Mr. Mwaanga pledged to do his best to justify his appointment through commitment and hard work. When headlines tell stories of divisions, tensions, violence, police harassments, the AIDS pandemic and desperate poverty, you don’t appoint people who seek justification. You appoint people who have a track record of commitment and hard work in addressing these issues.

Take for example the position of Ministry of Health. A person should be appointed who has demonstrated that he or she has gone for HIV and AIDS Voluntarily Counselling and Testing. The appointee should be a person who has shared publicly his or her HIV and AIDS status. The person appointed to this position must have displayed dedication in fighting stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV or AIDS.  Such a person should be a case study of mobilizing his or her constituency in the fight against malaria, cholera and other preventable diseases.

Zambia’s current ethics in public service are low because people are appointed for their loyalty to the reigning authority rather than to the cause. When did you hear of a person being appointed to public office because of strong ethical behaviour, a person who refused to compromise virtues to get ahead? How many Zambian politicians have quit their position as a matter of principle because they learned that their government department was engaging in activities that did not promote the well-being of Zambians?

The truth is Zambian culture has never been put to test. Our cultural icons are politicians who believe that the only way to become successful is to become politicians rather than putting in a daily minimum of eight hours of hard work. How can we expect ordinary citizen to act otherwise? The lack of ethics in the appointing of people to public office has created depressing spiritual, economic and political implications which threaten the survival of our peace and prosperity as we know it. But this is where Christians must make a difference.

The church must model integrity in the way it elects or appoints leaders. In First Peter 5 we are told, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”  We need new cultural icons in the nation. Are you shaping new cultural icons?

Lawrence Temfwe

On a recent trip to Lusaka, I was able to attend the Bread of Life Church conference for Men of Destiny. Speaker after speaker inspired us to fight hardships, poverty and sexual immorality to succeed. During one of the sessions my eyes wandered to the writing on the church wall: The Year of Starting Afresh…Isaiah 42:9. “See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare to you…” As difficult as these questions are, this verse came to me as an answer that God is doing a new thing in Zambia, and He is inviting the church and me to participate.

First, part of God’s invitation to participate in this new thing requires us to demonstrate God’s righteousness and to be light to those who do not know Christ in our communities. The chance to turn our families, communities, nation and own lives away from HIV/AIDS-and indeed, the power to set this country on the road to godly prosperity-begins with the people who understand that God is doing something new. An American comedian, Bill Cosby says, “When you have people who tell you, ‘You can’t get up, you’re a victim,’ that’s when you know that it’s the devil you’re hearing, no one else.” Therefore, if this crisis is leading you to apathy, ignorance and total hopelessness, know that you’re dining with the devil.

Second, part of God’s invitation to participate in this new thing requires us to demonstrate our acts of love for God by the way we love our neighbour. If God’s Word has liberated you from physical and spiritual poverty, God wants you to reach out to others living under oppression that they too may find victory that comes from surrendering their life to Christ. God has anointed you to renew people’s hope and to work for a nation that manifests God’s peace, righteousness, prosperity and justice. These are lacking in our nation right now.

Will you join God in doing a new thing in this year of starting afresh?

Lawrence Temfwe

But how do Zambian Christians identify a right candidate for the presidency? In the USA, the Evangelical Christians have historically seen the Republican candidate as a God chosen leader. A primary reason for this is the conviction that a Republican president will champion the rights of the unborn child. What are the issues that lead Zambian Christians? Is it the desire to remain a Christian nation, or HIV/AIDS, or poverty, or abortion, or corruption? What characteristics define us as Christians when we engage in politics? Villagers voted for free fertilizer, urban poor voted for chitenge and urban unemployed-educated voted for an appointment in government. What did you vote for?

As a Christian whatever issue directed you to vote in the manner you did, you cannot assume that the candidate will solve the issue for you. If God has given you compassion to help those suffering with HIV/AIDS, or heart for the poor or a desire to help the orphans and vulnerable children fight for rights to free education through high school, then you must continue passionately serving to ensure that these needs are met, regardless of whether the winning candidate shares your values.

But there is no reason why the Christians should fail to identify a candidate who shares the same values. In the church today are hundreds of Christians who are not corrupt, are involved in freeing people from the bondage of poverty and HIV/AIDS and give dignity to the orphans and vulnerable children. These Christian men and women have the experience and the education to provide leadership in politics. What they need are church leaders who can affirm them and keep them rooted in biblically grounded politics.

