PASTORS KALIFUNGWA AND MWETWA CLOCK THIRTY YEARS IN PASTORAL MINISTRY
Pastor Ronald Kalifungwa clocked thirty years in ministry in May this year and Pastor Choolwe Mwetwa will be clocking thirty years in ministry in November. I thought it would be a good time to acknowledge these two men and their fidelity to the cause of Christ, especially as it is expressed through what has come to be historically called the Reformed faith.
To be
sure, there are perhaps other Reformed Baptist pastors who have served as long
as they have done—if not longer. So, why pick on these two men for this news
item? I readily admit that, as the editor of Reformation Zambia
magazine, I am biased. These two men have been the closest Zambian pastors to me over the last thirty years of pastoral ministry. I felt duty bound to say a few words of appreciation for what they have meant to me. If others would like to acknowledge such indebtedness to any other Reformed Baptist pastors, this magazine will publish those articles. We want to keep those accounts.
With that out of the way, what can I say about these two men? Let me begin with a brief biographical sketch on each one of them.
Ronald Kalifungwa spent his childhood days initially on the Copperbelt
but moved to Lusaka when his father died in a tragic car accident in 1966. He went to Hillcrest Secondary School in Livingstone and then went on to study for a diploma in mechanical engineering at Northern Technical College (NORTEC) in Ndola. It was towards the end of his secondary education, in 1981 to be precise, that he came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This was largely through the ministry of Pastor Joe Simfukwe at Lusaka Baptist Church.
It was while at NORTEC that Ronald’s sense of call to the ministry grew. He was a member of Ndola Baptist Church and was very involved in the youth ministry, preaching to his fellow youths on many occasions. It was also during this period that he came to settled Reformed convictions, largely through reading books and listening to sermons on tape. By the time he graduated from NORTEC he was a thorough-going Calvinist.
Upon graduating, Ronald started working for the copper mines in Kitwe
and joined Riverside Chapel. He got very involved in preaching to the young people there and also at ZAFES groups on various college and university campuses. Finally, in May 1988, the new Central Baptist Church in Mufulira (which later was renamed Fairview Reformed Baptist Church) called him to be their first pastor.
While in Mufulira, Ronald met Sarah and the two got married. In due season they were blessed with three boys—Lennox, Kunda, and Chisomo. It was under Ronald’s pastoral ministry that the church in Mufulira was among the very first in Zambia to adopt the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith as its doctrinal standard and so took its place among the worldwide family of Reformed Baptist churches. Ronald pastored there for ten years before accepting a call to Lynnwood Baptist Church in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1998.
Ronald took on this challenge with zeal and determination. South Africa
was emerging from the Apartheid era and so the ethnic
divide between white
and black was tense. The Lord helped him to build a multi-ethnic congregation over the eight years he pastored there. Finally, in 2006, Lusaka Baptist Church extended a call to him, which he accepted. That was how he returned with his family back to Zambia and became the ninth pastor of that church. On the occasion of his thirtieth anniversary in the ministry, Ronald has served Lusaka Baptist Church for twelve years and is the longest serving pastor of that church.
What about Choolwe Mwetwa, what can I say about him? Choolwe also grew up on the Copperbelt. In his primary and secondary school days he gained notoriety for his football and athletic skills. He completed his secondary school education at Kansenshi Secondary School before proceeding to Luanshya Trades Training Institute (LTTI) where he studied electrical technology. While in secondary school, in 1978, he came to faith through the witness of an elder of Ndola Baptist Church by the name of Hudson Zimba. While in college he became a member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (POAG).
Upon graduating from LTTI, Choolwe was employed by the famous Serioes International men’s clothing company and rose through the ranks to the position of retail manager of various retail outlets in Mufulira and Kitwe. He later obtained a bachelor’s degree in bioethics. Early in his Christian life, the Pentecostal beliefs and practices did not sit well with Choolwe, especially as he noticed contradictions between what he was seeing in the churches and what he was reading in the Bible. He would ask the older believers and the pastors to explain the apparent contradictions but got no satisfying answers. Thus, he committed himself to self-study in pursuit of the truth. It was this pursuit for truth that finally landed him in the laps of the Puritans and Reformers. As he studied their writings he found a faith that was intellectually challenging and satisfying. He also found many of his questions answered with biblical fidelity.
Choolwe left PAOG in the mid 1980s and initially joined a church plant of the Brethren in Christ Church in Mufulira. He not only preached often in that church but was also frequently called upon to preach in ZAFES groups on various college and university campuses and other church youth groups. When he was transferred to Kitwe, he joined Kitwe Chapel and his preaching ministry continued to grow. It was while in Kitwe that he received the call in November
1988 to be the first pastor of the new Central Baptist Church in Chingola.
