My Hope: Malawi

Launched in 2002, the goal of the My Hope television outreach of BGEA is to reach every country in the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ, and it has reached more than 40 countries to date.  As a result, more than 9 million people worldwide have chosen to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ!

My Hope uses television, churches, and relationships between people to present a simple Gospel message to entire countries:

• My Hope regional coordinators teach pastors throughout each country about the project.
• Pastors train Christians in their churches to host others in their homes, inviting unsaved friends and family to watch the evangelistic national telecasts.
• At the conclusion of the My Hope broadcasts, hosts share their personal testimonies and invite their guests to receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

Plans are underway for the My Hope Malawi project in southern Africa and it is scheduled to begin in Fall 2010.

Radio is the chief source of information for many Malawians.

Mission work in the nineteenth century concentrated in Malawi because David Livingstone and others emphasized its needs.  The majority of the people now claim to be Christians, though revival is needed among many whose faith is nominal.  The church in Malawi continues to grow, creating a vital need for leadership training for Malawians.

10% of every gift received will go to reach a family in Malawi.

Population:

14,268,711
[Note:  Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS (July 2009 est.)]

Age Structure:   (2009 est.)

0-14 years:                        45.8%          (male 3,272,790/female 3,258,893)

15-64 years:                       51.5%          (male 3,696,857/female 3,656,918)

65 years and over:             2.7%            (male 162,863/female 220,390)    

Languages:    (1998 census)

English (official); Chichewa  57.2% (official); Chinyanja 12.8%;
Chiyao 10.1%; Chitumbuka 9.5%; Chisena 2.7%; Chilomwe 2.4%;
Chitonga 1.7%; other 3.6%  

Literacy:   (2003 est.)

63%.  (Male: 76.1%;  Female: 49.8%)

Religion:   (1998 census)

Christian 79.9%; Muslim 12.8%; other 3%; none 4.3% 

The Church:

The first missionary outreach in Malawi began with the arrival of Dr. David Livingstone in 1859. His efforts were strengthened by the work of missionaries from the Free Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) in 1875 and The Church of Scotland in 1876. The former focused on Livingstonia station in the north, and the latter on Blantyre station in the south.

The following decades saw the additions of Dutch Reformed (South Africa), Seventh‑Day Adventists, Church of Christ (U.S.), Church of Christ (UK), Anglican Church, and several charismatic and Pentecostal groups. Other groups working in Malawi include Zambezi Evangelical Mission, Mission to the World (PCA), Navigators, and Southern Baptists.

Islam has been a dominant force in Malawi, especially among the Yao people. The Yao and Swahili speakers associated with the slave trade brought Islam to Malawi in 1870. The expansion of Islam is also attributed to the trading caravans, which usually had Muslim teachers. Being educated, these teachers joined the nomadic caravans as secretaries to the heads of the caravans, but also helped convey messages that local chiefs might wish to send to each other or to their contacts on the coast.  The Muslim Association of Malawi, headquartered in Blantyre, evolved out of a central board for Muslim education, which was set up in the 1950s to coordinate the work and represent the interests of the Muslim community as a whole. The Association has received financial help from Kuwait and other Muslim sources to fund radio programs, women’s conferences, and youth camps.