Church leaders in Angola’s Bié Province reported that a recent Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic campaign led to the organization of a new Adventist congregation in the village of Carimba and a series of baptisms across the wider district. The village is located about 20 kilometers from the municipal headquarters of Cambandua and 39 kilometers (about 24 miles) from the provincial capital, Cuito.

First contacts and initial resistance

According to organizers, initial contact with Carimba began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an Adventist church member, Mateus Cuvalela from Central Cuito Church, settled near the area for agricultural work. Leaders said early attempts to introduce the Adventist message faced resistance from local religious leadership and members of the community.

Church leaders reported that, over time, local circumstances shifted, and community members became more open to engagement.

As part of a broader plan to reach areas in the Central district of Cuito without an Adventist presence, the church organized an evangelistic campaign under the theme “Hope in Times of Crisis.”

One week before the meetings, Adventist pastor Azevedo Manuel Chipindo, accompanied by local Adventist church members, visited Carimba to connect with residents and invite them to Bible studies.

Organizers said a key moment occurred during this preparatory visit when community members shared a midday meal of funje, a staple dish in Angola, served with beans. Leaders said the visiting team’s willingness to eat with residents, converse in Umbundu, and pray with the community helped build trust and opened the way for evening Bible studies.

Evangelistic meetings

The evangelistic meetings were held from November 22 to 29, 2025, and organizers reported that members of the village’s existing Christian congregation chose to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church and demonstrate their faith through public baptism.

Local impact

Currently, Carimba has only one active church: the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The results of the evangelistic campaign were significant throughout the region. Organizers reported that the campaign resulted in 23 baptisms in Carimba/Cambandua, 94 at Camundongo Mission, and 35 in the city of Cuito, for a total of 152 newly baptized members across the region.

Meanwhile, at the Abel Abraão Media Center, university students and entities also participated in meetings.

Current challenges

Leaders in Carimba say that despite the evangelistic success, the Adventist community in Carimba faces significant infrastructure challenges. According to organizers, the congregation's worship space has walls in place but still needs a roof and furnishings.

This article was provided by the Southwestern Angola Union in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division.