This Month in Church History
April 1995: The Church Gains Legal Recognition in Malawi
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gained legal recognition in Malawi on 25 April 1995, but baptisms in the country had begun a few years earlier.
McFarlane Phiri first learned about the Church in 1978 and spent the next 14 years studying the scriptures and other books that were sent to him by Church headquarters in Utah. During that time, Brother Phiri taught his friends about Christ, the restored gospel, and the Book of Mormon. By the time senior missionaries, Elder Brian and Sister Betty Peedle were assigned to serve in Malawi by Zimbabwe Harare Mission President Vern Marble in July 1992, 31 others were also ready for baptism. An additional 43 people were baptized a few months later.
When the first branch was organized in the Sitima Valley in May 1999, Brother Phiri was called as branch president with counselors Kennedy N. Phiri and David Mponda.
Another April milestone occurred in 2011 when the Church had grown enough that the Blantyre District was organized. Peter Chinyumba served as the first district president, assisted by counselors Chimwemwe Lungu and Edward Matale. The district included the Blantyre 1st and 2nd, Ndirande, and Zingwangwa branches.
Several months later, in October 2011, President Russell M. Nelson, then serving in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the country of Malawi for the preaching of the gospel.