History of African Mission Work

by Jim Mattison

     In 1992, a man from France, journeying by bus through Africa, saw Ferdinand Sakala standing at the Blanyre, Malawi bus station with his Bible under his arm.   He handed him a tract, “Who is Jesus”, by Anthony Buzzard, said he might find it interesting, but to not believe it, for it was against the trinity.  Anthony’s address was on the tract and Ferdinand wrote him for more  Bible materials.  Anthony sent him many Bible teachings.

They continued writing back and forth.

     In 1993, Anthony thought, “Perhaps I should fly over there and look into this opportunity,” and he did.   Anthony taught Ferdinand and Margaret Sakala the saving Bible teachings for 15 days.  They believed his teachings.

     They had a few churches and pastors under them.  They introduced them to the new teachings and all but three came to believe them.  Arrangements were made for Anthony to come back the next year, 1994.

     Anthony wrote a glowing report in the Herald/Journal of the great mission opportunity in Africa.  I have always been interested in missions,

even to the taking of two years of Spanish in Louisiana, hoping to go into Mexico as a missionary.  That didn’t work out, but preaching in Africa did.

      I wrote the Sakalas, mentioning my interest in mission preaching.  They replied by inviting me to come with Anthony in 1994 and preach at two conferences.  So I had an invitation.

      A strange thing happened to me in the spring of 1994.  Matthew 24:14

kept coming into my mind day and night for weeks.  The verse said, “This gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all people, and then shall the end come.”  This verse hounded me day and night.  I could not get away from it.  I didn’t understand what was happening.  Then one day in my devotions and prayers to God, I told Him, “Heavenly Father, if You are inviting me to preach Jesus and the Kingdom of God in Africa, I will go, but I ask three things from you:  1) strength and health, 2)  Your Holy Spirit to help me, and 3) the money to go.

     I wrote people that God had called me to preach salvation in Africa and, without my asking, money began to come in.  I took this as confirmation

that this was from God.  As the days went on I thought, “How good it would be if my wife Martha, could share this experience with me.”  It turned out that her job as Day Care Director at the Guthrie Grove Church ended at that time and she was free to accompany me.

     So the summer of 1994, Anthony, his two daughters, Sarah and Claire, Brett Leininger, and Martha and I flew to Malawi via Amsterdam and Johannesburg, and preached at the two conferences in Malawi.   Martha and I went back to Malawi with Anthony to preach in 1996.  It was on this trip that we first noticed Martha’s rare muscle disease beginning.  She could not raise her foot high enough to step on the bus.  We put a suitcase down for her to use as a step, and finished our preaching for that trip.  Later I went to Malawi with Anthony and preached in 1999, after having two hip replacements.

     Around that time Anthony became involved in world-wide radio preaching, and you might say the African mission work was turned over to me.   Starting around 1996 both Anthony and I began sending over Bible teachings to be translated into Chichewa and printed into tracts.  In the process of time there were 50 main Bible teachings being circulated in Malawi and Mozambique.   At this time, around 100,000 tracts have been distributed, and packets of all of the tracts have been given to each of the 167 pastors in the two countries.  Also, my daughter and son-in-law, Rebekah and Dr. Joe Martin began accompanying us on the mission trips, beginning in 1996.  The last couple years they have been the team leaders.

     As mission-minded people continued sending money to me for the African work we were able to help buy land for churches, build churches,

pay for much printing, buy many bicycles for pastors, give away hundreds of Chichewa Bibles, help with flood and famine relief, dig wells, and encourage the people.   It became necessary for us to form a corporation called Malawi African Missions, Inc. to show the IRA that the money coming to us was not our income, and also to be able to give donors a legal receipt.

     We began working with the Church of God General Conference mission department, Lord’s Harvest International, a few years ago.   They have helped in getting the team together, raising money for the trips, etc.   A team goes every year now, usually in July.  Anthony and Bob Gilbert had a teaching trip to Africa in 2001, and Anthony and Don Smith have flown over to teach several times.  Anthony plans to go back this December. 

     The African mission work has grown tremendously since 1994.   A number of pastors have great zeal and several have started 10 churches each or more.

      The people are very poor, but are friendly, and so eager to hear the word of salvation.  Not a sound is heard among them as 200 or more listen to the word of God.  They are a very loving and devout people.  I love them and they love me.  Some call me Father Abraham.  God’s calling me to preach Jesus and the Kingdom of God in Africa has been one of the greatest joys of my life.  I am so glad for this continued opportunity to serve after pastoring for 41 years.  He called me after I was 70 and I’ve been over 9 times.  Rebekah has been over at least 12 times.  She is now the sparkplug of the trips, which, as we mentioned, now take place every year.

     There are now 7 member African Boards over the work in both Malawi and Mozambique.  This is helping them to take over the work and learning to make decisions about which needs are the most important and passing them on to us.  We honor their decisions, whether it is to buy land for a church, buy a bicycle for a certain person,  build a church, or print tracts.  At present 6 new churches are building.  We buy the cement and the metal roof sheets, while they make and fire the brick, pay for the mason and carpenter, the roof timbers and nails.

     This year, a new African opportunity has arisen, an opportunity for the Swahili-speaking people of Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, and other African countries and peoples.  Jerome Chembe, pastor from Tanzania, is being brought over November 15 to be baptized.  Rebekah and Joe found him to be solid in the faith when they were with him for 4 days at the end of this last mission trip.  Anne Mbeke, Atlanta Bible College student from Kenya, is translating the 50 tracts into Swahili.  She has 12 done so far.  Sarah Buzzard puts them into tract form, and Joe Martin prints them at the College for 3 cents apiece.  (Our last printing bill in Malawi was $1800.)

     So God is blessing the preaching of His Word in Africa.  His name is being magnified, as well as the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus.  The people are given hope, as the Gospel is preached.  From the beginning the two main Bible teachings have been stressed:  Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus (Acts 8:12).   Our thanks goes to all who have supported this effort.

Jim Mattison

October 2006