There are Christians in your church who God has given an assignment, an assignment to deliver Zambians from foreign investment bondage and from corrupt, selfish and oppressive leaders. What are you doing to help enable them to capture a vision of the Promised Land as they step out from the crowd in pursuit of their mission? These Christians are our hope for sustaining our right to freely worship God in our land. If these people are not encouraged to participate in the political affairs of our nation, a day may come when a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph will rule our nation.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Lawrence Temfwe

This year we have been deprived of celebrating our nation’s independence because of the presidential election campaigns. Independence celebrations provide us with a great opportunity to teach our children and youths what we remember of the past and invite them to define their future on the basis of what we have shared with them. If we forget to pass these memories to our children and our youths, the result will be that other nations will overrun us again and we will end up in misery.

It is easy to forget about the past when things are going well or make ‘improvements’ to the historical record when things are tough. Israel is a great example of a nation that repeatedly forgot its past. Each time life become easy for the Israelites they started to think that they were entitled to comfort, and when things became difficult in the wilderness, they would romanticize their time in Egypt. They forgot that everything they owned had been given to them by God in fulfillment of the promise He had made to the patriarchs (see 1 Kings 11:2-9).

Rather than national unity, on this Independence Day we found a nation divided along political lines and candidates who were organizing political rallies. But why should our presidential candidates not care to celebrate Independence? Two of our presidential candidates were freedom fighters. They were there when our people were wanderers in their own country. They were part of the team that promised the Zambian people they would no longer search for water. They would draw it from the tap. They were part of the team that told Zambians that they would have flourishing farms, every child would have an egg a day and no child would go to school without shoes. We were told that in the ‘promised land’ houses, education and long life were waiting for us. 

Independence celebrations enable us to take stock of how far we have come and consider how we should move forward. With most Zambians living in misery, today, more than ever before, we should be reminded why we wanted self-rule. We need leaders who will pass on the memories of our struggle so that our people can catch a vision for a new Zambia, a Zambia that is richly rooted in a culture that empowers people to use their God given creativity and imagination to come out poverty.

As Christians, though, Independence month should be a time not only to celebrate but also to reflect on whether our prosperity or poverty is dimming our spiritual vision. Prosperity tends to lead people toward concentrating on self-preservation rather than thankfulness and service to God. Poverty tends to make us think that other people owe us a living and leads us to focus on people for help rather than God. How did your church celebrate independence month?

Lawrence Temfwe

Jonah refused to go to Nineveh because he wanted the city to be destroyed.  Nineveh was a wicked city whose leaders and people hated and oppressed the Hebrews. There was no way Jonah, a Hebrew, would go to his enemies and preach repentance when he knew that if they repented God would show them His compassion and not destroy them.

A major reason Christians have decided not to vote is because of a lack of confidence and trust in the candidates. They see the candidates as selfish and greedy people who have no concern for the justice and well-being of the nation. Most Christians we have spoken to believe that the candidates underlying purposes are to improve their personal and extended family’s economic security. Africa’s political history supports this allegation. People often get into politics more because of what they can benefit rather than their love for serving people. Remember Mr. Munkombwe’s statement, “I am in politics because I want to benefit.”

But staying home because you don’t like the candidates is not an option. Voting is required of every Christian because God demands of us to seek the peace and prosperity of our country as well as any other nation we may be living in at any particular time. If God told the Israelites who where in exile in Babylon, “To build houses …seek the peace and prosperity … Pray to the Lord for it”, what more should we do for the nation that God has given us?

As Christians we may not see a candidate who meets the highest standard of competence, integrity and justice that is revealed in the Bible. Yet even if that is the case, we must pray for wisdom from God to help us choose a candidate who meets the minimum requirement of Biblical leadership. We then must not stop at only casting our vote. Like the prophet Nathan we too must engage with our David’s and plead for justice for our Uriah’s – the poor, uneducated, physically handicapped, widows, and the street children.

If we are to enjoy the physical blessing of our nation, we must assume the obligations of citizenship by doing our civic duty gladly out of obedience to God and love of neighbour. Jonah’s example helps us to put the coming election into perspective. If we don’t vote and we don’t preach repentance to our politicians, we show that we don’t love our country or care for justice, peace and godly prosperity.

