Equatorial Guinea

Iglesia Metodista du Guinea Equatorial (IMGE; Methodist Church in Equatorial Guinea)

Though the Methodist Church in Equatorial Guinea is the smallest Methodist Conference in Africa, it is the second oldest on the continent and uniquely Spanish speaking.

Methodism in Equatorial Guinea is rooted on the island of Bioko. Its four ministers serve three active circuits that stretch from the capital, Malabo, to Balorei, home to the island’s oldest Methodist Church, and coastal Luba in the south. With no theological training facility available, trainee ministers travel to nearby Nigeria.

Known for its strong commitment to education, IMGE runs well-regarded schools in Equatorial Guinea, and in times of crisis it has mobilized volunteers to support victims and help establish temporary schools for displaced children.

The main church in Malabo stands as a historic landmark, built in 1870 alongside the first Methodist school by the founding Primitive Methodists. The church continues to thrive, with mission outposts in Baloeri and Luba, keeping Methodism alive in Equatorial Guinea.

The history of the Methodist Church in Equatorial Guinea began when the British arrived on the island of Fernando Po—now known as Bioko—which had been under Spanish governance since 1778. With a naval base set up to combat the slave trade, the island soon became a beacon of hope, offering asylum to freed slaves in the 19th century.

It was here that the Primitive Methodists launched a mission in Malabo. But by 1858, Protestant missionaries were expelled by the Spanish authorities. Undeterred, in April 1869, the English Consul and a Protestant clergyman boldly petitioned the Governor for religious freedom. As a result, the Methodist Church was established in Bioko with the financial support of the Methodist Church in Britain.

Just a year later, in September 1870, the Methodists opened schools for both boys and girls, championing education despite early tensions with the Spanish government, which tried to curb the schools’ influence.

In 1973, the Methodist Church joined with the Crusade Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Church of Equatorial Guinea to form the Methodist Church of Equatorial Guinea