Malawi Church Records

For information about records for non-Christian religions in Malawi, go to the Religious Records page.


 * 1690-2011 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Historical Background
Malawi is a majority Christian country, with a significant Muslim minority. Government surveys indicate that 87% of the country is Christian. The largest Christian groups in Malawi are the Roman Catholic Church, of which 19% of Malawians are adherents, and the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) to which 18% belong. The CCAP is the largest Protestant denomination in Malawi with 1.3 million members. There are smaller Presbyterian denominations like the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Malawi. There are also smaller numbers of Anglicans, Baptists, Evangelicals, Seventh-day Adventists, and the Lutherans.

Information Recorded in the Records
Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):

Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:

Marriages
Marriage registers can give:

Burials
Burial registers may give:

Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Malawi.
 * b. Click on Places within Malawi and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.

Writing for Records
You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.

Writing to a Local Parish
To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a local parish, consult:
 * The Catholic Directory: Malawi

Online Records
Information is available to current members only for deceased members and immediate family members who are still living. Sign in to FamilySearch and then select Family Tree in the drop-down menu.

Historical Background
In 1992, the first missionary couple was allowed to enter Malawi. The Church was legally recognized in Malawi on April 25, 1995. Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy, president of the Africa Southeast Area, — with Frank Bagley, president of the Zimbabwe Harare Mission, organized the Sitima Village Branch on May 20, 1999. Within the year, branch membership had increased to about 200. A second branch was organized in Malawi on July 20, 2000 in Blantyre.

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Anglican churches in Malawi]

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Baptist churches in Malawi]

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Lutheran churches in Malawi]

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Pentecostal churches in Malawi]

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Presbyterian churches in Malawi]

Writing for Records

 * [ Google Maps search results for Seventh-day Adventist churches in Malawi]