Author: Mike McCabe

At the age of 102, on 28^th December 2025, Jean Murray went home to be with her Saviour and Lord. It is impossible to adequately sum up her remarkable life but here is just a glimpse of her life so far as it related to the zambesi mission.

Born in 1923, Jean grew up in Croydon, south London and went on to qualify as a nurse and then a midwife in local hospitals.

The late 1950s found Jean working in Cambridgeshire as a peripatetic midwife. There she had a colleague, Con Biart, and they became close sisters in the Lord.

In 1960 Con went to Nyasaland, as it then was, as a missionary with zambesi mission. Jean visited her there for a holiday and Con challenged her to come and work there as there was a great need for medical staff in the mission’s health centres and rural hospital. By this time Jean was working in the Brighton area and going to Holland Road Baptist church. Fairly soon after her return from Africa, the church held a missionary conference and Jean went forward in response to an appeal for people willing to go overseas to serve God.

Jean applied to zm and in 1965 went out to what was then the newly independent nation of Malawi. She was based first at zm’s HQ, called Mitsidi, on the edge of Blantyre, Malawi’s largest town. On the site was a school, church, printing press, offices, health centre and staff accommodation as well as fruit trees and crop growing areas. Whilst Jean loved being involved in everything, she was in greatest demand in the health centre running a day clinic, overseeing a pharmacy, going out to the villages around in a Landrover she bought and of course delivering babies. In emergency, nurses were called upon to do whatever they could, including pulling out teeth without anaesthetic. In 1969 Jean wrote an article for Polished Shaft, zm’s magazine for supporters, about the work with children at Mitsidi – copy attached.

In 1971 the old Mitsidi site was taken over by the President as part of the grounds of his new Palace. So Jean worked with the others to make the move to a new site 3 miles round the hillside a success. Jean wrote an article for Polished Shaft, in December 1971 reflecting on the move – copy attached.  

Also based at Mitsidi until 1978 were Gladys and John Simons, an Australian couple and their 3 young children: Jennifer, Gillian and Stephen. The children loved being looked after by “Aunty Jean” and for her to join their family trips to the mountains outside Blantyre – some more reflections from the Simons are below.    

Jean spent much of her later years at Ntonda, a mission station in the remote hills towards the Mozambique border where zm ran a rural hospital. From here Jean went out in her trusty Landrover, to support medical work in various health centres around. By this time all the premises, including the churches, had been handed over the Zambesi Evangelical Church and the mission staff increasingly worked alongside Malawians, training them to take full responsibility for their facilities and work.

Jean retired in 1988 (the last missionary nurse to do so) aged 65 and returned to live in Brighton, joining again with her home church, Holland Road Baptist Church. Over these years she shared at church events about her experiences in Malawi to challenge and inspire future generations to share the gospel – just as she has done. As Jean built on the legacy of those who went before her to Africa, so the African believers are now building on her legacy to continue the growth of the Malawian church throughout that beautiful country.

Fond memories of growing up in Malawi as children with Jean Murray

From Jennifer, Gillian and Stephen Simons (children of missionaries John and Gladys Simons), Perth, Western Australia

We have warm memories of ‘Aunty’ Jean Murray who joined ZM 1965. She was a dedicated nurse from Brighton who worked tirelessly in the ZM dispensaries in rural Ntonda and New Mitsidi.  She had a real depth of character and great courage while also being very reserved.  Accommodation was basic and she made the best of things. Over the years we remember that in two different ZM houses that she lived in, her room opened directly onto the verandah and she had to enter the rest of the house by going outside at all times of day or night.  She always had her trusty torch and a calm attitude.  After she moved into the duplex at New Mitsidi we realised that leopards where actually frequenting the mission property.  She knew that as long as she had her light then her way was safe.  She used this analogy many times when speaking about  Jesus as the the Light of the World and therefore there is nothing to fear.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119:105 Jean would read.

Jean Murray was fond of her green Landrover that she purchased.  She used it to visit people in the villages; take patients to hospital and Pastors to outlying churches.

’Aunty’ Jean talked fondly of her family and spent time with us (Simons) as part of the family on birthdays, Christmas and outings to Zomba Plateau.  She also loved animals and looked after our dog each time we went on furlough to Australia.  We left ZM in 1978 and Jean Murray retired back to England in 1988.

