Reformation in Zambia

Volume 2 1995

While the Western World seems hell bent on eradicating its Christian heritage, ridiculing and ignoring the few small voices offering a Biblical alternative, God has brought a new nation into existence where His light is shining brightly. The morning star of a great revival may be appearing in the middle of the “dark continent”. The most exciting developments are taking place in Central Africa in the newly freed nation of Zambia.

Zambia is a landlocked country in south-central Africa. Surrounded by Angola, Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Zambia is about one tenth larger than Texas. When the British granted independence in 1964, they left over a billion Pounds Sterling in the bank and a nation widely hailed as the most prosperous and promising country in Central Africa. Promising and prosperous that is until the “socialist humanism” of President Kenneth Kuanda’s one-party dictatorship squandered its abundance with his heavy handed socialism, neglect of agriculture, widespread corruption and support of terrorism.

EXPORTING TERROR

Zambia’s history after independence was dark and stormy. In 1967, Kaunda signed a treaty with Red China and two years later nationalised all foreign industries and corporations. In 1972, the Assembly passed a law making the ruling United National Independence Party (UNIP) the only legal party. All other political parties were brutally suppressed. The prisons were filled with political opponents and critics of the President. Zambia then signed a treaty with the Soviet Union. Some of the highest ranking Soviet officials - including the Soviet President - visited the country. Soviet, North Korean and Cuban military advisors were a common sight.

During these dark years, Zambia played host to a bewildering assortment of Marxist revolutionaries - the MPLA, Frelimo, ZANU, ZAPU, SWAPO, the PAC and the ANC. All of these revolutionary movements used Zambia as a launching pad for terrorist attacks - against Mozambique and Angola (when they were controlled by the Portuguese), South West Africa, Rhodesia and South Africa. Tens of thousands of people were crippled or killed by the Soviet and Red Chinese armaments and bombs channelled through Zambia. SWAPO and the ANC even ran concentration camps in Zambia for their own dissidents. Thousands of members of SWAPO and the ANC were brutally murdered by their own people on Zambian soil - with complete impunity. Those who escaped were hunted down by the Zambian police and handed back to SWAPO or the ANC for torture or execution.

In October 1987, Peter Hammond and three other Frontilne Fellowship missionaries, experienced first hand the hospitality of Zambia when they were arrested for transporting Bibles and Christian literature across the country to Mozambique. During their arrest, they were beaten with rifle butts, prodded with bayonets, stripped of their clothes and incarcerated in cells covered in human filth. Blindfolded, barefooted and in chains, they sang Gospel hymns as they were paraded through the streets of Livingstone and Lusaka. They were finally confined in Lusaka Central Prison, a maximum security facility - with a thousand other prisoners, most of whom had never been brought to trial. Some had been in there for as long as 8 years without even coming to trial.

The conditions in this “enlightened socialist paradise” were unbelievably degrading: no running water, no workable toilets, no bathing facilities or showers. The entire prison was one big stinking disease factory. The only food was starch, the prisoners reported that they had never been given vegetables, fruit or meat. During their time in Lusaka Central, Peter and his fellow missionaries were kept in cells only 25 feet x 15 feet - with an average of 60 - 65 other prisoners per cell. The only air came from a one foot square, barred hole in the main door. The tropical heat was stifling and suffocating in the crammed cells. Prisoners regularly died in the cells without medical care or even fresh air.

What Peter and his colleagues did not realise was that they were sharing their cells with the next government of Zambia! During the following weeks of Bible study, prayer and vigorous discussions, they were able to teach and discuss Biblical principles to some pf the very men God would raise up to lead the country after He deposed the Marxists. The future vice-president of Zambia - General Godfrey Miyanda - and a few cells away, Frederick Chiluba, the future Christian President of Zambia were also “guests” of Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka Central Prison. After prayer and world-wide pressure set Peter and his colleagues free, Frontline was one of the few ministries alerting people to the plight of the suffering Christians in Zambia.

Ultimately socialism had completely eroded the economic and social foundations and without outside support from the collapsing Soviet Empire, the nation teetered on the verge of collapse. Mass protests and nation-wide prayer vigils finally forced the Zambian government to its knees. The first multi-party elections were held on October 31, 1991. The result was a crushing 5 to 1 defeat for Kaunda.

