The Registered Trustees of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church have taken members of the Bangwe congregation to the High Court in Blantyre amid a dispute over ownership and occupation of church property.
According to court filings in Land Cause No. 50 of 2025, the trustees are suing Amos Kuipa, Patrick Raphael, Edward Makuwira, Cidreck Yusuf, Don Chisale, and several others accused of remaining on church premises despite an earlier dissolution order issued by the South Malawi Conference.
The case, which is before Justice Allan Muhome in the Civil Division at the Principal Registry, concerns two parcels of land — Title Number Mzedi 23/8 and Plot Number MZ (LE) 16/52/10 — said to belong to the SDA Church.
In their claim, the trustees are asking the court to grant them full possession of the properties and to award compensation or mesne profits of K700,000 per month starting from March 2025 until the land is vacated.
They are also seeking costs and any other remedies the court may deem appropriate.
The standoff follows a decision by the South Malawi Conference to dissolve the Bangwe branch, citing continuous resistance to the church’s administrative authority and doctrinal guidance.
However, leaders of the congregation have continued to hold services, arguing that their beliefs align with the fundamental principles of the global SDA Church.
The Bangwe group is said to differ from the mainstream SDA structure in several areas, including its prohibition of women preachers and the use of an emblem distinct from that of the main church.
Despite their expulsion from the conference network, the faction maintains that it remains part of the wider Adventist faith community.
