Two baptisms in Madagascar

Justin Renton • Nov 11, 2019
The disciples in the small church of Antananarivo, Madagascar, recently had double cause for celebration with the baptisms of two young people. This brings the total number of members to 24.
Abdo was baptised at the end of October, and is a teenager who started playing soccer with some of the teen boys in the church. Blown away by the love of the congregation, he started studying the Bible and was added to their number.

Having lost both his parents, Abdo currently lives with his grandmother, and one of the sisters in the church is sponsoring his education.


"The disciples are so inspired by Abdo and his great love for the scriptures, and also because they can see how the church provided hope in his life," says Roma Randrianavelona who, together with his wife Hanta, lead the group on a voluntary basis. 

Stéphanie is the daughter of Falli, who was restored to the fellowship in 2018, and her mother is currently in the process of being restored.

Stéphanie will join the campus ministry in December.
There are no full-time leaders in the church, yet the disciples are faithful and keep on trusting God to help them raise families who love the scriptures and the people around them.
Did you know that Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is thought to have broken off from the Indian sub-continent 85 million years ago? Around 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else in the world, and you can find both the biggest and smallest chameleons in the world right on their doorstep. Up until 1897, Madagascar was ruled by royal families until they were annexed as a French colony. And although they are independent today, the Malagasy people are among the poorest in the world, with many people living on $2 a day.

But why don't you go and see it for yourself? The disciples welcome visitors to their fellowship with open arms. And they are keen to point out there's so much more to their city and country than "King Julius" created for the Hollywood movie named after their beautiful island.

More from Southern African Churches of Christ

Women at retreat in Angola.
By Vida Li Sik 15 Mar, 2024
The sisters in the Angola church held a women's retreat last month. Sixty-six women met from 7-10 March for a time of rest, teaching, and great fellowship. The theme was “Through the eyes of God” and Dr. Deanne de Vries was the guest speaker.
Collage of young people getting baptized.
27 Dec, 2023
While there's no surefire way to ensure your child's journey toward loving and following Jesus, we've spoken to parents of teens and young adults who've recently found their faith. They graciously shared family habits and spiritual practices that made a difference. Here's what they had to say:
01 Dec, 2023
The Tshwane Icoc bid farewell to Themba and Zamalinda MaCebekhulu Xulu as they stepped out of the full-time ministry after decades of service to start a new life adventure in Kwazulu-Natal.
Show More
Share by: