Led by Bishop Kasap Owan Tshibang, the 2021 Zambia Annual Conference convened June 13 and 14 in Kabangwe, Lusaka District. As a COVID-19 precaution, the sessions were reduced to two days from the scheduled four (June 12-16).
Yande Mwape, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, was a guest speaker.
She said, “Government values the church so much for society. … The United Methodist Church is exemplary in its works of upholding good moral values for the good of society.” She assured delegates that the government would continue working with the church in “all areas of development.”
Focusing on the ministry of “being a called institution in the world for preparing God’s people,” delegates urged all local churches to continue adhering to government guidelines to prevent against the pandemic.
One resolution encouraged “intensifying projects of building churches and maintaining conference session congregations at mission centers for accommodations (to avoid) problems if hosted in local churches.”
Clergy delegates to the 2022 General Conference are the Rev. Kenneth Kalichi, the Rev. Robert Kilembo and the Rev. Bwalya Laishi. Lay delegates are Matidah Musonda Chishimba, Justine Kaluwazhi and Jonah Nkanza Samwika. All were elected at the 2019 annual conference. Kaluwazhi is classified as a young adult (younger than age 35).
The Rev. Alfred Champo retired during the sessions.
Statistics showed both gains and losses, with increases in membership (11,306), professions or reaffirmations of faith (10,072), and small-group participation of adults and young adults (2,783), and decreases in worship attendance (3,574), church school attendance (2,605) and mission engagement (0).
— John Chikuta, United Methodist communicator in Zambia.
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