Soon after becoming a
pastor, Choolwe met Marilyn and the two got married. The Lord
blessed them with
three children—Wajula, Tolai,
and Nkwali.
Choolwe has been pastor of Central Baptist Church for the whole thirty years of his pastoral ministry. From meeting in a classroom, to acquiring their own piece of land and meeting in a temporal timber structure, to putting up their current building, Choolwe has provided pastoral leadership to this church over all these years. He also led his church to be among the very first to adopt the
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in Zambia and thus Central Baptist Church took its place among the worldwide family Reformed Baptist churches. He was
the first principal of the Copperbelt Ministerial College, based in Ndola.
These two men—Ronald Kalifungwa and Choolwe Mwetwa—have a lot in common and yet at the same time they are very different. They both have an above-average understanding, appreciation, and love for the Reformed faith that has caused them to courageously pioneer the Reformed Baptist cause in Zambia. They are men of unfeigned humility and fidelity. Totally disinterested in fame or fortune, they are content to let the world go by with all its gold while they are spent in enriching the church with the unsearchable riches of Christ.
If one was to ask me,
“What do you see as the main difference between these two men?” I would say
that Ronald Kalifungwa is the pastor-preacher par
excellence while Choolwe Mwetwa is the pastor-theologian without equal. Ronald has excelled in the three churches he has pastored primarily because of his excellent pastoring and preaching gifts. Choolwe has put his mind to analysing doctrinal, political, cultural, and ecclesiastical matters to depths that leave the rest of us lesser mortals gasping for breath. Ronald’s eloquence equals that of the greatest orators of the Roman world when he preaches, while Choolwe’s eloquence soars to the highest heavens when he puts pen to paper.
I count myself truly blessed to have them among my closest friends. For
one, we all married nurses. For another, we all had three children. On a more serious note, these men have kept me on the straight and narrow on many occasions when I would have gone astray in life and doctrine. We have ventured upon great projects together for the crown rights of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Even in the starting and running of this magazine—Reformation Zambia—I have depended on them for counsel and they have poured in many hours of toil and sweat to contribute solid articles that are well-worth reading.
I do not know what the future holds for these two men. However, I
would venture to say that when the history of the church in Zambia is written by those who care for conservative evangelicalism, among the names that will shine most gloriously will be the names of these two men. What a blessing they have been to the church in Zambia over the last thirty years! I can only pray that when the sun sets in their individual lives, many who basked under the warmth of their radiating rays will rise and bless God for the gifts that he gave to the church through them. Until then, may they continue to be a blessing to the church in Zambia, in Africa, and in the whole world. Amen!
Conrad Mbewe (editor)
MOUNT MAKULU HOSTS “A WOMAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART” RALLY
The 8th Annual Midlands Reformed Baptist Women’s Rally was hosted by Mount Makulu Baptist Church in Chilanga on May 19th, 2018. The theme of the conference was, “A Woman After God’s Own Heart,” and was attended by 467 women representing over 10 churches.
The
objectives of the rally were:
1. to enhance and foster fellowship among women in Reformed churches
2. to spread the Reformed faith, and
3. to evangelise unsaved women.
This year’s main speaker was Pastor Choolwe Mwetwa. He preached the word with such clarity, simplicity and power. In his presentation, he used case studies (of Jezebel, Hannah, and Priscilla) to illustrate good and bad examples of what it means to be a woman after God’s own heart.
Pastor Mwetwa pointed out that Jezebel was “a good example of a bad
example” from 1 Kings
21:1–7. In her domestic life, she was a wife who was arrogant and
sought to have
dominion over others
by manipulating their weakness for her good and gain. With
regard to faith in God, Jezebel resented true faith (1 Kings18:4, 19:2) and
buried the fear of God in order to pursue her evil ambitions.
Her personal life
was characterised by
dishonesty, excessive ambition
and the harbouring of grudges. Jezebel cared little what God thought about her
actions. “These traits should be absent in a woman seeking to live a godly life
in an ungodly world,” he said.
Pastor Mwetwa described Hannah as a woman whose godliness began in the heart (1 Samuel 1:1–16). Hannah was barren and, as a result, she was stigmatised by the society she lived in. Her rival, Peninnah, was the great tormentor in this case. Pastor Mwetwa pointed out that Hannah was a wise woman who responded with wisdom to the difficult issues in her life. She was devoted to God and to prayer. Despite her circumstances, she prized meeting with God and being at the place of worship where she went for the yearly sacrifice more than anything else. Hannah found solace in pouring out her heart to God. She models the place of both public and private prayer in a woman’s life. Her understanding of God enabled her to cope with stress and suffering.
