Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
People in the country have been urged to thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon Zambia as they celebrate their country’s golden Jubilee which falls today the 24th of October.
In a pastoral statement the three Christian Church mother bodies, namely, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), say the blessings that the country has given by God should provide hope and inspiration for the future.
The Church mother bodies have in pastoral statement that has been signed by CCZ president Rev. Dr. Alfred Kalembo, EFZ chairperson Bishop Joseph Imakando and ZEC president Most Rev. Telesphore Mpundu, reminded people in the country to reject any form of violence.
The church mother bodies have also urged the church as whole and government to continue working together in order to promote a greater sense of national unity and harmony among Zambians.
They say they are praying that all work towards preserving and strengthening this unity. Indeed, different political opinions and affiliations should never be allowed to disintegrate in the society.
The CCZ, EFZ and the ZEC have also appealed for a renewed sense of responsibility and moral integrity among leaders who are in active politics.
The three church mother bodies have however noted with concern that there are still unacceptable high levels of poverty in Zambia and disproportionate development biased towards urban areas while the rural areas have persistently been neglected.
They say this is a moral injustice that should be immediately addressed adding that as far as the church mother bodies are concerned celebrating a Golden Jubilee means that time has come to restore equality among the children of God and therefore Zambia’s Jubilee should be a time to restructure the country’s political, social, economic and cultural systems and structures and further put in place ones that will promote social and economic justice as well as the common good and integral development for all Zambians.
The church mother bodies are also praying that the spirit of tolerance and acceptance of divergent views will continue as this is what will build our nation and enable it rise to even greater heights.
They say they additionally fully support the calls for stronger oversight on debt contraction by the legislature so that Zambia does not reverse the gains of debt forgiveness and slip back into another debt trap.
They have also reiterated their joint Jubilee 2000 Pastoral letter’s message by once again calling for responsibility, transparency, accountability and prudence for the sake of the future generations.