Education was also seen as a method by which European values and culture could be instilled into the population. Their meeting, which began with shared prayer, resulted eventually in a redrafting of the constitution that opened the way for the elections. Even in current-day Zambia, the Catholic Church alone is running 15 hospitals, 28 health centres, 54 home based care institutions. "[65] Chiluba later credited Carter as being sent from God. The number of registered mission schools declined significantly during this period. Kamungu perhaps reflects an aspect of Christianity that set it apart from many of the other structures of colonialism that severely limited if not actively restricted the ability of the local population to take a part in their development, becoming isolated and voiceless from the ruling European elite. "[54], The ideological tensions rose again when Kaunda identified his personal political philosophy as "Zambian Humanism". "[72] not caught up in the dogma of the colonialism verses nationalism debate of Kaunda, but representing the developmental needs of Zambia. Ndola Baptist Church—Zambia’s First English-Speaking Baptist Church. Jacob Chirwa Phone: 26 0977298362 [57] The churches refused to co-operate with the 1976 education reforms believing that because of socialism, "government's educational ideology was atheistic".[58]. "[60] The beleaguered Kaunda capitulated and called a referendum. The first Church building was dedicated in Lusaka in 1998. The churches began to assemble around three representative bodies: The Episcopal Conference of Zambia (ECZ), the Christian Council of Zambia (CCZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ). Churches became primarily involved in education and healthcare. Yet another element of this increased mission activity was the desire not to see a repeat of the recent Indian Mutiny, that the Evangelicals, like Livingstone, felt was, "as a result of too little mission activity". "I was brought up in a Christian home and my Christian belief is part of me now. In the matter of healthcare the churches saw the provision of affordable healthcare as vital to a population that could not afford private medical treatment. The first Church building was dedicated in Lusaka in 1998. The United Church of Zambia is the largest Protestant church in the country and despite short-lived schisms it has continued … "[27] Part of the reason that the Copperbelt Schools were inter-denominational was the pressure from the Board not to allow contending schools to open up in the towns and repeat the rivalry that was prevalent elsewhere leading to small villages with two schools run by competing missions. Rev. The excitement elicited among ordinary Zambians at the opportunity to elect a party of their choice enabled the "erstwhile opponents of structural adjustment" to change political horses midstream and present their rendering of SAPs "as a panacea for Zambia' s economic problems… ordinary people showed open support for austerity. The area features heavily in the accounts of David Livingstone's journeys in Central Africa. "American sources and missionaries are systematically flooding the continent and forming a crucial, dynamic part of the African revival. In many ways the Chiluba presidency has enabled the Pentecostal church to secure its voice in with the larger and more established churches in Zambia and among the urban populations in particular it is increasingly seen as one of the most active parts of civil society. "[78] The ECZ and CCZ response was muted as they had not been consulted before the declaration. In its attempts to preserve its power the colonial government alienated the churches as some of the most powerful civil society groups in the nation, prompting open opposition to its policies. The Evangelical churches in particular saw the personal study of the. World Bank (2001) World Development report 2000/2001: This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 23:00. Chiluba's perceived arrogance coupled with his failures to tackle the economic decline, poverty or corruption caused some pastors to conclude that what was lacking was suitably informed and educated Christians in politics to see the vision of a Christian nation through to its conclusion. "[25] Further to this the "institution [was] to be under the management of a joint council of the nominees or the Administration and representatives of the missions",[25] setting the precedent for partnership between the state and church in education. "[26] The Advisory Board devised the Native School Code by 1927 establishing the state as the arbiter of educational standards in Zambia. by : Conrad Mbewe April 11, 2012. [79] "Chiluba was reported to have distributed 140 million kwacha to some of these churches during the 1996 election campaign in the hope of solidifying their political support. The rapid rise of the Lumpa church and its reluctance to involve itself with anti-colonial struggle led to violent conflicts with the UNIP youth in Chinsali District and then later also with colonial authorities. The Lusaka Zambia Stake was created on 15 March 2015 during a special conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "[99] Indeed, Zambia itself became increasingly reliant on outside AID. In mid 1990, "The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), an unofficial alliance of political opponents of the Government, was formed"[61] under the leadership of the recently ousted Finance Minister Arthur Wina and the leader of the Zambian trade unions, Frederick Chiluba, to fight the democratic corner in the referendum. Colin Morris became its first president with Rev. Gifford comments the make up of the MMD included a large number of Kaunda's regime who had jumped ship to keep their lucrative positions. The first was a growth in AICs