Finally, the preacher gave the example of Priscilla from the account found in Acts 18:1–8. She was a ministry-oriented woman who was very hospitable to the saints. Priscilla and her husband were involved in evangelism. It is probable that she was a better theologian and through the ministry of hospitality was able to explain the way of salvation to Apollos. The lessons drawn from her life included the call to know our gifts as women, and to
consider how we can use our resources for the benefit of others.
The conference also had a special session dubbed “Ukulanshanya” (women speaking to women) which featured four female speakers on issues that affect the Christian woman in today’s age. Mrs Maureen Chishimba (Evangel Baptist Church), Mrs Mavis Bota (Kabwata Baptist Church), Mrs Sarah Kalifungwa (Lusaka Baptist Church) and Mrs Tina Nyirenda (Mount Makulu Baptist Church) dealt with “Means of Grace,” “Hospitality,” and “Modesty & Holiness”. The wealth of biblical knowledge and experience of these women was evident in all the presentations. There was much food for thought and action in their teaching. The next women’s conference will be hosted by Emmasdale Baptist Church on 18th May 2019.
We look forward to seeing even many more women being excited about this annual event and making plans well in advance to be in attendance. It is our prayer that the word will continue to bear fruit in our hearts and lives to the glory of God and for the good of his church.
Muthani Mukutuma & Malala Mwondela
2018 SOUTHERN PROVINCE REFORMED BAPTISTS CONFERENCE
The Southern Province Reformed Baptist Conference is hosted by four churches; namely, Mazabuka Central Baptist Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Monze, Choma Central Baptist Church, and Trinity Baptist Church in Livingstone. This time of fellowship deals with key areas to help local churches to be faithful to the Great Commission. From the time that this conference began, the focus has been to deal with doctrinal and practical matters. The conference runs for two days during the Heroes and Unity holidays. The organisers of the conference target this holiday period to encourage attendance by those who are busy during working days. This year’s conference was from the 1st of July to the 2nd July and was hosted by Choma Central Baptist Church. The theme was “Ministering to the youths: The necessity and different approaches.”
When you are hosting such big events, it does not dawn on you that you have a big event on your hands until the people start flocking in. I remember checking my phone around 15.30 hrs on Sunday and finding a missed call. I returned the call and Mr Kangele, one the elders from Mazabuka Central Baptist Church, said, “We have arrived.” At that moment, it dawned on me that the conference had begun. Before long, a few more people came in and later the numbers swelled. It was clear that there was no turning back
Our preacher
this year was Pastor Saidi Chishimba of Evangel Baptist Church. His preaching
was exhilarating. I remember one of the people saying, “After such preaching,
there is need to do something about it.” He was referring on the sermon on how
to minister to youths. On the first day, Pastor Chishimba introduced himself to
us. He also introduced the topic of his first sermon, “The church’s call to youth ministry.” In this session, he
helped us to see that the church
must take youth
ministry seriously. He
made it clear that
the young people have more energy
than the older ones and taking advantage of this energy can be a big boost for
the church. Young people provide a future for the church.
They later become the adults of the church.
On Monday, during the second session, Pastor Chishimba took us through the topic, “Know your youths.” He showed us that it is important to know the young people if we are going to minister well to them. What are their names? Where do they stay? What are their challenges? Who are their parents or guardians? It is important that these questions are answered in order to minister to teenagers and young adults.
Pastor Chishimba then took us through the third and fourth sessions of
the conference under the heading “How to minister to youths.” He pointed out some key areas in which the church can minister to the youths. The church should capitalise on sports activities such as volley ball, basketball and football. Board games such as chess can also be the means to reach out to them. Young people love food. You cannot go wrong with food when it comes to reaching
out to the youths. The preacher said events such as road trips, quizzes and
debates can make a youth ministry very vibrant. He, however, emphasised that these events are not an end in themselves but a means to an end.
Apart from the preaching of the word, there were two seminars that
were conducted. One was for the parents and the other for the youths. The older people looked at the subject of “Ministering to the needs of the youths,” while the younger participants were answering the question, “What must I do when I am tempted as a young person?” I had the opportunity of seating in both sessions and the discussions were fruitful. There was a lot of good fellowship among the participants. Plans are already underway for our 2019 conference.
