{{Short description|Tanzanian author}} {{Multiple issues| {{Promotional|date=May 2022}} {{COI|date=May 2022}} }} {{Use British English|date=December 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox writer | name = Christopher Mwashinga | image = CHRISTOPHER R. MWASHINGA, JR GIVING A PUBLIC LECTURE.jpg | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1965|01|09}} | birth_place = [[Mbeya]], [[Tanzania]] | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Christian minister, author, poet | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = [[University of Arusha]]; [[University of Eastern Africa, Baraton]]; and [[Andrews University]] | period = 21st Century | language = English and [[Kiswahili]] | genre = non-fiction, [[Christian poetry]] | subject = | notableworks = ''A History of Christianity in East Africa: The Beginning and Development of Missions'' (2020) <br />''Ocean of Grace'' (2016) '' Uadventista Barani Afrika: Changamoto na Fursa za Ukuaji (2017)'' | spouse = Ruth M. Mwashinga | partner = | children = Christopher R. Mwashinga II, Anna Nakijwa Mwashinga, and Richard Aaron Mwashinga | relatives = | awards = | signature = | website = | portaldisp = }} {{Seventh-day Adventism}} ''' 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,<ref>''The League of American Poets' Anthology: A Treasury of American Poetry'' Vol. III, published in 2007; ''Literature Evangelist Magazine'' published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, June 1996; and ''Great Poems of the Western World'', 2010.</ref> and other countries including Kenya,<ref>Kenya's ''Sunday Nation'' of 18 June 1995; 13 August 1995.</ref> Singapore,<ref>''El Shadai Magazine.''</ref> and Tanzania.<ref>Tanzania's ''Sunday News'' of October 1991</ref> He writes in English and [[Kiswahili]].
== Early life == 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<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, ''Barua na Mashairi (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books'', 2013), 13–14.</ref> about {{convert|1000|km|mi}} from his home village in the southern highlands of Tanzania.<ref>Mwashinga, ''Barua na Mashairi,'' 36</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tanroads.org/oct/Tanzania%20Road%20Distance%20Chart%20-%20June%202012.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=4 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701223001/http://tanroads.org/oct/Tanzania%20Road%20Distance%20Chart%20-%20June%202012.pdf |archive-date=1 July 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> He is the third of the eleven children born to his parents.
== Education == 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.<ref>Mwashinga, ''Barua na Mashairi'',14–15</ref>{{independent source inline|date=January 2015}} 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.<ref>''Gazeti la Parapanda'' Gazeti Na. 2, Toleo la 1, Januari–Juni, 2004</ref> He then moved for graduate studies to the [[Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary]] on the campus of [[Andrews University]],<ref>''IN TOUCH'' Volume 2 Issue 3. A Newsletter of the Seminary Student Forum, March 2008. Andrews University.</ref> 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]]).<ref>Bruce Bauer, ed. ''Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities.'' Berrien Springs, MI: Department of World Mission, Andrews University, 2010, 79–82.</ref> He earned his PhD in [[Systematic Theology]] in the same institution.<ref>''The Andrews University Seminary Student Journal'' Vol. 2, No. 1, 2016: 33–51</ref>
==Personal life== Dr. Mwashinga is married to Ruth Michael Mwashinga. Together they have three children: Christopher Richard Mwashinga II, Anna Nakijwa Mwashinga, and Richard Aaron Mwashinga.<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, ''Windows of Love'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books, 2012), 8</ref><ref>Lavender Aurora, ''Great Poems of the Western World'' (Oregon: Famous Poets Press, 2009),7</ref> Mwashinga enjoys traveling to new cultures as he preaches and writes his Christian poetry and non-fiction.<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga,''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Volume II: Sermons, Speeches, and Poems'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books, 2014), 609.</ref><ref>''The East African Standard'', Sunday 17 March 1996</ref>
