Tim & Melanie
Serving in Malawi
Since 2008, Tim and Melanie with their sons (Jarred and Clayton) have served in Mangochi, Malawi among the Yawo people.
In their sixteen years on the field, Tim and Melanie have established deep relationships, always with a focus on empowering communities to develop their own distinctive ways of following Jesus.
Melanie has also recently taken on the role as Baptist Mission Australia’s Church Relationship Manager for Queensland.
The Yawo People
The Yawo are a resilient people with spiritual customs linked closely to shamanism. Although the main religion is Islam, Yawo Muslims combine Islam with their ancient tribal religion, using traditional medicines and talismans for protection from witchcraft, as well as for healing / seeking good fortune. They carry the understanding that a person’s spirtual beliefs will influence all other parts of their life.
Despite being one of the least reached people groups in the world; a small and growing number of Yawo men and women are now meeting to explore God’s stories. While some are at the very beginning of their journey to Jesus, others have already committed to follow Him.
Through the work of organisations like Baptist Mission Australia, God is raising up local Yawo as leaders to their own people. Tim and Mel work independently, but also closely alongside, another of our mission partners, Jean-Claude and Joyce.
What is Cipula Camwenye?
Over the past 30 years, local faith communities have been emerging among the Yawo people, with Yawo leaders now discipling local believers and working with other local leaders as a committee to make decisions with autonomy.
From this committee a not-for-profit company named Cipula Camwenya Ltd has been formed, with the goal of enabling locals to join together through income generating initiatives, discipleship programs, children and youth groups, training and other activities.
Holding the vision to empower Yawo communities to follow Jesus in their own distinctive ways, they also seek to empower believers to be free from poverty, free from dependency on hand-outs and sharing Jesus in a self-funded and culturally appropriate way.
Melanie’s new role
Tim and Melanie are entering into a new cycle of their ministry, which will see them splitting their year equally between Malawi and Australia, with six months spent consecutively in each country.
As part of this new arrangement, Melanie has accepted an invitation to serve as Baptist Mission Australia’s Queensland Church Relationship Manager.