Kwenda Kwenda
Pastor, Choma Central Baptist Church
LUSAKA MINISTERIAL COLLEGE MONGU GRADUATION
Lusaka Ministerial College (LMC) runs an extension programme Mongu of
Western
Province, which is called the Mongu Ministerial College. Three block
classes are held there annually. During these times, men and women are equipped from the Word of God to fulfil their distinctive roles in their churches.
This year, 28th June was an important date on the LMC calendar. The
college held its first graduation ceremony at which 22 students graduated. This event was held at Mongu Trades Training Institute. The 22 candidates were honoured at this colourful graduation ceremony with qualifications ranging from certificates to diplomas.
The graduation was a milestone in the life of the training for pastors and
church leaders in Western Province that started about five years ago. The man who has been at the centre of making sure that the trainings are held successfully is Pastor Binwell Chibesa of Kambule Baptist Church. He works together with other pastors who form the management team of the Mongu Ministerial College.
The students in the Mongu Ministerial College are drawn from across
the entire province and from various denominations and church affiliations. Some come from within the town of Mongu while others come from outlying villages. They come for a week of training and the college provides transport, food, and training materials. A nominal fee is charged for the training.
The guest of honour at the graduation was supposed to be the Western
Province Minister Mr Richard Kapita but due to last minute demands he was unable to be with us and so he was represented by the Deputy Provincial Permanent Secretary. The Lusaka Ministerial College was represented by almost all the faculty members led by Dr Conrad Mbewe, the college principal. Vicky Wauterlek from Hands of Hope in the USA was also there. Vicky is our ministry partner with the Mongu training of pastors and church leaders.
The college will begin a new calendar with new students in September
2018. The college trainings will be held at Kambule Baptist Church premises, and a new team of the management board will be established to work alongside Pastor Chibesa. The trainings are boosted with additional funds from international partners. We are grateful to God for his goodness and the blessings experience in 2018 school calendar.
Benson Nkausu
Coordinator,
Lusaka Ministerial College
THE 2018 ANTIOCH YOUTH CONFERENCE
Pastor Ronald Kalifungwa preaching during the Antioch Youth Conference
Youthfulness is an amazing virtue. The excitement of discovery, the fearlessness from the energy that pulsates through every vein and artery, and the drive for innovation makes the days of youths unique. Fresh ideas, fresh energy, and a fresh desire for life and living characterises youthfulness. In the light of this, however, there is a feeling that is inherent in the youth that stirs their hearts to think that they were made for more.
It is this that causes youths to embark on a pursuit for purpose, security, and fulfilment. A pursuit that results in expending their energy, time, money, morals, and integrity. In all these pursuits, they remain blind to the heartrending terminus embedded in the vanity of their pursuits. Their reward at the end of it all is emptiness. It is temporal fulfilment and they are back where they started.
The
alcohol and drug abuse, illicit sex, gambling, and fraud fall far short of
providing true satisfaction, security, and purpose that their hearts have
longed
for. In response to this disheartening reality, the Senior Youth Ministry at Kabwata Baptist Church with guidance from the elders started holding an annual youth conference called the “Antioch Youth Conference,” which is held in July during the Heroes and Unity public holidays. The conference targets young adults aged 21 to 35 and is used as a platform to reach many young people with the gospel. As Paul highlights in Romans 1:16, “The gospel…is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.”
The late theologian RC Sproul upon being asked, “What is the most
important question that someone in today’s society needs to have answered?” responded thus, “That’s easy. The most important thing for modern secular people to understand is who God is. Not whether God is. No, the critical issue is God’s identity. God’s existence is not obscured today but his nature and personality certainly are.” Only God can fill the void that lies in the depth of human hearts as men repent from their sins and are reconciled to God through his Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The conference has tackled a number of themes over the years, some of which include. “The death of death in the death of Christ” and “Swimming against the tide.”
This years’ conference was not different. Like the other conferences
before, it provided a platform for the gospel to be preached. The theme was “Where is your sense of God?” and it was handled by Pastor Ronald Kalifungwa from Lusaka Baptist Church. There were approximately 200 to 250 people in attendance. A number of contemporary issues were addressed; namely, euthanasia, abortion, in-vitro fertilisation, and homosexuality.
These issues
and many more
were addressed by
Pastor Ronald Kalifungwa and
Elder George Sitali of Kabwata Baptist Church. Some of these issues are
infiltrating our society
and others are
influencing society via
the media, albeit gradually. These contemporary issues were brought
forward for discussion so that people could appreciate the biblical worldview
on these issues and the fact that God is not silent on them. This years’
conference was a success. There were the usual hiccups that come with planning
a big event like this one. A number of partners, both local and international,
came through to support the conference this year and we owe them a great debt
of gratitude. We also got support
from members of
Kabwata Baptist Church,
members of the
Senior Youth Ministry, and members of the Ladies Ministry, to name but a
few.
