The St. Michael and all Angels Church held a special ceremony on Sunday, 15th May, 2011 to commemorate 120 years of the existence of the magnificent St. Michael Cathedral. Built by David Clement Scott from 1888, the cathedral was dedicated on 10th May, 1891 with only 30 local congregants. Today, 120 years on, the membership of the church stands at a staggering four thousand.
Present at the colourful ceremony was the Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, the Rev. Dr. Billy Gama who was representing the state President. Other dignatories included the Very Rev Silas Ncozana and Chief Kapeni, a descendant of the chief that granted a parcel of land to Henry Henderson to start mission work at Blantyre in 1876.
Over the years Blantyre Mission, where st. Michael and All Angels Church is based, has had a significant impact on the life of Malawians, spritually, economically and culturally. When it was completed, the cathedral was the only structure built for purposes of organised worship standing between the Zambezi and the Nile. The first African pastors were ordained in 1912. On the economic front, the missionaries introduced new crops such as tea and coffee to the country, among other trade activities, that were meant to replace the abhorrent slave trade, which had been rampant in this part of Africa
