An evangelism mission conducted in Madagascar’s Deep South is opening a new chapter in the establishment of The United Methodist Church on the island.
Supported by a $12,000 grant from the General Board of Global Ministries, the initiative aimed to proclaim the Gospel in a region marked by poverty, drought, scant basic services and a limited Christian presence.
By the end of the four-month campaign, United Methodist communities had begun to take shape in Andranovory, Ankilimidega, Marovahatse and Toliara, while another point remained in preliminary stages.
For mission leaders, this progress is part of a broader story. The first official parish of The United Methodist Church in Madagascar opened in 2018. Since then, the United Methodist presence has expanded to new areas.
“We are seeking souls,” said the Rev. Éric Kalumba, a Global Ministries missionary from Tanganyika, Congo, assigned as a church planter in Madagascar. “We want to make disciples of the Lord.”
Late last year, 32 people participated in training in Antananarivo, focusing on field evangelism, missionary life in remote areas, geographic and cultural realities of the Deep South, and the methods best suited to sharing the Gospel in difficult contexts. Prayer support also was encouraged.
Although Malagasy is the official language, dialects vary from region to region, and some evangelists from Antananarivo and northern Madagascar equipped themselves to serve in a cultural and linguistic environment different from their own, more than 620 miles from home.
For Razafindrabe “Nicko” Notahiana Miando, motivation came both from his calling and his desire to go where the Gospel is still little known. “Above all,” he said, “my first trip there had the goal of proclaiming the Gospel to those who had never heard it and extending my church into that region.”
Gospel Spread Throughout the Region
After the training, the team set out for 18 days. Difficult road conditions and harsh weather slowed the team’s progress. Evangelism unfolded in several strategic locations along the way, where doors opened and residents showed a genuine desire to hear the word of God.
In Andranovory, halfway along the route, before the muddy road leading to Ampanihy, a woman expressed her desire to become United Methodist. Her decision encouraged the team to hold an evangelistic campaign in that community. The evangelists went door to door to invite families, while the sound equipment purchased in Antananarivo was used to share the Gospel during open-air gatherings.
Near Ejeda, another community along the route, the team also was warmly welcomed. Young people and children came out to meet them. The traditional chief received the team and mobilized residents from several small villages within a radius of about seven miles. Prayer marked the first meeting. Coffee was then offered to the evangelists before conversations began about the campaign scheduled for the following day.
That welcome deeply moved the evangelists, especially since the region remains difficult to access. During the rainy season, even large vehicles struggle to travel. For those who made the journey, that reality confirmed the spiritual and human urgency of the mission.
“The biggest challenge we faced was infrastructure,” said Ramainty Clémence, head of evangelism in Madagascar. “The poor condition of the roads did not always allow us to do our work as effectively as we wanted.”
The living conditions affected the team most deeply. “What touched us the most was the way people are suffering,” Kalumba said. “There is extreme poverty … things you cannot imagine people lacking. It is painful to see people living where clean drinking water is desperately sought, where the hospital is always some distance away, and where schools are also far away.”
In that context, the evangelistic campaigns were not simply religious gatherings. They were also a way of bringing hope to places where isolation, hardship and climate-related trials weigh heavily on families.
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excerpt from a story by Esdras Rakotoarivony, communicator for the Madagascar mission field of The United Methodist Church.
This story shows the impact of the World Service Fund—one of seven apportionment funds of The United Methodist Church—to connect our hearts and resources in mission around the world. Through this fund, the Church supports global ministries, discipleship, evangelism, education, and social justice work that transform lives and communities. Together, we share the love of Christ across boundaries and bring hope where it’s needed most.
When your church contributes faithfully to the World Service Fund, you help the whole Church live out God’s mission in every place.
