Lazarus Chakwera, former head of the Malawi Assemblies of God, one of the largest Christian denominations in the country, won the elections with 58% of the votes. COURTESY PHOTO.
Evangelist Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, has lauded the election of Lazarus Chakwera, a theologian and former Pastor, as the new president of the Sub-Saharan African nation of Malawi.
Franklin Graham congratulated President Lazarus Chakwera, saying that he did a great job chairing a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association outreach in 2010 called My Hope Malawi.
“President Chakwera said, ‘My victory is a win for democracy and justice.’ Will you join me in praying that God will bless, direct, and protect this man as he leads his country?” Graham asked his more than 8 (eight) million followers on Facebook last Sunday.
Lazarus Chakwera obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Theology from the University of South Africa in 1991. In the United States he received a doctorate to become a professor at the Pan African Theological Seminary for many years.
He also chaired the Assemblies of God School of Theology from 1996 to 2013, in which he was also a professor.
The 65-year-old Malawian entered politics in 2013 without any previous experience and was the leader of the Malawi Congress Party, according to the BBC.
His career in public service, the Christian Post reported, follows 24 years of leading the Assemblies of God denomination in Malawi. The Assemblies of God is one of the largest religious groups in that nation.
Chakwera won the presidential race, defeating incumbent President Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote. He previously ran for president in 2014 and came in second.
According to Premier Christian News, Chakwera was named Lazarus after his two older brothers died while they were infants. Convinced he would live, Chakwera’s father named him after the biblical character whom Jesus raised from the dead.
When he won the election on June 27 he tweeted: “Thank you, my Lord Jesus.”