==Youth and student ministry== For many years, Mwashinga, an ordained minister of the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]], served the youth and public university students in East Africa.<ref>Mwashinga, ''Enduring the Cross: Messages of Salvation and Hope,'' 250–252</ref><ref>Seventh-day Adventist Year Book 2005, p. 51</ref> 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,<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga "Kanisa ETF Lafungua Ukurasa Mpya","Gazeti la Parapanda" Toleo 1, June 2003</ref> Youth, Education, Children's Ministries, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, and as coordinator of the Satellite Evangelism Program for the same conference.<ref>Christopher Mwashinga, Jr ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Volume II: Sermons, Speeches, and Poems'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books,2014),609.</ref><ref>Seventh-day Adventist Year Book 2005, p. 51</ref> 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 and 2004 he personally conducted big evangelistic campaigns in Sokoine University of Agriculture, University of Dar es Salaam,<ref>Parapanda, Toleo 1 Juni 2003, pp. 13–14</ref> and Mzumbe University,<ref>Parapanda, Januari–Juni, 2004, 12.</ref> 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.<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, Jr, ''Enduring the Cross: Messages of Salvation and Hope'' Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books, 2012, 8.</ref><ref>''College and University Dialogue'', Volume 13, Number 3, 2001</ref> 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]].<ref>Mwashinga, ''Enduring the Cross: Messages of Salvation and Hope,'' 8</ref><ref>See University of Eastern Africa, Baraton 1997 graduation program</ref> His was a familiar voice in many of these centers of learning. He also spoke internationally, visiting universities around the world.<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, Jr,''Beaches of Golden Sand: Inspirational Poems'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Marejeo Books, 2009), 12.</ref><ref>See also ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga, Volume I: Letters'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Marejeo Books, 2014), 184,188.</ref>{{independent source inline|date=January 2015}} For the past twenty years, Mwashinga has traveled widely, representing the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] in international conferences and 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.<ref>Mwashinga, ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga,'' Vol. I, 11</ref> {{independent source inline|date=January 2015}}
==Non-fiction and Christian poetry== 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 six collections of English poems, including: ''Beeches of Golden Sand: Inspirational Poems'' (2009)<ref>Christopher Mwashinga,''Beeches of Golden Sand: Inspirational Poems'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Marejeo Books, 2009),</ref> ''Windows of Love'' (2012), and ''Ocean of Grace'' (2016).<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, ''Windows of Love'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books, 2012)</ref> {{independent source inline|date=January 2015}}, ''Collected Poems: 1991-2021,'' He has also published eleven collections of Kiswahili poetry including ''Sauti Toka Ughaibuni'' (Voice From the Diaspora),<ref>Christopher R. Mwashinga, ''Sauti Toka Ughaibuni,'' ''Pwani ya Matumaini'' (Berrien Springs, MI: Maximum Hope Books, 2014)</ref> {{independent source inline|date=January 2015}},'' 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.<ref>Mwashinga, ''Mission Theology'', 2013</ref><ref>Journal of Adventist Mission Studies Vol. 13, No. 1, pp.23–32 (Spring 2017).</ref> 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.<ref>See publications section in this article</ref><ref>''Maximum Hope Newsletter,'' Volume 1 Number 1 Winter, 2015, p. 16.</ref>
== Membership in professional organizations == * [[Adventist Theological Society]]<ref>Mwashinga, ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga, Vol. II, 610''</ref>{{independent source inline|date=January 2015}} * [[American Academy of Religion]]<ref>Mwashinga, ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga, Vol. II, 610''</ref>{{independent source inline|date=January 2015}} * [[Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters]] * [[American Academy of Poets]] * [[Evangelical Theological Society]]
==Publications== '''Non-fiction''' * 2011: ''Rays of Hope: Living to Make a Difference'' {{ISBN|9780983232216}} * 2012: ''Enduring the Cross: Messages of Salvation and Hope'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-0-9}} * 2013: ''Utume na Ukristo Katika Afrika Mashariki''{{ISBN|978-9987-9460-1-3}} * 2013: ''Mission Theology and a History of Christian Missions in East Africa'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-5-4}} * 2013: ''Barua na Mashairi'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-6-1}} * 2014: ''Insights From Bible Lands: Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and Greece'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-7-8}} * 2014: ''Waadventista wa Sabato na Utunzaji wa Sabato: Historia Fupi'' {{ISBN|978-9987-9460-5-1}} * 2016: ''Moments of my Christian Experience'' {{ISBN|978-9987-9460-7-5}} * 2017: ''Uadventista Barani Afrika: Changamoto na Fursa za Ukuaji'' {{ISBN|978-9987-9460-2-0}} * 2018: ''Kumtumaini Yesu'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-0-5}} * 2019: ''Crisscrossing the United States.'' {{ISBN|978-1693352263}} * 2020: ''Waraka wa Paulo kwa Waefeso.'' {{ISBN|979-8666909997}} * 2020: ''A History of Christianity in East Africa: The Beginning and Development of Missions'' {{ISBN|979-8669049034}} * 2022: ''Christ on Campus: Meeting Jesus on University Campus'' {{ISBN|9798362783778}}
