Stop it: Saturday is holy: No job interviews -SDA Church tells govt
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, through its Eastern Malawi Conference, has expressed concern over the government’s decision to conduct recruitment interviews for health professionals from November 20 to 22, 2026, saying the dates include Saturday, a sacred day of worship for Adventists.
The church says holding interviews on Saturday places Adventist candidates in a difficult and unfair position, forcing them to choose between observing the Sabbath and pursuing employment opportunities.
In a statement, the Conference has appealed to the government to reconsider the dates and reschedule the interviews to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged because of their religious beliefs.
The church argues that the current schedule does not only affect Adventists, but also Muslims who observe Friday prayers and other Christians whose main day of worship is Sunday. It says a recruitment process that is meant to serve all Malawians should be sensitive to the country’s religious diversity.Malawi is a secular state, but one with a strong religious identity. The Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience, religion, belief and thought, and protects every citizen from discrimination on the basis of religion. The church says the interview schedule, as it stands, risks undermining that guarantee by indirectly excluding candidates who hold Saturday sacred.For Seventh-day Adventists, Saturday is not simply a day off. It is observed as the sacred seventh-day Sabbath, dedicated to rest, worship and spiritual renewal from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Adventists believe that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day at Creation, making its observance a lasting sign of loyalty, love and dependence on Him.According to Genesis 2:2-3, God rested on the seventh day after creating the world and declared it holy. Adventists view this as the first thing God made holy in human history, intended for all humanity rather than for one specific nation or group of people.The Sabbath is therefore regarded as a core part of Adventist identity and faith, and not a matter of personal preference that can easily be set aside for an interview or an examination.Church leaders say they understand the urgency of recruiting health workers, especially at a time when Malawi’s public health system is facing serious staff shortages. However, they argue that urgency should not come at the expense of fairness and religious freedom.They have since called on the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to engage religious bodies when planning national recruitment exercises, examinations and other public programmes that fall on days of worship.The church has also urged its members who are affected to remain calm and prayerful as engagements with government continue, while expressing hope that the dates will be reviewed.It remains to be seen whether government will adjust the schedule. For now, the Adventist Church says it will continue to advocate for an inclusive recruitment process that respects the beliefs of all Malawians and gives every qualified candidate an equal opportunity to serve the nation.
