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MalawiHostile
Christian Persecution in Malawi
Overview:
Malawi is a small land-locked country of 20 million people in eastern Africa, located southwest of Tanzania and west of Mozambique. After gaining independence from Britain in 1964, Malawi was governed by a dictatorship until 1994, when a general election resulted in a new democratic government. Though Malawi is a predominantly Christian nation, persecution has increased in recent years. The persecution has coincided with a significant turning to God among the Yao people, a historically Muslim tribe of 2.5 million people in Malawi.
Major Religion:
Malawi is 74 percent Christian and 17 percent Muslim. Traditional animistic beliefs are also common, influencing religious practices in the country.
Persecutor:
Christian converts from Islam among the Yao people are persecuted by their communities, families and friends, but Malawi has an abundance of vibrant churches.
What It Means To Follow Christ In Malawi
In most of Malawi, Christians are free to worship and serve the Lord. But Christian converts among the Yao people face intense opposition to their faith, enduring beatings, death threats, the burning of their churches and more, especially in Yao villages. Some Christian converts from Islam among the Yao people have been driven from their communities, and gospel workers are also sometimes expelled. In some cases, Christians have been told they have 24 hours to leave before a fatwa, a public condemnation from an Islamic leader, is issued against them.
Access To Bibles
Bibles can be purchased in Malawi, but they are prohibitively expensive for most Christians. Many Christians lost their Bibles in March 2023, when a cyclone dumped six months' worth of rain on Malawi in six days. The cyclone killed more than 1,200 people and devastated the economy, destroying countless farms, homes and churches in southern Malawi. Give Bibles
VOM Work
VOM is actively supporting Christians in the Yao community by helping rebuild destroyed homes and churches, providing shelter for victims of persecution and supplying Bibles. Give to VOM’s Global Ministry
Prayer Requests:
- Praise God that his Holy Spirit has brought many traditionally Muslim Yao to faith in Christ.
- Pray that Yao Christians who face persecution will experience the love and care of the local and global body of Christ.
- Pray for those who have lost jobs, homes and even physical health because of the activity of their faith.
- Pray that Yao Christians will have courage to stand firm in their faith amid intense opposition.
- Bibles are available but prohibitively expensive. Pray that greater supplies of Bibles will reach Christians in need.
- Ask the Lord to give Yao Christians a sense of the hope, inheritance and power they have in Christ (Ephesians 1:17–18).