'''Poetry''' * 2009: ''Beaches of Golden Sand: Inspirational Poems'' {{ISBN|978-0-615-30674-2}} * 2012: ''Windows of Love'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-30}} * 2014: ''Sauti Toka Ughaibuni'' {{ISBN|978-9987-9460-3-7}} * 2016: ''Kilele cha Tumaini'' {{ISBN|978-9987-9460-9-9}} * 2016: ''Ocean of Grace'' {{ISBN|978-1524620974}} * 2017: ''Tumaini Lenye Baraka: Diwani ya Christopher Mwashinga'' {{ISBN|978-0-990-32931-2}} * 2018: ''Sauti ya Faraja na Matumaini'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-1-2}} * 2019: ''Mdomo Mmoja, Masikio Mawili: Mashairi ya Watoto'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-3-6}} * 2019: ''Short Poems of Christopher Mwashinga'' {{ISBN|978-1696-7894-3-1}} * 2020: ''Mionzi ya Matumaini'' {{ISBN|9798656208864}} * 2021: ''Njia ya Matumaini'' {{ISBN|979-8514262328}} * 2021: ''Collected Poems of Christopher Mwashinga: 1991–2021'' {{ISBN|9798795994154}} * 2022: ''Mwenge wa Matumaini'' {{ISBN|979-8409199289}} * 2023: ''Pwani ya Matumaini'' {{ISBN|9798868370052}} * 2024: ''Mashairi ya Christopher Mwashinga: Akademia Juzuu ya 1'' {{ISBN|9798876149060}} * 2024: ''Mashairi Ya Christopher Mwashinga: Akademia, Juzuu Ya 2'' {{ISBN|979-8345221402}} * 2024: ''The Shore of Hope'' {{ISBN|979-8302205506}} * 2024: ''The Shore of Hope: Bilingual Edition-English-Swahili'' {{ISBN|979-8303846012}} * 2024: ''Asubuhi ya Matumaini'' {{ISBN|979-8307617687}} '''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga project 1 (English)''' * 2014: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. I, Letters'' {{ISBN|978-0-9832322-8-5}} * 2014: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. II, Sermons, Addresses, and Poems''{{ISBN|978-0-9832322-9-2}} * 2020: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. III, Theology and Mission'' {{ISBN|978-0-9903293-4-3}} * 2017: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. IV, Journals and Diaries (1)'', {{ISBN|978-0-9903293-2-9}} * 2025: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. VIII, Miscellaneous'' {{ISBN|9798316136865}} * 2025: ''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga Vol. IX, The Salvation of the Unevangelized'' {{ISBN|979-8269214320}} '''The Works of Christopher Mwashinga project 2 (Swahili)''' * 2019: ''Kazi za Christopher Mwashinga, Juzuu ya I: Maandiko ya Awali'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-2-9}} * 2020: ''Kazi za Christopher Mwashinga, Juzuu II: Mashairi'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-5-0}} * 2020: ''Kazi za Christopher Mwashinga, Juzuu III: Utume, Theolojia, Mahubiri, Barua'' {{ISBN|978-9976-5177-7-4}} '''Journal Articles''' *{{cite journal | last =Mwashinga | first =Christopher R | author-link = | title =Global South Christianity and Adventism: Trends and Implications | journal =Andrews University Seminary Student Journal | volume =2 | issue =1 | pages =33–51 | location = Berrien Springs, Michigan | date =2016 }}
*{{cite journal | last =Mwashinga | first =Christopher R | author-link = | title =Relationship between Social and Economic Status and Witchcraft in Africa | journal =Journal of Adventist Mission Studies | volume =13 | issue =1 | pages =23–32 | location = Berrien Springs, Michigan | date =2017 | doi =10.32597/jams/vol13/iss1/4/ }}
*{{cite journal | last =Mwashinga | first =Christopher R | author-link = | title =Personality of the Holy Spirit: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation | journal =Journal of the Adventist Theological Society | volume =30 | number =1–2 | pages =163–178 | location = Berrien Springs, Michigan | date =2019 }}
*{{cite journal | last =Mwashinga | first =Christopher R | author-link = | title =Adventism in East Africa: Were the Initial Mission Strategies Effective? | journal =Andrews University Seminary Student Journal | volume =4 | issue =1–2 | pages =73–88 | location = Berrien Springs, Michigan | date =2020 }}
== See also == {{Portal|Christianity|Biography|Literature|Poetry}} * [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] * [[Ellen G. White]] * [[Adventism|Adventist]] * [[Adventist Health Studies]] * [[Sabbath in Christianity]] * [[History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church]] * [[28 fundamental beliefs]] * ''[[Questions on Doctrine]]'' * [[Biblical Research Institute]] * [[Teachings of Ellen White#End times]] * [[Inspiration of Ellen White]] * [[Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church]] * [[Investigative judgment]] * [[The Pillars of Adventism]] * [[Christian conditionalism|Conditional Immortality]] * [[Historicism (Christian eschatology)|Historicism]] * [[Three Angels' Messages]] * [[Inspiration of Ellen White]] * [[Ellen G. White]]
==References== {{reflist|32em}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mwashinga, Christopher}} [[Category:1965 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Tanzanian writers]] [[Category:People from Mbeya Region]] [[Category:Tanzanian non-fiction writers]] [[Category:Tanzanian poets]] [[Category:Swahili-language writers]] [[Category:Andrews University alumni]] [[Category:Tanzanian Seventh-day Adventists]] [[Category:Seventh-day Adventist ministers]] [[Category:Seventh-day Adventist writers]]