Flying tour through Zambia

Good Friends in Christ

I have not written in over a month.  The year seems to have started too quickly for me. I was in the office on 3^rd January after a short break in the Eastern Cape and the week gave me a chance to plan.

On Monday 10^th January, I flew to Lusaka, Zambia to commence a four day visit, including  meetings with the Executives of Munali, M’Chinga and Copperbelt Presbyteries. I also met with the office bearers of the Synod.

The Synod’s boundaries are the sovereign borders of the Republic of Zambia and it supervises the work of the three Presbyteries. Synod is also the instrument by which the Zambian Church relates to the state. The Synod meets twice a year in June and December (with its Executive meeting twice a year also in between meetings). It consists of all the ministers and probationers in Zambia and all Presbytery Commissioners (about 60 people in all). It meets at St Columba’s Presbyterian Church in Kabwe. The Moderator of the Synod is the Rev Thomson Mkandawire, the Clerk is the Rev. Sauros Phaika and the Treasurer is Elder George Muthali.

Map of Zambia painted on the wall of
TwinkleStar School in Lusaka

Myself, Rev Petson Kabala
 & Rev Chunky Young

The Office bearers of Munali Presbytery were the first group I met with on Monday 10^th January. The Presbytery covers the areas of Lusaka West and South West and then runs southward to the Victoria Falls covering Western and Southern provinces of Zambia including Mumbwa and Kafue. The Rev. Petson Kabala  is the Moderator, The Rev Lazarus Chirwa the Clerk and Elder Webster Ngulube is the Treasurer.  There are 11 congregations in Munale, the most well known ones are Kabwata congregation in Lusaka and David Livingstone Memorial Church beside the Victoria Falls. The Presbytery has an office in the Kabwata buildings and has 7 active Church Development Evangelists. The Presbytery recently had a very successful evangelistic campaign in Kolomo which resulted in the planting of a congregation there. The Presbytery believes that one of its greatest strengths is the harmony among its members which results in teamwork.  Sustainability of ministry remains its greatest challenge. If only every congregation had a manse, then it could spend its money on augmenting stipends instead of having to pay rentals.

The Copperbelt Presbytery was next on my itinerary. It is geographically the largest of the three but in terms of ministers, the smallest. The boundaries are: North Western, Copperbelt, Luapula and Northern provinces of Zambia. It has four ministers – the Revs Godfrey Msiska (Moderator), Chala Habasila (Clerk), Abraham Nkata (Treasurer) and Richard Mkandawire. Mr Amos Nyirenda is a Post Academic Trainee in the Presbytery.  All told, there are 19 congregations, some are transitional and others nuclear though. The minimum Stipend is very low (ZK 1 500 000 which is about R 3 000!) The ministers are young and dynamic. The vision they have for the Copperbelt is inspirational. Their priorities are: to purchase property for income generation, the establishment of a Presbytery office and the purchase of vehicles for transport. 

Office Bearers of Copperbelt Presbytery

My last stop was with the Presbytery of M’Chinga.  The Presbytery was established in 2006 (with Munali) when Central Zambia Presbytery was split in two. The boundaries are Lusaka East and North West, the Great East road covering Eastern province, north east and Luangwa and Chongwe towns. Edward Chirwa is the Moderator, Elder Lawrence Makani is the Clerk and Elder Herbert Mvula is the Presbytery Treasurer. They have 15 Church Development Evangelists!!! Last February, the Convener of Church Development  & Planning, Chris Judelsohn, and I toured the Eastern province churches. The Eastern province is very rural with many village churches. It was a wonderful experience of God’s grace in the lives of ordinary Zambians who love Him.  There are 11 congregations in M’Chinga, with four in the Eastern province. The office bearers presented an exciting programme for the year.

A warm Thank you to the Zambian Church for hosting me. I have carried many questions from them to various committees of the Church.