Come and join a double celebration! Commemorating the life of the Rev John Chilembwe, a pastor, a missionary, an educationist, and a political harbinger for Malawi’s journey to freedom and independence.
This Great Son of Africa, Rev John Chilembwe was born in 1871 near a hill called Sangano. His father Kaundama was a Yao and his mother a Nyanja called Nyangu.
Chilembwe’s family settled at village headman Chilomoni in Blantyre. On 17th July 1893, Chilembwe was baptised by Booth and became Booths first convert to Christianity.
In 1897, Chilembwe went to America with Booth and in early 1898 began his studies at Virginia Theological Seminary, at Lynchburg. Rev William W Brown sponsored his education through the initiative of the Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention Dr L.G. Jordan. He received his Bachelors of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity degrees and was ordained at Louisville, Kentucky in 1899.
On 20th June 1899 Chilembwe left the United States for Britain fully qualified person for mission work. While in London Chilembwe visited the House of Commons and left London with a letter of introductions from officials of the British Government to Sir Alfred Sharpe who in 1900 was commissioner of British Central Africa.
In 1900 after a good conversation with Sir Alfred Sharpe, Chilembwe launched the Providence Industrial Mission; He acquired 93 acres of land at 23 pounds 18 cents, the equivalent of 130 USD that time. The name Industrial emphasized the policy of its mission to combine the teaching of the gospel with that of industrial skills and Development.
Chilembwe led the uprising in the early January 1915 fighting for freedom from social injustices faced by his countrymen and was killed at noon of 3rd February 1915.
The year 2015 marks the 100 years since the death of the Rev John Chilembwe in the 1915 struggle for freedom. To express the significance of this great hero, Malawi will this year have a series of activities to celebrate the Rev John Chilembwe in 3 days as follows:
First Day:15 January 2015 will be celebrated through usual prayers at the Providence Industrial Mission headquarters in Chiradzulu, Second Day:16 January 2015 celebration will be marked by sporting activities at the PIM ground under the Rev John Chilembwe Centenary Trophy and celebrations will end on Saturday 17th January 2015 where His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi, Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika, will lead the nation to Centenary Memorial Worship Service at the Providence Industrial Mission, Mbombwe, Chiradzulu district which among others will be attended by faith leaders of different denominations, political leaders from various parties, members from various NGO
