President Edgar Lungu has rebuked church leaders who run big cathedrals and synagogues not to think that they are more holy than others, daring them to take him on of they feel aggrieved.
Speaking at Christ the king International Church for all Nations in Ndola’s Nkwazi township, Sunday morning, the Head of State said Christ lives in people’s hearts and not the big cathedrals which some priests owned.
“I have been very touched by the sermon this morning that we should worship God in truth and spirit. And this is a challenge not only to us here this morning, but a challenge to the Zambian church. I am saying this because on 1st May 2019 during Labour Day celebrations, as we were talking to each other with the labour leaders in Zambia, one leader said that the Church is not at the National Dialogue Forum and I said ‘which Church’? This is because some people think they are the church. The church is all of us who are believers in Christ,” President Lungu said.
“So those who think they don’t to want to talk to us because they are the church, we are in church here now. God says where there is one, two, three and four, as long as they are calling upon my name in Jesus Christ, that is a church. I challenge those who think because they have got ultra modern buildings, Synagogue and Cathedrals and therefore believe that they are the Church, they can not be the Church, the church is all of us as a collection. Even under a tree, as long as you gather and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a church.”
He challenged those who were angry with him to take him on.
“So let us stop feeling holier than others, because you are in Kabushi, you think you are a church, no! Even in Sinda, Nkwazi you are the Church. I challenge those of the clergy who think are holier than others, what is important is that let us all worship the Lord in truth and spirit, that’s all. Those who are angry with me can take me on.” said President Lungu.
“There is no one who has been consecrated as a church…and the Church in Zambia should begin reflecting this sermon today that we are one in Christ and we should pray in spirit and truth. Not pontificating and making yourself believe that you are the church…The church through Jesus resides in the hearts. It does not reside in Nigeria, where you say ‘no, Kings, as long as he comes from Nigeria he’s not a singer’, or our man of God here has to be a Preacher in Nigeria for him to be holy, no, we have men of God. It is time to start sending missionaries from Zambia to go and preach elsewhere on the African continent. It is a shame that when you talk about Zambia, [you say] ‘aweh mu Zambia tamwaba’, economically, you think Zambia is finished, religiously, you think the Christian faith is not growing in Zambia. You keep looking elsewhere, look to yourself and when you look to yourself, [you find that] God lives in you. So muleke, fimano (stop the evil thoughts).
President Lungu then donated 1,000 bags of cement towards the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the king International Church.
Earlier, Christ the king International Church overseer Bishop Charles Mumba said there was so much hatred in the country.
“It is only in Zambia where there is so much hatred. How do you prosper in a country of division? In a Christian nation we should not find it difficult to talk to each other and solve issues. Some people go to Church yet there are the same people who are busy doing wrong things,” said Bishop Mumba.
