The Church can’t remain silent amidst challenges

By Daily Revelation Editor 

Ndola Pastors’ Fellowship Association chairperson Chilekwa Mulenga says when citizens and Church members are suffering amidst a grinding economy under an administration that promised to deliver heaven, it is a failure for pastors to remain mute.

In an interview with Daily Revelation, Rev Mulenga said the Church had the duty to request for answers from leaders if things were not going well in the country.

“A lot of pastors today and especially older ones face serious fears around ministry concerns, losing popularity, victimisation by the party cadres, fear of being labelled anti-government or a cadre for the opposition and fear to be called names like “Lucifer of Zambia,” some fear is understandable, the human brain is hard-wired with a “fight of flight” mechanism intended to save a person – it is a gift,” he said.

We agree totally with Rev Mulenga’s observations. In fact if there is an institution that is better placed to speak for the masses, it is the Church, because it actually exists among the same masses and engages more with the same masses than the politicians do.

The politicians, especially those in government are always quick to argue that the Church must confine itself towards spiritual matters. However, the Church does not only attend to the spiritual needs of the people but also the physical aspects. The leader of the Church himself, Jesus Christ, did not just confine himself towards addressing the spiritual needs of his followers but also the physical needs. That’s why it bothered him so much when he saw the people he was with hungry, and he performed the miracle of multiplying the few fish and bread to feed the multitudes who were following him.

Today, the Church in Zambia is ministering to multitudes that are hungry. The highest cost of living is battering their flock heavily. Most members are appearing for Church without food on their stomachs as food has become too expensive for many to afford. Those who stay in far flung areas from their denominations are regularly missing Church because the cost of transportation has shot over the roof. They would rather spend the little Kwacha they have to survive the day than using it on transport to go to Church. As a result, Church attendance has become affected. Even those who drive can nolonger afford to attend Church gatherings regularly because the price of fuel is too much, over K33 per liter.

These are challenges these men of God encounter everyday and it bothers them that their flock can’t see an improvement that they were promised during campaigns. Therefore, it is unreasonable to expect that the men and women of God should confine themselves to spiritual matters when everyday they are interacting with difficult. We know that they will be called names, as Rev Mulenga correctly, observes when they speak out on national matters, on matters those in government and their supporters wish should not be highlighted to the masses.

Nevertheless, we urge Rev Mulenga and other like minded to pursue the stance he has taken towards national matters because challenges and problems know no cloth actually. The loadshedding in the country, the high cost of living, the economic hardships are affecting all, both those in the Church and outside of it. Therefore, rather than be cowed by politicians we urge the Church to speak the loudest actually, now actually more than ever. 

As Rev Mulenga correctly says, it’s failure for pastors to remain mute amidst a grinding economy under an administration that promised to deliver heaven. Zambians demand a realisation of the promised K50 per 25kg bag of mealie meal, K13 per liter of petrol. They want to be buying fertilizer at K250 as opposed to over K1000. They demand to buy electricity at lower prices they were promised, as President Hakainde Hichilema correctly observed during his opposition days that that was a necessity of life.

Zambians want to see enhanced freedoms and a repeal of retrogressive laws they were promised such as the cyber laws for instance. They want a constitution that will ensure that presidential term limits are not tempered with, and that the 50+1 clause for one to be elected President and the running mate clause will be maintained in the Republican constitution. They are prepared for the next General Elections to be held on August 12, 2026.