Angola

Church-in-Formation
Organized Free Methodist Churches: 15
FMC Membership: 5,265
Ordained Ministers: 15
Ministerial Candidates: 11
(reflects Brazilian work only)

Origins

Angola, one of the world’s poorest countries, is recovering from the devastating effects of a 27-year civil war which ended in 2002. The life expectancy there (40 years) is among the lowest in Africa. The Free Methodist Church in Mozambique, a Portuguese-speaking country, desired to begin outreach to the people of Angola, who also speak Portuguese. Eventually funds were raised and given to the Mozambique Free Methodist Church to send a leader to Angola to begin work with a small church group that had started there. The Mozambican had to return home from this exploratory trip, but the ground work is in place to begin an on-going relationship with this church that has started in the capital city, Luanda. The Brazilian Free Methodist General Conference also has begun a work in Angola, centered in the Malanje district.