A Walk on the Mission - Malawi Journeys

A walk around the historic Blantyre Mission.

This mission was founded in 1876 and is named after the birthplace of Dr David Livingstone (Blantyre, Scotland). Around this was built the city of Blantyre (Malawi).

On the walk you will see St Michael and All Angel's Church. The architect (Dr David Clement Scott) had had no formal architectural training at all and had never even laid a brick in his life. He used no drawings and all the bricks were made locally - including the famous pineapple shaped brick which you can see to this day.

DC Scott had to keep the building work secret from the Church of Scotland Mission Board in Edinburgh because he knew that if they found out they would have ordered him to stop. The mission was struggling for funds in those days. However the church was completed and dedicated on 10th May 1891. At that time Alexander Hetherwick said that it was the only permanent structure church between the Zambezi and the Nile rivers.

If you want to read more you may be able to search and find online a book about the church by Dr Amelia Taylor.

Also on the video you can catch glimpses of The Blantyre Synod Health and Development Commission, Phoenix Primary School, The Jane Hart building, HHI School, The St. Michael's Multi-Purpose Hall, the old clocktower and the University of Blantyre Synod.

In 1959 the Scottish Mission (Blantyre Mission) passed the baton on to the new domestic church (CCAP Blantyre Synod). The CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) grew out of and superseded the original Scottish Mission. The CCAP is the largest Christian denomination in Malawi.