BACK TO THE BIBLE

The first freely elected President, Frederick Chiluba, promptly testified to the saving power of Christ and called for a day of prayer. At a simple ceremony in December 1991, the new President publicly confessed the national sins of witchcraft and corruption and he committed Zambia to becoming a Christian nation! When he was asked if he intended writing a new Constitution, Chiluba replied that he didn’t have to. It was already written - the Bible! He held up the Bible to the full view of the world press.

However, despite this promising beginning, the legacy of 27 years of humanistic education, socialist mismanagement, widespread corruption and witchcraft seriously undermined the best intentions of the President. In addition, many of the new Cabinet Members of the MMD (Movement for Multi-party Democracy), were simply old UNIP (Kenneth Kaunda’s socialist ruling party) members who had crossed over when defeat appeared inevitable. Reports of drug dealing and corruption by many of these cabinet members are widely believed.

The reformation had some false starts. One of the first acts of the new government was to abolish capital punishment and to release many murderers from prison. Chiluba hailed this as showing how Christians forgive! But the resulting explosion of crime and violence was inevitable and tragic. Frontline Fellowship made an unpopular stand when they publicly challenged the President that he was confusing the ministry of grace in the Church with the ministry of justice in civil government!

Whether by accident or design, the abolishing of previous restrictions and the declaring of new-found freedoms led to the legalisation of pornography and of abortion. Frontline Fellowship led the charge in condemning and exposing the pagan trends of this new Christian government. They distributed tens of thousands of Christian booklets, tracts, Bibles and books in prisons, government departments, schools and churches throughout Zambia. They then launched a “Salt Shakers” ministry (small groups committed to prayer, strategy and action) throughout Zambia. They presented reformation, pro-life, pro-family messages on national radio and TV, in schools and churches. Zambia Christian Action was launched under the leadership of Pastor John Jere. Frontline Fellowship also held Biblical Worldview Seminars in Ndola and in Lusaka. They took part in delegations to the various government departments and presented copies of reformation books to the Vice-President.

The Zambian government began to take a most encouraging turn. The Zambian President - Frederick Chiluba - made a public speech against pornography and called for its total eradication. This was followed by vigorous action by the Zambian police in rooting out all publicly displayed pornography and arresting those who sold it. Representations from Zambia Christian Action convinced the Zambian government of the need for the police to actually burn the pornography on the streets wherever it was found.

Numerous pro-life, anti-pornography and creation videos were imported by Frontline Fellowship from America and broadcast on prime time national television. They showed films such as: THE HARD TRUTH, THE ECLIPSE OF REASON, FATAL ADDICTION, THE EMPTY EMBRACE, and other relevant presentations. Frontline Fellowship missionaries became regular speakers on Zambian national radio programmes and their ZCA Co-ordinator, John Jere, became a familiar sight on national TV programmes - challenging Zambians to turn to Biblical principles and to rebuild every area of life upon the Law of God.

The Zambian government outlawed abortion. Abortion clinics were closed down and illegal clinics were raided by the police. Abortionists were imprisoned and their equipment was smashed. The Vice-President, General Miyanda, courageously made a strong stand for the right to life of the pre-born at the Cairo Conference. He totally rejected the UN and WHO’s promotion of abortion.

The Zambian President came on national television and said that the schools of Zambia were, in future, to be built only upon the Word of God. He said that the Zambian government was now a Christian government and while it would not bulldoze down Muslim mosques (unlike the Muslims who destroy Christian churches in their countries) they had to recognise that Zambian schools were now Christian. He said that Muslims were welcome to build their own schools for their own people, should they so wish, but in the state controlled schools, only the Gospel of Christ would be proclaimed. He further explained that the National Radio and Television would, in future, only promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “You are welcome to open up your own radio and TV stations, should you so wish“, he invited the Muslims. “However, you must now understand that on the National Radio and Television, only the Gospel of Christ will be presented.”

Building a Christian school system is naturally easier said than done. All the text books in the schools were humanist and the teachers were trained in humanist universities. Home schools are rare and the people, undermined by almost thirty years of socialism do not understand that the State has no business in education.

Nevertheless, pastors began to be invited to present Biblical teaching in various state schools. The students and teachers were exceptionally receptive to Biblical teaching and very hungry for Christian literature, films and videos. The Minister of Education asked for foreign missionaries and Christian school teachers to come to Zambia and help build a Christian schooling system. The Minister of Education offered schools to any Christian teachers who would be willing to run them and teach the Word of God.

Similarly, the Frontline missionaries have found a surprising openness to Biblical principles. Most of the army and police had been trained by Soviet and North Korean or Red Chinese instructors and indoctrinated in Marxism. But they were now disillusioned with humanism and receptive to the Word of God.

