Josiah Mtekateka

Josiah Mtekateka (1903–1996) was a Malawian Anglican bishop. Born on Likoma Island, as a youth he worked as a servant of missionaries at Universities' Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) headquarters at St Peter's Cathedral. He later trained as a teacher and then as a priest. When he was consecrated as a bishop in 1965, he was the first indigenous Malawian to become a bishop in the Anglican Communion. He initially served as suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Malawi, and in 1971 he became the first diocesan bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Lake Malawi. Mtekateka retired as bishop in 1978.

Early life and teaching career Mtekateka was born on Likoma, the home base of the UMCA, in 1903. His upbringing was influenced by the presence of Anglican missionaries on Likoma. He attended school beginning at age three and worked as a servant, building helper and "office boy". The missionary teachers were strict and Mtekateka later recalled receiving painful beatings. During his secondary school years in Likoma, his teachers were native Malawians, not European missionaries.

Mtekateka, who loved church music, was confirmed by Bishop Cathrew Fisher at the newly completed St Peter's Cathedral in 1916. After completing the highest level of education offered by the UMCA schools, he was hired as a priest's dog keeper. As a young man, he aspired to be a lay catechist. He attended mass and evensong regularly at the cathedral and was eventually encouraged to consider the priesthood. He later recalled that "he did not think he would not make a good priest" but decided to sit for the entrance exam for a teachers' college. After passing the exam, Mtekateka enrolled in St Michael's College in 1921. In 1925, he married Maude Nambote. Mtekateka studied for the priesthood at St Andrew's College on Likoma and was ordained in that order in February 1943.

He began his priestly ministry at Chiluli, Tanganyika, an area that became part of the newly formed Diocese of South-West Tanganyika in 1953. While in present-day Tanzania, Mtekateka was named an archdeacon. Pressure to appoint indigenous bishops came both from the Archbishop of Canterbury and from within Malawian churches.