Key points:
- The United Methodist Church is expanding its presence in Madagascar, with construction underway on two new church buildings.
- The Sambava congregation in the north has grown from five members to more than 130 and helped establish five additional congregations in surrounding communities.
- Through a partnership with the Missouri Conference’s Mozambique Initiative, the new churches will provide permanent spaces for worship, leadership training and community outreach.
United Methodism continues to expand in Madagascar as the church lays the foundation for two new church buildings on the island nation.
In August, a delegation led by the Rev. Eric Kalumba Nkulu embarked on a multiweek evangelism journey. Kalumba is a Global Ministries missionary from Tanganyika, Congo, assigned as a church planter in Madagascar.
Under the vision of Bishop João Filimone Sambo, who leads the Mozambique-South Africa-Eswatini-Madagascar Episcopal Area, work began on two 40-by-30-foot buildings to house new parishes in Sambava in the far north and in Ankijabe in the west.
Kalumba said the work is the culmination of fervent prayer, the resilience of communities that have long worshipped in precarious conditions and the church’s commitment to social well-being.
Located more than 620 miles from Antananarivo, the Sambava congregation has seen tremendous growth. In August 2024, Ramainty Clémence traveled to the capital to visit her United Methodist sister. Touched by her sister’s testimony, she accepted Christ and returned north with a mission to evangelize her community.
Clémence’s group quickly grew from five to 15, then to over 130 people. During a missionary visit in April 2025, many members were baptized and confirmed. Becoming a mother church, the Sambava parish subsequently birthed congregations in Antalaha, Namoana, Tsarbaria, Vohémar and Amboangibe.
“We didn’t know how our good Lord could open a way like this to plant a United Methodist church in the North, a vision we had upon our arrival in Madagascar,” Kalumba said.
Logistics struggled to keep up with the fervor. The faithful rented a classroom, enduring the unpredictability of the school calendar.
“We sometimes had to cancel the Wednesday evening service because students needed the room for remedial classes,” church member Razafiarison Matio said. “Now, our prayer has been answered. When the construction is finished, we will be able to follow all our programs without being disturbed.”
On March 5, thanks to the efforts of the bishop and the Missouri Conference’s Mozambique Initiative, a partnership was signed. In exchange for a significant local contribution in labor and materials, partners funded much of the construction.
“The prevailing sentiment is one of transition from isolation to stability,” said Ezequiel Marcos Nhantumbo, country representative for the Mozambique Initiative. Nhantumbo also does translation work and coordinates Lusophone content for United Methodist Communications and UM News.
“A congregation moves from under trees to a thatched-roof shelter to a new chapel. Seeing permanent chapels being built in Sambava and Ankijabe instills a sense of dignity and legitimacy in the eyes of the local communities,” he said.
Nhantumbo said that the Missouri Conference validates the efforts of workers and pastors on the ground, “proving that the Malagasy mission field has not been forgotten and is part of a global vision.”
On Aug. 16, after a final worship service in the school, the congregation went to the new plot of land. “We can have a plan, resources and workers,” Kalumba said, “but the true builder remains God.”
The urgency now is to complete the work before the formidable rainy season in December, by which time the congregation hopes to celebrate the building’s dedication.
Hope also extends to Ambilobe, 15 to 30 miles away. The delegation visited a young congregation there, which, after meeting under a tree for six months, built a small shed on a member’s land. The missionary praised this effort as a “seed of hope” that justifies future support.
After a brief return to the capital, the delegation headed west on heavily dilapidated roads to reach the rural commune of Ankijabe, more than 300 miles from Antananarivo.
There, the church started under the leadership of Mayor Andriamahazo Tersis. Convinced by the impact of faith on his population, he supported the congregation’s development.
“This is an opportunity for us,” he said. “When people are spiritually guided, they become dignified and wise. These people bring harmony, security and peace.”
Neighborhood president Sitraka Jean Jacques described this progress as a “great miracle.”
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Soatina Hasiniaina, a faithful member from neighboring Soaniaviana, said she was excited to bring her share of bricks for the project.
“By faith, I prayed for this church, and I am happy that it is finally happening.”
The United Methodist Church’s commitment in Ankijabe goes beyond the purely spiritual framework to embrace the community’s vital health needs. Even before their arrival, Kalumba responded to a distress call from Sitraka. In the Soaniaviana neighborhood, a local nurse was struggling to manage emergencies, left helpless by a severe lack of equipment.
From the capital, church leaders dispatched first-aid kits, emergency medical equipment, blood-pressure monitors, thermometers and essential medicines.
Local Pastor Rakotoson Eugène sees the new building as a strategic tool to make the Gospel resonate throughout the region. He did, however, highlight another major challenge: illiteracy. “We hope that one day, we can have a primary and secondary school,” he said.
That aligns with the broader vision of the church, Nhantumbo said.
“Having a built-up church structure places the church as a serious, permanent and trustworthy institution, attracting new converts who seek fellowship and spiritual security,” he said.
These chapels will serve as a center for worship services and as bases for leadership training, literacy programs, Sunday schools and the distribution of biblical materials or social support.
“Where there is a permanent infrastructure, discipleship will cease to be seasonal and become ongoing,” Nhantumbo said. “With a stable infrastructure secured through the partnership, local leaders can redirect their energy and financial resources — previously consumed by rent or tent repairs — directly toward evangelistic work and expansion into neighboring villages.”
Rakotoarivony is a communicator and legal representative for the Madagascar mission field. Rakotonirina is a church communicator in Antananarivo.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
