The History of Matandani Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, Neno, Malawi, 1908-1989

This dissertation traces and examines the history of Matandani mission of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) found in the Neno district of Malawi. The importance of Matandani mission in the overall SDA mission history in Malawi cannot be understated. Not only was this mission a contemporary of the famous Malamulo mission in the spread of early SDA message in Malawi but it was unique in other ways too. Unlike Malamulo mission whose origin was largely through the efforts of missionaries, Matandani mission is a good example of the often de-emphasised African role in the establishment of Christian missions in Africa. The study establishes that the mission is a classic example of how local workers and missionaries joined efforts to propagate the Adventist message, an interaction that was at times delicate as evidenced by the Wilfred Gudu Affair of 1922-25 and the African Teachers’ protest of 1953. The study maintains that although to a large degree the evangelical aspects of the mission remained constant throughout its eighty-one years (1908-1989) of existence, the mission is a sad example of the infrastructural decline and general mission rout now endemic at many SDA missions in Malawi. For Matandani mission, the decline and final closure of the Industrial School in 1989 signified the extent of this decline.