Jordan Msumba

Jordan Msumba was a religious figure active in colonial Nyasaland (present-day Malawi) in the early 20th century, best known as a co-founder of the African Independent Church known as the Last Church of God and His Christ.

Early life and background Jordan Msumba was born at Usisya in the area of Chief Mbwana, in what is today Nkhata Bay District, Northern Malawi to Tumbuka parents. In early 1900s, he received elementary education through the Livingstonia Mission system.

Between approximately 1907 and 1909, Msumba joined Elliot Kamwana Chirwa, the charismatic preacher of the Watch Tower Society in West Nyasa, becoming a lay preacher.

The movement gained popularity among rural peasants in northern Malawi, distinguishing itself from mainstream missionary churches by its acceptance of traditional practices. It became one of the successful independent churches in the region during the inter-war period.

Legacy and continuation The Last Church of God and His Christ continued to grow through the 1930s and beyond, developing further into localized branches. Later histories, such as those by Makuni Gondwe (2018), explore its further developments, splits, and evolving practices into the post-colonial era.