that "split off from mission churches, usually because of perceived racism, or… to incorporate local elements that the mission churches would not countenance. "[96] Illustrating what Aboum suggests, "the relationship between the church and Women is contradictory. The place assigned to them would be Barotseland, in the Upper Zambezi valley in what is now western Zambia. Kaunda was himself a product of the mission schools,[39] as was his father, David, who was "a well-educated Malawian preacher and schoolteacher… who moved to Zambia as a missionary. [90], With this seemingly sound scriptural backing Chiluba was able to ask of his Christian supporters to endure hardships beyond those that brought the UNIP government of Kaunda to its knees. During this period there was also a shift in the power and politics in Zambian ecclesiastical life. The court case was part of an effort by church … Christianity is still, "growing at a rate of nearly 4 percent per year",[13] in a nation with an annual average population growth rate of 2.7 percent from 1990 to 1999. In response to, Simon Kapwepwe, the former Vice-President's attempt to form an alternative political party to UNIP Kaunda's government declared Zambia a one party state. The Catholic Directory Churches, Mass Times, Schools, Ministries Contact Us Though the PAG report notes, "the exception was to be found on the Copperbelt where the formation of the United Missions in the Copperbelt in the 1930s ushered in inter-denominational schools. Church workers, construction workers, teachers etc. In Southern Zambia the Catholic mission activity was undertaken by Jesuit Fathers in the early years of the twentieth century[9] along with the Franciscan friars. "It was the mission centres that became the birthplace of post-war African nationalism. Education on the other hand would prove to be a little more of a double edged sword for the colonial administration. The Church only reappeared after the fall of Kaunda in 1988. Therefore, it is difficult to translate these interpretations either to newly independent Zambia or even to the present day circumstances. Ted N.C. Wilson, president of the Adventist world church, said he praised God for His blessings on the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia as it passed the 1 million membership mark. We felt it was a God-ordained situation. An even more powerful inference in Pentecostal terms was that his presidency was like that of an Old Testament king. "[31] In fact one of the briefs of the General Missionary Council was "to watch over the interests of the Native races. The political unrest in Zambia, including food riots in which 30 people died and an attempted coup, resulted in a call for multi-party democracy. "[109] Following Mwanamasa's election he called on Nevers Mumba to become vice president and in doing so conferred Pentecostal legitimacy on his government without the baggage that surrounded Chiluba. Other mission stations followed the LMS example and established a presence in other regions. "[82] Phiri also noted that "there was an influx of Christian missionaries into Zambia. Permanent Catholic stations on the Copperbelt were provided by Italian Franciscans in 1931. Consequently, although highly influential, despite its small numbers, modern-day Anglicanism in Zambia does not have the Evangelical fervour that is evident elsewhere in modern-day African nations that were formally British colonial possessions. "[56] By now Kaunda had lost the trust of the churches who regarded him as a "renegade Christian presiding over a corrupt and oppressive government". Though at times its role extended into advocacy and the formulation of law and the penal code. Jesuit missions were established among the Tonga in 1902 and at Broken Hill in 1927. Pentecostal churches have managed to distance themselves to such a degree they were largely unaffected by Chiluba's fall. In May 1959 Lusaka became a diocese, and later Kasama also became one. For the missionaries the practical outworking of this exhortation in Zambia was threefold: The concept of providing only basic education, as was the case with many mission schools, was called into question following a revolt in Malawi in 1918 in which mission trained teachers and former students played a part. Sky Banda as senior Pentecostal pastor in the nation says of Chiluba, "when he finally got into the presidentship position we were very happy. Mumba claimed that this was not a political party, but just an organisation to "act as an independent voice in guiding the president in matters of concern to the church". Where the State is misusing its Stewardship of power; where it is not adequately fulfilling its function of protecting the God-given freedom of all its citizens; where it is favouring one section of the community to the detriment of the others, then a Christian is called to protest ad to take whatever action is compatible with the Christian Gospel."[35]. "[36] Phiri noted that "the mission centres provided a place where the contradictions between Christianity and the politics of racism and colonialism could be discussed in relative freedom… The effect of this was that the anti-colonial struggle in Zambia was clearly driven by Christian beliefs and packaged in Christian social action."[37]. This led to the accusation that the Church was actually opposing the struggle as recently had been initiated by the ANC and later UNIP. Shattering the chains of economic stagnation, of increasing poverty and spiritual darkness",[75] and aimed to encourage Western Christians to invest money and skills into Zambia based on its status as a Christian nation. 