Serving Christ for Over 150 Years

The Origin and History of the C.C.A.P.

The formation of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (C.C.A.P.) was largely inspired by the vision of Dr. Robert Laws (Bolink, 1967:191). As early as 1893, he advocated for the creation of a united Presbyterian Church encompassing the congregations of the Blantyre Mission, the Dutch Reformed Church Mission, and the Livingstonia Mission (Bolink, 1967:191).

The mother church in Scotland initially suggested naming the new church the Presbyterian Church of Central Africa (P.C.C.A.). However, delegates, including Rev. Dr. Elmslie and Dr. Heatherwick, proposed the name "Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (C.C.A.P.)" (Chilenje, 1998:40). A consensus was eventually reached, and the chosen name reflects both its location in Central Africa.

The Birth of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod in 1924

The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Synod was officially formed on Wednesday, September 17, 1924, during a united session of the Livingstonia Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland. The session, held at Livingstonia at 7:00 PM, was attended by representatives from about ten different missions (Minutes: C.C.A.P. Synod, 17th-22nd September 1924:4; Laws, 1934:143; Ross, 1996:194).Rev. Dr. Alexander Heatherwick from Blantyre Presbytery was elected Chairman of the meeting, with Dr. Robert Laws serving as the first Moderator of the Synod. Rev. A.G. McAlpine of the Livingstonia Presbytery was appointed the first Clerk (Extracts: C.C.A.P. Synod, 17th-22nd September 1924:5).The Dutch Reformed Church in Malawi joined the C.C.A.P. in 1926, further strengthening the Synod (Minutes: C.C.A.P. Synod, 13th-15th October 1926:6). Dr. David Livingstone is widely recognized for his instrumental role in laying the foundation for the establishment of the C.C.A.P. (Pauw, 1980:21-26).

The Nkhoma Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church Mission

The Nkhoma Mission was established in Malawi's Central Region in 1888 at the request of the Livingstonia Mission (Northern Region) and the Blantyre Mission (Southern Region). The Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town, South Africa, responded by sending Rev. Andrew Charles Murray and Rev. T.C.B. Vlok to begin missionary work in the region. The first mission station was established at Mvera in 1888, laying the foundation for what would later become the Nkhoma Synod.

The Livingstonia Mission

The Livingstonia Mission followed the initial efforts of the Universities Mission to Central Africa (U.M.C.A.). After the death of Dr. David Livingstone at Chitambo's area in the Ilala country (modern-day northern Zambia) in 1873, his followers Juma and Suze embalmed his body and carried it to England for burial at Westminster Abbey in April 1874. This event sparked a wave of missionary enthusiasm across Britain.In May 1874, the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland received an appeal from Stewart of Lovedale in South Africa to establish a mission in the Lake Malawi region, naming it the Livingstonia Mission in honor of Dr. Livingstone. Later that year, E.D. Young led an expedition of six young men, including Dr. Robert Laws, to the region. They established the mission at Bandawe, where their missionary work began. In 1881, the mission relocated from Bandawe to a new site.

The Blantyre Mission of the Established Church of Scotland

Henry Henderson, part of the first Livingstonia party, sought a suitable site for a mission and, together with Tom Bokwito, identified a location in the Shire Highlands that Dr. David Livingstone had earlier noted as a promising site. In October 1876, the first mission team, led by Dr. McLin, arrived and established the mission near Ndirande Mountain on Chief Kapeni's land. This site was named Blantyre after Dr. Livingstone’s birthplace in Scotland.