=14. 
6 Religion, ¶ 5.
7 Ibid, ¶ 6.
8 Gule Wamkulu, The Malawi Project, accessed November 5, 2014, http://malawiproject.org/about-malawi/history/gule-wamkulu/, ¶ 1. 
9 Watch the Gule Wamkulu, Accommodation Direct, accessed November 5, 2014, http://www.malawi-direct.com/activity/watch-the-gule-wamkulu, ¶ 3.
10 Gule Wamkulu, Third Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, accessed November 5, 2014, http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/22afr_uk.htm, ¶ 3. 
11 Ibid.