Population:
21 million
Evangelical population:
17%
People groups:
26
Unreached people groups:
4
Malawi
Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania, the landlocked country of Malawi is located in southeast Africa, bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The Great Rift Valley runs through the country from north to south. The climate is sub-tropical with rainy and dry seasons.
Lake Nyasa forms three quarters of the nation’s eastern border and comprises about a third of Malawi’s area, measuring 365 miles long and 50 miles wide. This lake contains more fish species than any other lake on earth and is also home to more than 200 mammal and 650 bird species.
Malawi’s population is predominately rural (80 percent live in rural areas) with an economy that is almost entirely based in agriculture. It is one of the world’s least developed and most densely populated countries. The infant mortality rate is high and the life expectancy low, as Malawi is plagued with a high rate of HIV/AIDS. It is the tenth-highest country in the world for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS with an estimated 1 million of its citizens infected with the disease.
The people of Malawi are generally peaceful, as there is no significant conflict among tribes, and the government maintains diplomatic relations with most countries. English is the official language, but Chichewa is the common language, spoken by nearly 60 percent of the population.
In 1859, missionary David Livingstone established a settlement south of Lake Nyasa where several Anglican and Presbyterian missions were soon established. Today, most of Malawi’s population identifies with the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. Evangelicals comprise 17 percent of the population. Approximately 15 percent of the population is Muslim.
Christian Aid Mission assists an indigenous ministry in Malawi that disciples, develops, and commissions effective Christian leaders and works to promote healthy community-transforming churches. They seek support for Bibles, support for missionaries who are working among unreached people groups, simple church buildings with tin roofs, and leadership conferences for pastors, youth leaders, children’s ministry workers, and women.
Sources: Joshua Project, CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, USA Today
How to Pray for Malawi
- Pray that the gospel would transform the lives of the people of Malawi—that those who are Christians in name only would know Jesus Christ on a personal, life-changing level.
- Pray that, as the gospel takes root in this country, the plagues of poverty and disease would loosen their grip, and the people would flourish. Ask God to grant wisdom to native believers who are working to combat these afflictions.
- Pray for support and resources for indigenous Christians who seek to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard His name and to disciple those who have professed Him as their Savior.
More stories from Malawi
Deliver Bibles To Those Who Need Them in Malawi
A man was overjoyed when a native missionary gave him a Bible. “Now I will preach the whole gospel,” he told the missionary because he now had the entirety of Scripture in his hands. The missionary spends much of his time traveling to preach and distribute Bibles to those who need them. “It’s great to see the Lord’s work going on and people being saved,” he said.
Bring the Lost into God’s Fellowship in Malawi
As churches grow, so does the need for Bibles; members of a church that native Christian workers recently visited were overjoyed to receive copies. Workers speaking at the worship service in their village led six people to faith in Christ.
Help Workers Share the Gospel in Malawi
A native Christian worker who has brought many people to the Lord said the gospel tracts he leaves in various villages are still effective. After a two-hour trip to preach at a church earlier this year, he led eight people to give their hearts to Christ and encouraged congregation members to share the gospel with others.
Send Messengers of God’s Grace in Malawi
People in a remote area walked nearly nine miles to hear a visiting ministry leader preach at a church. “This touched my heart to see the hunger for the Word of God,” he said, adding that the venue was filled with people.
Help Workers Bring God’s Saving Power in Malawi
As an evangelistic team recently went to villages and towns, they saw people hungry for the Word of God who were touched by God’s grace. “We saw the Lord moving at each meeting with His power, and everywhere we went, we saw many got saved and set free and healed during prayer,” the native ministry leader said.