The police also now strongly desire to enforce justice. One Frontline mission team was returning from an intensive series of discipleship training courses in the north. They were camping by the banks of the Zambezi river when they woke to find thieves stealing their luggage and equipment. Now these thieves had chosen the wrong “victims”. One of the team had been in the elite 32 Battalion, the other in the Special Forces. They tracked down and “apprehended” each of the five thieves and took them to the local police station in Livingstone. The police were most apologetic that foreign guests should have suffered this inconvenience and duly “chastised” the criminals. They then urged the missionaries to stay for the trial so that they could testify against these thieves the next week.

However, the missionaries asked them to accelerate the process of justice: “We’ve been in the field for months - we just want to go home. Can't you hold the court case any earlier?”. The police then phoned the local judge who rushed over, held the trial, found the criminals guilty and sentenced them to jail, (like us they haven’t implemented the Biblical principles of restitution yet). The police chief then publicly thanked our missionaries for bringing these lawbreakers to justice and Frontline’s team continued on their way back to Cape Town with their luggage!

“COME OVER and HELP US”

There is a wide open door to missionary service in Zambia. The greatest needs are for discipleship, reformation literature and leadership training. Here is a country that has emerged from 27 years of humanism and has committed itself to becoming a Christian nation. The President has made a covenant with Almighty God. There have been national days of Prayer and Fasting, national days of Repentance and of Thanksgiving proclaimed by the government. The nation of Zambia has been mobilised by its government to prayer in a way that no other nation has in recent years. If this attempted reformation in Zambia succeeds, it will be a shining light and a challenge (and rebuke) to all the nations of the world - especially in Africa. However, although the government is made up of some fine Christians, it lacks a thorough understanding and application of Biblical Law. They want to be a Christian nation, they just need more information about how to do it. They are looking for practical, Biblical solutions and strategies.

Christians have an incredible opportunity to help advance the Kingdom of God by supporting the reformation in Zambia. If this reformation is overthrown or allowed to fail, it will be a tremendous victory for the forces of Satan. Christians worldwide need to rally behind our brethren. Obviously they need our prayers. This is God’s victory and only He can bring it to fruition. But we can also publish the testimony of Zambia as far and as widely as God allows. Most Christian magazines haven’t said a word about Zambia. Tourists could consider Zambia as their destination. It is a beautiful country with the largest waterfall in the world - Victoria Falls, one of the largest man-made lakes - Kariba Dam, exciting white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River and with some of the most spectacular wildlife in Africa. The country desperately needs foreign currency and all of its citizens benefit from every visitor.

Christian businesmen could consider investing in Zambia. Some Christian teachers could consider spending a year or more working in the schools. Churches and ministries could donate quantities of good, discipleship training materials to fuel the reformation fires in Zambia. Frontline Fellowship has almost unlimited opportunities to distribute literature throughout the government, mass media, education institutions and to police, soldiers, journalists and pastors throughout the country.

A revived Zambia could be the beginning of an Africa-wide revival. As Central Africa is devastated by AIDS, famine and war, a strong Christian nation blessed by God, could be a great shining challenge, rebuke and inspiration to its neighbours. Who knows, in a few decades we may need their missionaries to put our own nation back together again. God is sovereign, whatever judgements He brings against us will not stop His Kingdom growing until it fills the earth. Perhaps we too will have to face some dark years until we humble ourselves, repent from our sins and seek His face. But darkness is only the absence of light. The Adversary’s victories are only for a season. Our Lord’s is forever. Our God reigns!

Though materials can be sent directly to Zambia, it would be cheaper for the churches there, in terms of import duty, and simpler if gifts are sent to Frontline Fellowship by sea post - in Mailbags. Mark the boxes “GIFT - OF NO COMMERCIAL VALUE” or “RELIGIOUS MATERIALS - GIFT”, to avoid customs duties. Post to: Frontline Fellowship, P0 Box 74, Newlands, 7725 South Africa.

The above article was compiled by Rev. Brian Abshire, pastor of Lakeside Church in Wisconsin, USA. Brian is a friend of Frontline Fellowship and has twice visited Africa to lecture at the Biblical Worldview Seminar, deliver literature and aid and to investigate the situation here. Brian often speaks up for the suffering Christians in Africa and has written numerous articles on South Africa, Angola, Sudan and Zululand. We have reproduced this abbreviated version of his report in order to provide an outside perspective.

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