In Malawi, 16 residents converted to Orthodoxy within the Russian Orthodox Church

In Zomba District, located in the Republic of Malawi, 16 members of the Yao and Manganja indigenous peoples officially joined the Orthodox Church. The sacrament of Baptism was preceded by a lengthy preparatory period, according to a report from the African Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The ceremony took place on July 11, 2026, in the rural area of Nanhunda at the parish of Blessed Matrona of Moscow. Before embracing the faith, the newly enlightened underwent a four-month period of catechesis, during which they studied the fundamentals of Christian doctrine in detail under the guidance of the parish priest, Father Savva Kadzha.

This event underscores the ongoing expansion of the Russian Orthodox Church’s missionary activities on the African continent. It should be noted that interest in Orthodoxy is also evident in other regions of the world: it was previously reported that in Hawaii, more than 100 people were baptized into the Orthodox faith at a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.