Malawi

Malawi  is a landlocked country in South-eastern Africa.  It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) or about the same size as Ohio. Malawi’s capital (and largest city) is Lilongwe with almost 1 million people. Malawi has an estimated population of 19,431,566 (as of January 2021) made up of at least 22 Bantu people groups.  

The country is nicknamed “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of the friendliness of its people. The official languages are Chichewa and English. Malawi is a majority Christian country, with a significant Muslim minority. Government surveys indicate that 87% of the country claims to be Christian, with a minority 11.6% Islamic population.  

Malawi is among the world’s least-developed countries. The economy is heavily based on agriculture, and it has a largely rural and rapidly growing population. The Malawian government depends heavily on outside aid to meet its development needs.

Grace Ministries International began ministering in Malawi in 2000 when two Zambian Bible School graduates were sent there as short-term missionaries. In January 2005, Rev. and Mrs. Kennedy Simtowe, GMI missionaries to Zambia, moved to Malawi to strengthen the work by establishing a training centre and expanding the evangelistic outreach and church planting ministries. In September 2009, Titus and Kristy Lloyd joined the team. Joseph and Emmanuela Asong arrived in June 2012. Bill and Sue Vinton relocated there from Congo in September 2013 and Jack and Jane joined the team in January 2014. Brook Seekins also relocated to Malawi in 2018 after serving in Tanzania for over 16 years.

There are currently 30 Grace churches and church plants throughout the country who are part of the Grace Church in Malawi. Our team of missionaries is working together with the national church leadership in evangelism, church planting, leadership training, conferences and seminars for men, women, youth, and children, and community development projects both at our training centre in Lilongwe as well as in other areas of the country. One of our main goals is to establish and grow healthy, local churches throughout Malawi. At the present time the training centre in Lilongwe is running both English and Chichewa Bible school classes. Our first class of English students graduated from their third and final level of Bible School training in 2021! Modular Bible school classes take place throughout the year to reach our churches in other parts of the country as well.   

Above is the GMI team of missionaries serving in Malawi: Brook Seekins, Givemore and Sylvia Nyakambiri, Jack and Jane, Joseph and Emmanuela Asong, Titus and Kristy Lloyd, and Bill and Sue Vinton.

Travel tips and immunization information for Malawi