letter from Madagascar
Last month, I had the privilege to visit our ministry partner in Madagascar, Pastor Faly, who is based in a local church in the capital, Antananarivo.
His ministry is doing an impressive amount of gospel work in the community and across the nation – from publishing and printing theological books, to training preachers, a youth camp, a new medical ministry, and working with people with disabilities.
While there, I met with denominational leaders, pastors, potential Union School of Theology students, and business leaders. We hosted 30 Christian business leaders for a dinner where we spoke about generosity and stewardship, heard testimonies, and gave a challenge to give to support local church ministry.
It was a joy getting to know the people, spending time chatting about life and challenges. Malagasy people are entrepreneurial, sharp, and highly motivated. They accomplish a lot with very little. An example of this entrepreneurial drive is that Faly’s team have developed an exporting business to help support ministry so that they don’t have to rely solely on foreign support.
The island has many churches, but the prosperity gospel is everywhere, as well as syncretism. It is estimated that only 5% are evangelical, gospel-believing churches. The church in Madagascar desperately needs reformation, as does the society. Union is well placed to help leaders seed such a reformation, calling Christians across the nation back to the true gospel of Christ.
Our vision at Union is to come alongside Madagascan churches and contribute to an ecosystem that enables the raising up of leaders and church growth. We have already begun getting Union books into French, working towards a conference in 2026, and providing support for mission. In September, we’ll launch a Learning Community with Union School of Theology, where students from different cities and networks can study for a UK-accredited theological degree. Please pray for this ongoing endeavour!
