Mondesters
Hakanyanga,
church planter in
Luanshya
After Worship
Greeting: A
tradition in
the churches in Zambia is for
everyone to form a line as they leave,
and shake each person's hand as they go out, then everyone else's hand
who comes out after them. In this way, each member greets every
other member at least for a moment whenever they gather together.
Often, songs are sung as people proceed through the line, as is
happening above in a Luanshya church meeting.
Chitawe
Reformed Baptist Church, a small work in rural Zambia.
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CHURCH PLANTING
Central Baptist Church of Luanshya
Our first trip to Zambia had the primary purpose of
developing a relationship with a church plant in Luanshya and its
overseeing church, Grace Baptist Church in Ndola. We
desire to see native, or indigenous, leadership
establishing churches wherever possible, and were investigating how we
could support such an effort. There were
some encouragements with the church plant, but unfortunately the
original church planter for that work left soon after, and a
replacement was needed.
In God’s providence, we had met a Reformed preacher named
Mondesters Hakanyanga (pictured at right) who had been in the ministry about 10 years, and was
experiencing increasing opposition from his church to the truth he was
preaching. We actually heard him preach on
our first trip, and the Lord’s Word was clearly and powerfully brought
forth through Him.
As we consulted with Grace Reformed Baptist Church of
Ndola, it was agreed that he was the man for the job.
Mondesters was sent to Luanshya to take up the
struggling work of Central Baptist Church. The
Lord has blessed his ministry among these people, who were eager to
have a shepherd to lead the flock.
The majority of the financial support for Pastor
Hakanyanga is provided by LION of Zambia. We
hope that this is one of many future church planters which we can aid
and support!
Future
Possibilities
We are
prayerfully waiting to see what the Lord may do in two areas of
need. The first is just outside of Ndola, in a shanty town called
Kawama. This is where the Hope for the Afflicted ministry to
orphans is carried out. The church currently rents a house there,
and has some members from the area. Their prayer is to be able to
plant a vernacular church in that needy area.
A second area
which our brethren in Zambia are targeting is in Solwezi in North
Western Province (see below). This is
the only provincial capital in the country without a Reformed church,
and plans are underway to plant a God-centered, Christ-exalting work
there soon.
Please pray
for these two potential works to be established.
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