Lawrence Temfwe

Mr. Michael Sata and Mr. Rupiah Banda have spent the last forty years of their lives in public service. Which of these two men has been able to produce tangible results that have improved the well-being of Zambians? Who has been most consistent in mobilizing and educating Zambians on what they ought to be doing to develop the nation? Whom would you choose to stand up for the best interests of our country?

Mr. Hikainde Hichilema is young man and a new comer to the Lusaka political scene. He has no experience in public service, and, in my opinion, we know very little about his past experiences of fighting for the good of the common Zambian that will help determine his credentials. However, he has this going for him: he is a successful businessman and an intelligent thinker.

The last question we must answer is which of these three men has the integrity, intellect, wisdom and insight to manage our great nation? Good political speeches help voters to make a good judgment on whom to vote for, but it will take a principled person to make realistic goals and to carry out his commitments. Christians choose leaders because of their orientation toward principles and virtue. We elect leaders for their tender hearts and for their resolve to respond rightly to the challenges of a fallen world. We elect leaders who seek to be like Jesus and who are willing to be held accountable in that journey. How can we apply these principles to an election when those who are standing do not confess Christ as their model of leadership?  We must evaluate who has best demonstrated concern to serve others as well as the direction he has taken in serving them. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold … he will not stop or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth, in his laws the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah  42:1, 4).

Lawrence Temfwe

The gathering in New York for the High-Level meeting on 25^th September for the Heads of States to discuss the Millennium Development Goals will be the eighth year since the 189 Heads of State signed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Declaration. At the first MDG summit in 2000 the Heads of States from the Global South and Global North promised to “free men, women and children from dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.” Micah Challenge Zambia is calling the 800 church coalition members in Zambia to intercede for the Heads of States that they come up with resolutions that will transform Africa and uplift its people out of extreme poverty that they be able meet basic things they need to live a decent life: nutritious food, clothes, clean water, education, a home and health care.

Prayer avails much. Therefore, Micah Challenge Zambia is inviting you to pray for African representatives at the High-Level meeting to urge the leaders from the developed world for free market and democracy that ensures equitable benefits to the impoverished hard working Africans. We are pleading to you to pray because it is most unlikely that you or the people you serve in your church or community have been consulted on their concerns that ought to be addressed at this High-Level meeting.

You must be concerned because the issues that will be addressed at the meeting are matters that directly affect your people. They include water and sanitation, health, education and food security. In 3 John, John was concerned for Gaius’s physical and spiritual well-being. As a responsible Christian community God is calling us to care for the physical and spiritual needs of our people. When we pray that our people access to safe toilet and clean water we demonstrate our care for their health. When we pray opposing slave wages and misery for our people we demonstrate our care for rebuilding our nations.

The free market African nations have embraced has largely concentrated severely lopsided wealth in the hands of foreign minority. At this High-Level Meeting let us pray that the leaders will express dissatisfaction at this imposed free market and democracy that does not extend its benefits to the impoverished ethnic majority. Let us pray that the leaders from Africa will engage the leaders from the developed nations on the fact that the political and economic models they are promoting don’t guarantee political stability or economic prosperity for Africans living in poverty. Let us pray that Africa will present the case study of Niger Delta in Nigeria as one example where free market has fuelled violence because the ethnic majority has not experienced the spread of benefits from the oil reserves of the region.

Lawrence Temfwe

Which of these leaders most meets the Biblical requirements for leadership? The term mostly used for leader in the Bible is servant. Which of these leaders meet the Biblical definition of a servant as captured in Mark 10:42-43? Political leadership is about serving people. Which of three leaders can we say has genuine concern for welfare of the Zambian people? How has it been demonstrated? When one aspires to the greatest office in the country, we have the right to look at his record and check whether his life has been full of service.

The second question we must ask is, “Which of these leaders has a better vision to liberate and empower our impoverished Zambian majority to get equitable return for their labour?” Zambia is in dire need of a leader who is a friend of globalization but who also is able to find ways to spread the benefits of our natural resources to Zambians living in poverty. The hour has come for a leader that empowers society to equip the hard working Zambian - turning him from slavery to reclaim his life. The Exodus shows us God’s compassion and his desire for the physical, spiritual, political and economic freedom for all people (Exodus 3:7-8).

