It Has Been A Great Sunday Today!

Zambian pastors ministering abroad

This day began with the realisation that almost all my Zambian pastoral friends were ministering outside the country today. Intelligence has it that Choolwe Mwetwa, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Chingola, was ministering in Namibia. Ronald Kalifungwa, pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church, was ministering in Kenya. Victor Kanyense, pastor of Mount Makulu Baptist Church, was ministering in South Africa. Isaac Makashinyi, pastor of Emmasdale Baptist Church, was ministering in the USA.

I could add to this list Saidi Chishimba, pastor of Riverside Faith Baptist Church, who was in Australia. Francis Kaunda, former pastor of Chipata Compound Faith Baptist Church, was ministering in South Sudan. Phil Hunt, former pastor of Riverside Faith Baptist Church, was ministering in the USA.

Pastor Sibale baptising Godfrey Mambwe the son of Pastor Mambwe,
the principal of Fiwale Hill Bible College. Godfrey got saved during
the preaching of Phil Hunt while attending Faith Baptist Church in Kitwe

I highlight all this, firstly, because it makes me feel like an angel (smile!). But on a more serious note, what does this say about our responsibility as a church in Zambia? The fact that our pastors are ministering all over Africa and the world says that God has given much to us as a nation and we are now sharing his gifts with the outside world. We need to stand with these men, most of whom have left their families back home, so that they may know God’s blessings upon their labours. Let us pray for them as they minister out there.

Baptism

At Kabwata Baptist Church (KBC) today we had a baptismal service in the morning. Nine individuals were baptised by Pastor Chipita Sibale. About half of the individuals have become Christians through the various ministry avenues of the church and the pulpit ministry in the recent past. This is how it should be.

We had a full house this morning, partly because of the baptismal service

I mentioned afterwards that we do not make altar calls at KBC. This is because there is nowhere in the Bible that anyone makes an altar call. Someone once asked, “How, then, do you know who has given his life to the Lord?” My answer was, and still remains, “Through the baptismal pool.” In the Bible, the call was not, “Those of you who repent and believe come to the front.” Never! It was always, “Those of you who repent and believe, be baptised!” That was what we witnessed this morning. We long to see more and more individuals responding to the gospel and coming to ask for baptism. That is how it should be.

Ordination of Deacons

Finally, this evening, we had the ordination of two deacons. Bobbline Cheembela and Misheck Kumwenda joined the KBC deaconate today after the laying on of hands by the KBC eldership. Two positions in the deaconate had become vacant when one of our deacons, Stanley Musukwa, relocated to a farm on the eastern side of Lusaka after his retirement, and another deacon, Kasango Kayombo, was ordained as a missionary pastor. Today, the gaps have been filled.

In case any of my blog readers are wondering where I am writing from, I trust that the photo below should be evidence enough that I am writing from home. I am keeping watch over the flock at home!

Misheck Kumwenda and Bobbline Cheembela being ordained as deacons