There was a lot of work that went into making this year’s conference a success. We, however, realised that it is the Lord who made this success possible. The psalmist captures the heart of this thought in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stay awake in vain.” Going forward, we would like you to join us in praying for the following items:
1. The target audience for the conference is those youths aged 21 to 35.
We have struggled to get those aged 30 to 35 to attend. Pray for wisdom for the committee that they may find ways of attracting that age bracket.
2. Pray for the committee as they begin to seek out next year’s preacher.
3. Pray that God may raise labourers to serve in the Antioch planning committee for next year. This will help in improving the efficiency of the work given the workload that goes into planning and execution.
4. Thank God with us for the partners that came on board to assist with this years’ conference in all kinds of ways. They helped us with materials, their presence, finances, and prayer.
5. Pray for fruit from this years’ conference. Approximately 200 to 250 young adults attended this year’s conference. Pray that God will work in their hearts, showing them their sin and their need for a Saviour.
Kabanda Lunda
KBC Senior
Youth Ministry Chairman
EVANGEL’S “SEND THE LIGHT” MISSIONS CONFERENCE
Evangel Baptist Church (EBC) hosted its first missions conference called “Send the Light” (STL). The church family was very excited with the commencement of this first missions conference. We are thankful to God for this milestone in the life of our church.
Due to the church’s mandate to go out with the gospel and plant
churches (Matt. 28:18–20), it was appropriate to hold the first missions conference under the theme, “Send the Light.” This theme, however, has also been adopted as the name of the conference. The month of April has been set aside as our annual missions’ month with the last weekend of the month as the date for the Send the Light Conference in the years to come. However, due to
logistical challenges, this year the conference was held in the month of May.
Day of prayer and fasting
Prior to the STL Conference and the missions month, Saturday 12th May 2018 was set aside for prayer and fasting. In the morning, the church family agreed to spend quality time in prayer in their homes. Later in the afternoon, the whole church family gathered together at church to pray and break the fasting at sunset. The prayer needs were varied though the main focus was on the work of missions. We prayed for (a) EBC’s participation in missions at a global level, (b) the mission point in Ndeke Meanwood, Lusaka, (c) the missions budget, and finally (d) missionaries to go out from EBC.
Sunday morning preaching during the missions month
The theme of the missions month was “Send the Light” derived from the words, “So being sent out by the Holy Spirit they went…” (Acts 13:14a). All the Sunday morning sermons were committed to the four stanzas of the “Send the light” hymn (by Charles H. Gabriel). Each stanza of the hymn provided the theme of the day. Pastor Collins Sakalunda (Evangel Baptist Church’s first and only missionary) preached the first sermon on the first stanza and Pastor Saidi Chishimba preached the rest of the Sundays on the remaining stanzas of the hymn.
The missions conference
Finally, after a lot of teaching in the month of May, the crescendo for EBC was the STL Conference 2018. What a joyous experience it was! The praying, singing, preaching, fellowship, and meals made the conference a great success and stimulated hope for greater things to come in this work of love at EBC.
The conference time was an insightful reflection on the work of
missions. The main speakers at the conference were Pastor Collins Sakalunda, Pastor Saidi Chishimba, and Reverend Happy Ngoma. These men each laboured faithfully during their sessions. The sessions were divided as follows:
Session I. The biblical foundation of missions – Saidi
Chishimba
Session II. The role of the local church in missions – Happy Ngoma
Sessions III. The process of identifying the mission field – Collins Sakalunda
Session IV. The biblical strategies for missions – Happy Ngoma
Sessions V. The financing of the work of missions – Saidi Chishimba
The missions committee
The church had been in much prayer asking the Lord for able men and women to serve in the missions committee. The elders have since appointed a committee to oversee this work. The committee instituted is a team of five brothers and sisters with brother Jonathan Nkhalamo as the chairman. The other members of the committee are brother Victor Simuchimba, sister Elizabeth Chiboboka, sister Mulenga Mulemba, and brother Philemon Chipanta. On the Sunday of the STL Conference, the missions committee was officially brought into office. The committee has since agreed to and affirmed the EBC missions policy. They are currently seeking ways to practically interpretation and apply the policy.
Conclusion
The STL Conference 2018 was a blast. It was such a blessing. The spirit in the church currently is that of jubilation. The preaching and the teaching were so insightful and encouraging. The was no doubt that the Lord was among us. We remain committed to do the work of missions, the sending of the light of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the world. Amen!
Saidi Chishimba
Pastor, Evangel Baptist Church