1945: WELS in synod convention agrees to send two pastors on an exploratory journey to investigate mission possibilities in Africa. (ed.). Christianity has been very much at the heart of religion in Zambia since the European colonial explorations into the interior of Africa in the mid 19th century. Phiri I (2003) "President Fredrick J.T. It would not be until after independence that indigenous or even international NGOs would have a comparable voice. In shaping Zambia's Christianity, it is important that the influence of the Roman Catholic Church is noted. In a report on the Church and development in Zambia the London Missionary Society (LMS) was the first organisation to establish a mission station based at Niamikolo close to Lake Tanganyika in 1885[5] followed by numerous other mission stations throughout the country. After independence in 1965 these four mission societies were to merge their works and become known as the United Church of Zambia (UCZ). The ECZ, CCZ and EFZ took the unusual step of issuing "a joint statement entitled Marxism, Humanism and Christianity". Chiluba's policies were causing the churches to distance themselves from him. History of Church of Christ Missions in Zambia. "[22] The schools usually offered a rudimentary education in basic reading, Bible study and practical subjects beyond this it was felt the local population would have little use for higher education as it could lead to isolation from their communities. The Christian Council of Northern Rhodesia, that had replaced the General Missionary Conference in 1944, stated its position clearly when it wrote: "Under normal circumstances the Church is bound to support the State and the forces aimed as preserving law and order, but this obligation is qualified by the Church's higher loyalty to the law of God. There are about three million Catholics in the country - about a quarter of the total population. ), Carter J. With the waning of Kaunda's star the power of churches was in the ascendancy again and any serious challenger to Kenneth Kaunda would need to show indisputable Christian credentials. The seminary is well established, Zambian men are being trained to become future pastors to lead the next generation, and future educators are also being trained. "[86], Chiluba had an understanding of how Pentecostal churches view his presidency as God appointed. The emphasis on the miraculous and an acknowledgement of the impact of the spiritual realm on the physical world had a great impact in Africa, where "the traditional culture of African society… draws little distinction between the spiritual and the temporal. [42] Gifford notes that the response by senior pastors from Ndola, the principal town of the Copperbelt, was to call the project "demonic" and they "deplored the fact that the government 'had banned the registration of more churches but permitted occult systems to enter Zambia'". Weller & Linden cite a Catholic missionary who reported that a missionary from the Presbyterian mission was compelled to complain "to the Foreign Office in London about the behaviour of the company's officials in his area. Livingstone’s exploration of the region coincided with an increased interest in missions in the Evangelicalchurches in Britain, and, despite his complicated motives, Livingstone became the darling of Evangelical expansion. The imposition of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953 brought some of these issues to a head. This was established by Leonard Kamungu, a priest from Malawi, at Msoro. The first Christian missions arrived before colonial rule, and the growth of adherents was greatly assisted by the schools that they established. The Lusaka Stake, the first in Zambia, is an executive unit comprised of approximately 2100 members in seven congregations within Lusaka. The first Catholics in the country were Jesuits who crossed the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls in 1879. [44] With Kaunda's declarations of faith and independence the church retracted from the political sphere, merely lending support to the government policies when necessary. In his first address to the Nation, the new president reaffirmed his commitment to the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation. Zambia, Africa's second-largest copper producer, is one of the countries hit hardest by mining pollution. During the late 1960s the UNIP government embarked on a more radical socialist agenda which became known as Scientific Socialism. In mid 1990, "The Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD), an unofficial alliance of political opponents of the Government, was formed" under t… Chiluba quotes a conversation he had with Jimmy Carter just before the election, "he says 'what you say today will matter tomorrow, you have to be very mindful every word you utter should have meaning. See full address and map. On the question of traditional penal codes, that were either considered too lenient or too harsh depending on the change the missions wished to see imposed, as opposed to a legal code more in line with that in Britain the Church was instrumental in pushing through reform. Others, such as Gifford,[47] suggest that Bayart's observations are too generalised and were specific in geographical and chronological reference only to Cameroon at the time Bayart made them. "[81] Phiri questioned whether Chiluba's actions were in fact in keeping with his former beliefs as a trade unionist, "the characteristics of liberal democracy as understood by Chiluba were not put into practice when he declared Zambia a Christian nation. [17] Other initiatives such as orphanages, skills training and agricultural extension were also evident in the development of Zambia during this period. To this day the Salvation Army is a predominantly “Tonga” church because it spread to other parts of Zambia from Chikankata. These latter elements were of particular concern in ecclesiastical circles as, the Church has generally tried to change or discourage cultural practices that are contrary to Christian teaching. [92] The policy left many unemployed, raise the price of basic foods with the removal of subsidies (an action that had caused major riots under Kaunda) and increased the cost of education and healthcare. Chiluba of Zambia, The Christian Nation and Democracy", Shao J. Zambia Elections Monitoring Coordinating Committee, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311913629_Christianity_in_Zambia, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14742250701256153?journalCode=rjsc20, https://www.academia.edu/35769176/CHRISTIANITY_IN_ZAMBIA, https://www.britannica.com/place/Zambia/Religion, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1581750?