A few years ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet a brother and ministry partner from Malawi, Rev. Fletcher Matandika, president and founder of Joy to the World Ministries. I asked Fletcher if he would describe for us the current state of Christianity in his country and their ministry there. He graciously provided us with this report. We commend it for your reading.
A little over one hundred and fifty years after Dr. Livingstone first stepped on the shores of Malawi in pursuit of God’s call upon His life there are now millions of Christians and many vibrant churches throughout Malawi and Southern Africa. These Christians have been growing both in number and in their understanding of the gospel.
When I see what the LORD is doing in Malawi—especially among the young people—I feel great joy and have tremendous hope that the gospel will continue to spread widely not only in Malawi, but from Malawi literally to the ends of the earth. I believe that the LORD is raising up a great army of “soldiers of the cross” from Malawi—young men and women who have embraced the whole gospel and are committed to serving God in their generation by “Taking the whole Gospel to the Whole Man and to the Whole World,” which is the motto of Joy to the World Ministries (JTW), the organization for which, in the LORD’s providence, I serve as the president.
Since 2008, JTW has been sponsoring the Chosen Generation Missions Conference in order to sensitize the church in Malawi to what is happening in missions around the world and to awaken a passion for missions among the younger generation of Christians from Malawi and Southern Africa.
From July 28-31, I will be joined by a group of speakers from Malawi and Scotland in calling a generation of young Christians from Malawi and the surrounding countries to open their eyes and see that the fields are ripe for harvest. We pray that they may respond to God’s call to serve as missionaries in other parts of Malawi, Africa and the world, as the LORD shall lead.
Ironically, places like Scotland and most of Europe have now become the spiritually dark places and are in great need of the gospel. Europe seems to have become the “New Dark Continent” spiritually. My prayer is that some day in the LORD’s good providence, Malawi will send not just one missionary but hundreds and thousands to Scotland and other parts of the world to preach the Gospel.
Please pray with me that the LORD will be pleased to raise up a generation of mighty men and women who will heed this call and go wherever the Lord chooses to use them to spread the gospel for his own glory and the salvation of the lost.