Mike Beresford has kindly penned the following tribute to Colin:

Colin was involved in both my first and second interview for the role of Mission Director at York Baptist Church in 2012.  Even then I sensed that he was a warm-hearted and godly man who seemed to have a deep understanding of God’s grace.  On joining zm Colin became an important part of my time in the mission.  He had started working for zm in 1996, appointed by trustees who were aware that new wisdom and energy were needed as the new millennium approached.  Over the next 7 years until he retired from full-time employment, Colin laid much of the groundwork for the way the mission was in 2012 and continues to be today.  There are several aspects of this, that each point to his godly and gracious character.  Colin had a deep love and respect for our Malawian and Mozambican partners.  I think he was responsible for much of the recent return to the mission’s founding “Africa for the African” vision which dated back to the 19^th century.  Colin recognised that Malawians and Mozambicans were the best people to reach their country for Christ.  Training men and women at the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi was a better model of mission than sending workers all the way from the UK.  This approach continues today.  

Colin was also instrumental in establishing the modus operandi that zm currently uses in its relationship with supporting churches.  In a day when churches can feel pressurised to give financially to the mission organisations that they support, Colin modelled a different approach.  This was not only relationship-driven but also focussed as much on the needs of the supporting churches as on the needs of the mission.  Colin also ensured that zm was not parochial, never championing its cause to the detriment of other mission organisations.  He argued instead that the broader mission of the church was paramount, as opposed to zm behaving as though it was the only mission in the world.  Colin’s work led to the mission building up a large number of supporting churches in the UK and particularly in East Anglia.  Whenever I visited a church, people would ask me how Colin was, and Colin would often join me at local churches.  But he was always content to watch and encourage from the background.  He would always have a prayerful interest in my visits and really used our prayer diary.  When speaking to him shortly after a church service or meeting he would always ask how I had got on.  Knowing that I was supported in prayer in such a busy role was a huge encouragement and blessing.

Colin was also a very important part of our Executive Committee for many years.  He knew the churches and the contexts in Malawi and northern Mozambique well, so he had a unique insight.  But he didn’t just let his own view from the past prevail, recognising that time had moved on since his visits.  When difficult circumstances or relationship breakdowns occurred Colin often epitomised the phrase “what would Jesus do?”  His memorable response to one situation was – “we should pray for them” accepting how important it was to “pray for those who persecute you”.  It was always good to have him with us.  He also enjoyed coming up to York by train, describing his thrill when a fast train passed through Peterborough station without stopping!  We asked him to withdraw his first letter of resignation due to age, which he graciously agreed to do.  I think it was when he turned 80 that he pleaded somewhat light-heartedly to be released, something that the trustees reluctantly accepted.  After he stepped down it was still good to visit him when I was in the area, a habit which continued after my retirement in 2024. 

Thank you Lord for Colin – he was a good friend and a faithful brother in Christ.  I cherished his prayers and learnt so much from his ministry.  We give thanks and praise to God for Colin’s life and witness to his Saviour Jesus Christ.   

May the Lord bless you and keep you and Colin’s family as we grieve this wonderful man whilst taking comfort that we will see him again.

“God is good …… all the time.”

Thank you for supporting in prayer the discernment process we have undertaken for our Regional Director in Malawi and northern Mozambique. It was a privilege last week to interview two men who were looking to serve God and themselves were prayerfully seeking God’s guidance.

After careful deliberation, the Executive unanimously decided to offer the Regional Director position to Anthony Masala and he has accepted. Unfortunately, this decision was made too late to be able to appear in the May edition of Update but will obviously be covered in August edition.

Born in Malawi, Anthony is no stranger to zambesi mission. An ordained ZEC pastor, Anthony gained the first of three theological qualifications at the Evangelical Bible College of Malawi and more recently has lectured there. At various times he has been a volunteer worker with zm, the National Youth Coordinator for ZEC, and most recently he has held key roles in J-Life Ministries with whom zm closely collaborates in Malawi.

We are planning for Anthony to start as RD in May transitioning to full-time in June. Please join us in giving thanks for Anthony Masala and pray that the arrangements for his starting and his induction go well.