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian – Synod of Zambia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christianity_in_Zambia&oldid=986949574, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from February 2016, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from February 2016, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, As a means to evangelism. Some media outlets, such as Radio Icen… [50] Following independence the colonial mission churches came under pressure from two fronts. Catholic missionaries first established a mission in 1895 among the Bemba tribe. "Though white settlers ... were able to organize themselves in Formal groups… the colonial authorities provided little space for urban indigenous people to formally organize. "Among the labourers were Africans who had been introduced to Christianity in their home regions and who, upon discovering no church whatsoever in the Copperbelt, decided to start a church themselves – one that was entirely directed and sustained by Africans. Some Churches saw the government policy as an attempt to secularise education and resisted the move openly. '"[75] These words would come back to haunt Chiluba as his presidency unfolded. Chiluba was confident he would be able to push his harsh economic policies through with little opposition from the Pentecostal wing of the church. Much of the latter conflict with the Lumpa Church had been undertaken by the transitional government formed to take over from the colonial administration in 1964. Gifford suggests, "Chiluba may have contacted officials of the EFZ, who no doubt were reluctant to bring in the other bodies because they saw this as their hour, having in the past felt themselves slightly overshadowed by the ECZ and CCZ."[78]. The, "Catholic Church [is] by far the most influential denomination,"[8] in the nation. "[29] In the wider context the churches had also to become advocates for the people who congregated their buildings for worship and populated their parishes. I returned yesterday from preaching at Ndola … [50] The government fearing a backlash from the public toned down its policies. In his second term Chiluba continued to lose the confidence of the people of Zambia. The instigation of the NCC by Mumba provided many with a safe method of switching allegiances without abandoning the concept of the Christian nation. Let's take national interests into consideration, this is in the best interest of the nation'… his presidency of Zambia as a Christian Nation ended with his reputation both as a Christian and as a democrat in ruins. Part of the reason for the rapid spread of these stations was their acceptance among some of the smaller tribes of the northern region of Zambia. As Phiri says it now, "had legal implications or a longer lasting nature than the Chiluba presidency. She helped also to reintegrate widows who could get important positions in her church, for example as prayer leaders or as church choir leaders. Lenshina's movement had specifically spiritual roots, she was "a peasant woman who claimed to have died and risen again. Understanding the need for increased professionalism among its staff the Anglican Church "closed all its schools for 18 months between 1918 and 1920 and brought all their teachers to Msoro for retraining. Address: Plot 81456 Kasiba Rd Maluba Rhodes Park, Lusaka, Zambia, Zambia. Formal education would also provide skilled workers for the mission station. This took the debate from whether the declaration in 1991 was a personal statement or policy to a new level. In Zambia it was felt that the Federation exacerbate the issues of racial inequality and economically favoured Zimbabwe over Zambia and Malawi. The Catholic Church in Zambia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. (1999) "Missionaries, Church Movements, and Shifting Religious Significance in the State of Zambia". Some 80 per cent of Zambia’s population is Christian, and about a quarter of these profess the New Apostolic faith. It became established in Bulawayo and Harare in 1952. He never established a mission station in Zambia until he died in Serenje. Smith R.D. He "stressed (and his supporters stressed even more) his impeccable credentials as a true spirit-filled believer. Tens of thousands of her followers fled to the Congo. Though, as with many interventions of this nature, the possible motives were not as philanthropic as they first appeared to those under threat. Livingstone, though certainly at the vanguard of the colonisers, and in that capacity he spelled the end to traditional Zambian society, he is still held in high regard by many contemporary Zambian's. (1994) Forward, in Johnston D. & Sampson C. Like much of what Livingstone undertook the reality is complex and in many of his wanderings he was actually forced to rely on the slave trade's logistical networks. Continued union negotiations with the Methodist Church eventually led the Methodists and the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society to join the UCCAR in 1965 to form the United Church of Zambia. "[24] By 1922 the General Missionary