| Christopher Mwashinga | |
| Birth Date: | 1965 1, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Mbeya, Tanzania |
| Occupation: | Christian minister, author, poet |
| Alma Mater: | University of Arusha |
| Period: | 21st Century |
| Language: | English and Kiswahili |
| Genre: | non-fiction, Christian poetry |
| Notableworks: | A History of Christianity in East Africa: The Beginning and Development of Missions (2020) Ocean of Grace (2016) Uadventista Barani Afrika: Changamoto na Fursa za Ukuaji (2017) |
| Spouse: | Ruth M. Mwashinga |
| Children: | Christopher R. Mwashinga II, Anna Nakijwa Mwashinga, and Richard Aaron Mwashinga |
Christopher R. Mwashinga, Jr (born 9 January 1965) is a Tanzanian author and poet from Mbeya, Tanzania who lives in the United States. He has published books of Christian poetry, theology, mission, and religious history. His poetry has been published in reputable anthologies in the United States,[1] and other countries including Kenya,[2] Singapore,[3] and Tanzania.[4] He writes in English and Kiswahili.
Christopher Richard Mwashinga was born to Richard Male Mwashinga and Christine Mwashinga in the Igawilo ward of Mbeya, Tanzania. He spent his first 20 years in West Kilimanjaro[5] about 1000km (1,000miles) from his home village in the southern highlands of Tanzania.[6] [7] He is the third of the eleven children born to his parents.
Mwashinga attended Ngare-Nairobi Primary School in West Kilimanjaro before he moved south to attend Igawilo Secondary School in Mbeya (O-Levels), and Songea Boys High School in Songea (A-Levels)–all in Tanzania.[8] He was trained in Theology at the Tanzania Adventist College (now the University of Arusha) in Tanzania and the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton in Kenya where he earned a B.A. degree in Theology.[9] He then moved for graduate studies to the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on the campus of Andrews University, [10] located at Berrien Springs, Michigan, US. At the seminary, Mwashinga earned two master's degrees: a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Religion (Systematic Theology). [11] He is currently (2024) completing a PhD in Systematic Theology in the same institution. [12]
Mwashinga is married to Ruth Michael Mwashinga and together they have three children: Christopher Richard Mwashinga II, Anna Nakijwa Mwashinga, and Richard Aaron Mwashinga.[13] [14] Mwashinga enjoys traveling to new cultures as he preaches and writes his Christian poetry and non-fiction.[15] [16]
For many years, Mwashinga, an ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, served the youth and public university students in East Africa.[17] [18] Before going to the US for further studies he worked as a chaplain in charge of Public Campus Ministries in the South-West Tanzania Field (now Southern Highlands Conference) headquartered in Mbeya. He also served as director of several church departments in the Eastern Tanzania Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, including: Public Campus Ministries,[19] Youth, Education, Children's Ministries, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, and as coordinator of the Satellite Evangelism Program for the same conference.[20] [21] During his tenure, Mwashinga started a program he called Campus Evangelistic Campaigns (CEC) which was responsible for organizing and running evangelistic campaigns in major public universities in Tanzania. Between 2000–2004 he personally conducted big evangelistic campaigns in Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of Dar es Salaam,[22] and Mzumbe University,[23] utilizing major university auditoriums such as Nkrumah Hall (University of Dar es Salaam), New Assembly Hall (Mzumbe University) and Multi-purpose Hall (Sokoine University of Agriculture), among others.[24] [25] He also spoke to university communities in a number of Kenyan universities including the University of Nairobi, Moi University, and the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton.[26] [27] His was a familiar voice in many of these centers of learning. He also spoke internationally as he visited universities around the world.[28] [29] For the past twenty years, Mwashinga has travelled widely representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church in international conferences or preaching assignments. Between 2000 and 2021 alone, he crossed the Atlantic 18 times. His ministry and study tours took him to Brazil, Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Rwanda, Uganda, Thailand, Kenya, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Tanzania, Israel, the Czech Republic, and Zambia among others. During those international trips, he presented on a variety of subjects and wrote hundreds of letters and emails. He also wrote hundreds of poems both English and Kiswahili, and always kept a diary. [30]
Mwashinga began to write and recite poetry at a fairly young age. He was about 13 when his first piece was published in Kilimanjaro Leo a weekly Kiswahili Newspaper in his native country of Tanzania. Since then he has published three collections of English poems: Beeches of Golden Sand: Inspirational Poems (2009)[31] Windows of Love (2012), and Ocean of Grace (2016).[32], Collected Poems: 1991-2021, He has also published seven collections of Kiswahili poetry including Sauti Toka Ughaibuni (Voice From the Diaspora),[33], Kilele Cha Tumaini (Summit of Hope), and Tumaini Lenye Baraka: Diwani ya Christopher Mwashinga (The Blessed Hope), Njia ya Matumaini, Mwenge wa Matumaini. Furthermore, he has published more than twenty other books both scholarly and popular, mostly in the area of theology, mission, and history of Christianity. [34] [35] The most notable works in the area of non-fiction are perhaps his books on Mission Theology and a History of Christian Missions in East Africa, Uadventista Barani Afrika: Changamoto na Fursa za Ukuaji (Adventism in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Growth), and The Works of Christopher Mwashinga in multiple volumes.[36] [37]
Non-fiction
Poetry
The Works of Christopher Mwashinga project 1 (English)
The Works of Christopher Mwashinga project 2 (Swahili)
Journal Articles