The third question must relate to family. Do these leaders value the importance of family in the development of our nation? As  Christians we are aware that when Adam sinned his sin did not only interfere with his wife, but murder entered the human race, so did polygamy. All this happened because one family was dysfunctional. Which of these leaders would you and your children look up to as a godly family man?

This presidential by-election gives Christians an opportunity to become agents of cultural change by mobilizing themselves and ensuring that the agenda for the campaign include the following:

• God fearing leadership.
• Economic and social justice.
• Strong family values

Lawrence Temfwe

 Whatever the case, the Zambian history is being re-written during these 21 days of mourning of how in future we shall mourn great leaders whether they are church leaders, business people or politicians. Therefore, we owe it to ourselves and to our next generation to understand what we are exactly doing in this ritual. For example how shall we mourn our first republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda who set for us a powerful example of how to change government power from one political party to another? Indeed how shall we mourn this great son of Africa who is doing so much in the fight against HIV/AIDS when he passes on? How shall we mourn FTJ Chiluba our second republican president who started the process of empowering Zambians with home ownership by selling government and local council pool houses at give away prices? If indeed this was an innocent ritual, then we will keep this practice for every great Zambian leader who passes on.

However, if this practice was used as a political tool for campaign purposes, then in future this ritual will only be availed to the leader who passes on while holding the office of Republican President.  Is it possible that this was a traditional religious practice? If this was the case then the moral and social stability of the MMD party or for that matter the nation will be considered to be the responsibility of president Mwanawasa who in this traditional belief has been elevated to the status of the ancestral spirit. Consequently, it will be a serious offence to ignore the will of our ancestor in the matter that relates to leadership succession of the MMD party or the nation.

President Mwanawasa was a committed Christian. He was respected for his reputation for honesty and for his commitment to good governance. He was one of the few rare African presidents’ voices that spoke out against the oppression of the Zimbabweans by Mugabe.  If president Mwanawasa knew that this was the way his life would be celebrated he may have in humility accepted this ritual. But he would first have sought counsel from his elders at Twin Palm Baptist Church where he used to attend church service whenever he was in the city as to whether this ritual was doctrinally and culturally correct.

This ritual of honouring president Mwanawasa has raised for us Christians a challenge in how to build a theology of death and mourning which is both biblical and also African. Are we ready to face the challenge? God help us that we do not become a “Christian Nation” that simply adds Christianity to the religious system from which we have repented.

Lawrence Temfwe

This year’s Summit was broadcast live in over 100 cities in USA and Canada with an estimated attendance of over 100,000 church leaders. True to its core values, the carefully selected speakers from the church, business community, thinkers and innovators all spoke about the church as being the hope of our nations to stem the cycle of poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, racism, drugs and unemployment. The speakers called on the Church to recapture its passion for the historical, orthodox truths and practices of Christianity-apostles teaching, caring for and speaking out for the orphans, the poor, the widows and those who suffer injustices because of race or tribe.

What was interesting about the Summit speakers is that there was no divide on their delivery of the message, whether they are Christian leadership providers in the church, or they are leaders in society or in business. They were in agreement that as leaders they were called to serve through following the examples of Christ, envisioning and equipping their followers to be change agents in their church, society or business. Each speaker emphasized the importance of being relentless in ones calling. Bill Hybels said, “Don’t say you can’t … Out last the problem.” Chuck Colson declared, “God’s blessing is not for our sake but so that the world may know that I am God.” John Burke retorted, “Jesus did not come to make sure we are safe, but to make us brave.” Gary Haugen encouraged us, “If you want your leadership to matter lead in things that matter to God.”

Zambia has enough Christians deeply rooted in matters of faith and professional competent to salt the society. Yet our capacity to bring change in our community, towns and nation appears dismal. Take the example of University of Zambia which is again closed and the junior doctors who have gone on strike. These professional people have been going on work stoppage regularly since 1991. Where are our Christian professionals and technocrats who should be providing creative solution to issues affecting our two institutions and the wider society? As a church we must find ways to affirm our professionals and technocrats in their callings and to prod them become more proactive in infusing kingdom virtues in their lines of work. One strong statement that has continued to echo in my spirit ever since the Summit is that “The local church is the hope for the world.” God wants to show up in your local church to make it happen. As a leader, are you ready to be changed, that you change professionals and technocrats … that they bring change at our university and hospital?

Lawrence Temfwe