Conference passed a resolution calling for the "establishment of one or more government colleges or institutions to provide instruction in agriculture, forestry, pedagogy and the duties of chiefs. "Of the 547 schools run by the White Fathers only 17 qualified as schools under the new conditions. Calling once more on faith prosperity doctrines, "Chiluba admonished Christians to 'work hard and not to continue begging because there was not poverty in heaven'. In the run up to the elections Chiluba was to use the rift between Kaunda and Christians to his advantage by emphasising his Christianity. This move alarmed the wider Christian community of Zambia fearing that it could lead to Marxist Humanism in the nation. "[51] The second came from the influx of missionaries, especially from the United States, who were sent by Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. The White Fathers, entering from the north in 1891, had greater success in what is now Northern and Luapula Province. [34] It was AICs that would be the initial breeding grounds for nationalist sentiments, and it was this fervour that crept over the denominational lines through informal contacts and into the more politically powerful mainline churches. "[98] As the economic hardships increased churches came under greater pressure both to provide welfare, but also because of financial hardships within their own organisations. Examples include the Paris Evangelical Mission at Lealui 1892, The Primitive Methodists working among the Illa people in Western Zambia in 1892, the Presbyterians at Mwenzo in 1894. Church of Christ mission work was begun in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) about 1920 when Brother John Sherriff began making preaching trips which carried him across the Zambezi River. The traditional view of the Church during this period was to provide social welfare. The Lumpa Church was banned. Politically speaking he symbolised a new generation. The rise in missionary zeal was heightened with the expansion of European empires, opening up unknown territories and bringing other cultures to the attention of the newly formed mission societies. [104] However this caused great controversy among Christians, some of whom thought Mumba was in fact harbouring political ambitions to become president himself. In 1953 the first station began in Lusaka the capital city of Zambia at Munali secondary school. It quickly spread to the whole of Northern Province, Eastern Province and the Copperbelt, was an AIC. It began its African mission in Cape Town in 1893, soon thereafter moving to Zambia where it grew rapidly. Interior of an African Church, Lubwa, Zambia, ca.1905-ca.1940 (imp-cswc-GB-237-CSWC47-LS6-037).jpg 4,869 × 4,880; 2.36 MB The First Church at Chitambo, Zambia, ca. Sporadic clashes became an open war, in which the official death toll was 1,111, although it was probably much larger[38] Lenshina surrendered herself to the army and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In May 1959 Lusaka became a diocese, and later Kasama also became one. By the end of 1990 Kaunda announced that multi-party elections would be held in October 1991. In 1954 the first worship services were held at Lumano village where the Central Africa Medical Mission was … The "MMD chose not to disband into many small parties that could easily be defeated by the UNIP. The first was at Mwenzo in 1895, followed by Lubwa, Serenje, and Chitambo. Church unity in Zambia dates back to the country’s first General Missionary Conference held in Livingstone in 1914. Many of the Protestant missions handed their schools over. Maranatha Volunteers International’s local crew recently broke ground on a project at the Liumba Hill Adventist School in western Zambia. "[59] the same was true in Zambia at this period. This brought down international condemnation on Chiluba. [61] Haynes states that this was "brought about in part due to the perception that the previous government under K. Kaunda threatened the Church". "[80] He and Godfrey Miyanda, who began as Minister without Portfolio and later became vice president, could be "found 'preaching' to church constituencies at mass rallies, church fund-raising events and Sunday church services",[81] though Gifford notes of this latter practice "in Zambia, it would be hard for a President to do otherwise. On the one had, the Church empowers women, and on the other, it has been slow in applying the revolutionary message of good news for women within its own structures. "[62], Though the churches steered a careful course so as not to actively promote any party Phiri notes that "pro-democracy political sermons became frequent in many churches," but concludes, "despite their bias towards change, the Churches commendably maintained a non-partisan role, emerging as critical agents of reconciliation during critical times." "[8] Encouraged by Fergus Macpherson, the Scottish missionary of Lubwa Mission to share her story she gathered a large following and formed an independent church. Rev. Aboum A (2001) Women's Issues in Health and Education, in Belshaw D, Calderisi R and Sugden C (ed. "By the end of the century there were as many as 12,000 British missionaries "in the field", representing no less than 360 different societies and other bodies".[7]. The Lutheran Church of Central Africa - Zambia Synod (LCCA - Zambia) continues to grow. Kaunda used force to suppress it. Under increasing pressure from within the NCC and increasing alienation by other political groups and churches Mumba converted the NCC into a political party and stood at the 1996 elections. Mumba challenged the integrity of Chiluba's government and in doing so caused Chiluba to see the NCC as a threat to his power. Phiri states it, "contributed to the worsening of the economic standards of 80 percent of Zambians".