John Chilembwe (ca. 1871–1915): African Baptist Pastor and Protester

Abstract

ABSTRACT John Chilembwe (ca. 1871–1915) is best known for his part in a brief uprising in 1915 against oppression by colonial authorities and white settlers in what was then Nyasaland – now Malawi. This article covers that episode, but gives attention in particular to Chilembwe’s Christian nurture and introduction to Baptist life through an independent-minded Baptist, Joseph Booth. It was his work with Booth that led to his going to the United States to train as a Baptist minister. He was supported by the African American National Baptist Convention. The article traces the way in which Chilembwe built up a significant Baptist church in Nyasaland, an aspect of his life that has received much less attention. The church was the first African-initiated congregation in the region. The pictured offered here is of Chilembwe as a dedicated and effective pastor and one whose protests, which led to his death, came out of his spiritual convictions.