Thirty-five inmates were baptized on December 27, 2025, during a worship service at the Tsiroanomandidy prison, according to organizers. Tsiroanomandidy is a town in Madagascar’s central highlands and serves as the capital of the Bongolava Region, located northwest of Antananarivo. Church leaders said the baptism service included congregational singing and choir music, marking the conclusion of several months of Bible instruction for those being baptized.

Organizers said the individuals baptized had studied the Bible for six months, with additional instruction reinforced through a multi-day conference led by local Seventh-day Adventist pastors.

Representatives from the rehabilitation and social reintegration sector attended the ceremony and expressed appreciation for the Adventist Church’s role in supporting the spiritual and social rehabilitation of inmates, organizers said, adding that the partnership is expected to continue.

To conclude the event, local Adventist members in the Bongolava Region provided assistance to the prison population of approximately 650 inmates, including one ton of rice, three bags of sugar, Bibles, three bags of flour, and other essential items.

Church leaders reported that a total of 147 inmates were baptized across the prisons served by the Central Madagascar Conference during the last quarter of 2025.

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