Mwamakamba, Witson Mwakilembe (1947–2005)

Witson Mwamakamba was a passionate promoter of the literature evangelism and an able administrator in the publishing work.

Early Life, Education, and Marriage

Witson Mwakilembe Mwamakamba was born to the family of Nnyali Mwasengo and Veronica Kionyela on April 24, 1947, in the village of Masoko, Tukuyu district, in the Mbeya region of Tanzania. His parents were farmers who taught him manual work, which he enjoyed with his siblings in their village.¹

Mwamakamba enrolled in Msasoko Adventist Primary School and later Masukulu Middle School where he completed class eight. He was unable to attend secondary school immediately because of limited resources and the scarcity of schools in the region. Instead, he started selling books. While continuing to work, he eventually managed to attend secondary school, qualifying for university studies. In 1982, Mwamakamba began studying at Spicer Memorial College, earning a BA degree in theology with a minor in public health. He then proceeded to Philippine Union College where he earned two Master's degrees in religion and public health respectively. Mwamakamba’s formal education culminated with a Ph.D. in public administration.²

Mwamakamba married Judith Mbibi Mwamakamba in 1971. They had five children, Lutufyo, Lusekelo, Lusubilo, Lufingo, and Lwijisyo, who are all faithful church members and some are serving in the church.

Ministry

Upon completion of his standard eight education, Mwamakamba was fortunate to find employment in the Iringa Diamond Cutting Company in 1968. However, after he was denied Sabbaths off work, he quit the job. In 1970, he was called to join the colporteur ministry at Iringa Town where he worked very hard and qualified as a credentialed literature evangelist the same year. As a result of his success selling books, Mwamakamba was promoted to assistant publishing director in Songea Township. In 1973, he was transferred to Mbeya serving in the same position.

In 1975, Mwamakamba attended Arusha Adventist Seminary in order to qualify for pastoral work. In 1977, he became district pastor in Iringa. That same year, he was called to lead the publishing department for the Tanzania General Field.³ He was among a group of five senior pastors who conducted evangelistic meetings throughout Tanzania in 1979.⁴ From 1991 to 1992, he served as chaplain of universities and colleges in the city of Dar es Salaam. Thereafter, the Church called him to serve as publishing director of the Eastern Africa Division with headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 1995, Mwamakamba was a delegate to the General Conference session in Utrecht, the Netherlands.⁵ He continued to serve as publishing director in the new East-Central Africa Division with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, after the re-organization of the African continent into three divisions in 2003.⁶ He served in this position until he died on December 19, 2005.⁷

Sources

“News Notes: Afro-Mideast.” ARH, May 24, 1979.

“Delegates: East Africa Division,” ARH, June 29, 1995.

“Literature Evangelists Graduate in East Africa.” ARH, October 5, 1995.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2003-2005.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1979.

Notes

1. Judith Mwamakamba, telephone interview by author, February 18, 2020, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.↩

2. ² Agnes Naziel Mghumi, interview by author, February 18, 2020, Morogoro, Tanzania.↩

3. ³ Watson Mwaibasa, interview by author, February 19, 2020, Morogoro, Tanzania; “Tanzania General Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, DC, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1979), 121.↩

4. “News Notes: Afro-Mideast.” ARH, May 24, 1979, 28.↩

5. “Delegates: East Africa Division,” ARH, June 29, 1995, 23.↩

6. “East-Central Africa Division,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2003), 39.↩

7. “East-Central Africa Division,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2005), 37.↩