became a missionary with the Seventh-day Adventist church (SDA) and, in 1901, was sent to Pueblo, Colorado as a missionary. He established the first SDA African American congregation in the city. Service in British Central Africa In 1902 the SDA church selected Branch as a missionary to the British Central Africa Protectorate, in what is now Malawi. He was the first African American missionary for the SDA in Africa and probably the first sent overseas by the church. In preparation for the mission Henrietta received medical training and Branch was ordained by the church on May 22, 1902. Branch was older than most SDA missionaries but had been recommended for the mission by the church's Colorado Conference. The conference provided financial support to the mission, which was the SDA's first in the Protectorate. Branch, Henrietta, Mabel, Paul and Robert boarded a ship at New York on June 4, 1902, for the United Kingdom. The family arrived in London on June 12 and stayed at Duncombe Hall, which was used at the time by the SDA. The family of Joseph Booth also stayed at the hall. The Booths would accompany the Branch family to Africa and help run the mission there. The missionaries left London on June 27 for Southampton where they boarded a vessel for Chinde, Portuguese Mozambique. Upon arrival at Chinde Branch was detained for nine days by the British consul. The consul feared that educated African American missionaries would encourage independent thought and insubordination among the Africans of the protectorate and cause political instability. Booth spent three days trying to persuade the consul that Branch posed no threat. The Branches also experienced discrimination from local Adventists who refused to give them room in their houses, forcing them to take residence in a hotel. Branch was eventually granted permission to continue; he and his family left Chinde on August 14 and arrived at Cholo in the Shire Highlands, the site of the mission station, on August 29. In doing so he became the first African American to visit British Central Africa. The mission station at Cholo had been purchased by the SDA from the Seventh Day Baptists, with whom Booth had previously been affiliated. The station was named Plainfield after Plainfield, New Jersey where the SDA had their headquarters. Branch was appointed superintendent and had responsibility for the religious and educational work, while Booth looked after administrative tasks. Henrietta