Missions Partner Million Kambuli Presentation 2026

So we have lunch together as a church and then have time around God's word. In the morning, I think the last time I was here I did mention I was preaching through Genesis. I'm still preaching through Genesis. So in the morning I'm preaching through the book of Genesis. We're in chapter 38. I'm sure very soon I'll be concluding the book. In the afternoon, I'm doing a survey of the Bible under a series, A Day in the Book of the Bible. So every Sunday, surveying a book and getting lessons from it.

So that's our structure outside. Still working on it. So that's a Sunday afternoon service, the Doctrine on. And then the morning service looks like that. So that is at a university called University of Lusaka. So that's the Sunday morning service. On Wednesdays, we've been having Bible studies.

We used to have it at our home, but now that we've moved away from Silverestown, we've stopped having these studies. We'll actually start them very soon. So I've moved, my wife and I have moved away from Silverest because renting in Silverest is very expensive. Silverest is an affluent area and that's where most politicians are found. So we've moved to a nearby town, not far away, about 20 minutes drive from Silverest. There we are paying renters three times less.

Yeah, so we thought 20 minutes we can do the driving, you know. Yeah, so I think at least we are saving. And where we've moved is closer to our house. Our house, the house we've been building, and we are grateful to your brethren for your generosity. Our house is not yet habitable. But very soon, when we have water running, we'll be able to move into our house and cut on rentals completely.

So during Wednesday meetings, we are going through the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, just reminding our members what we believe in. So that's Sunday morning. The Lord has been adding to our numbers. We've been having a number of baptisms. So that's one of our elders, Elder Vernon Kapuma, baptizing some, about five believers. I'm sure you know that face. Yeah, so we are always happy to have you come to, you know, to Africa to visit us. It's very encouraging. And we praise the Lord for that. Please continue visiting us. We get encouraged by your visits. So this was before we had put the walls. Yeah, it was before we had put these walls, you see. Yeah, before I put the walls, that's when our friends from Jefferson Park Baptist visited. So that's Ben, and then that's my wife, and familiar faces here.

Good stewards of their afflictions

Yeah. Yeah, so, I've written a book. The title of the book is The Gospel and the Pain of Childlessness. It's basically a reflection on what we've gone through. Yeah, and Conrad Bell has done a gracious foreword. It was actually published today. So today, 2,000 copies were printed. So we are grateful to the Lord for this book. Yeah, so that's the book.

In this book, basically I deal with the whole issue of the sovereignty of God and childless from a biblical perspective. basically teaching believers to be good stewards of their afflictions. When we are afflicted, we must be good stewards. Yeah, so that's the book, The Gospel and the Pain of Childlessness.

Planting a church in Luangwa

And then, we are planting a church in Luangwa, it's a village. in Luangwa, so every Sunday one of the elders goes there to preach. So it will be called Luangwa Reformed Baptist Church. So before I talk about that, so that's a team from our church, you know, enjoying themselves after preaching this village called Luangwa. Yeah, so that's the Ruangwa River. The Ruangwa River is well known to have dangerous crocodiles. I think almost in the whole world, I think it's a river with very dangerous crocodiles. So even though I went with them with that knowledge, I told them, yeah, I believe in the sovereignty of God, but also in human responsibility. So please, enjoy yourselves on the water. Find me outside. Yeah, so.

Yeah, so apart from that, we also do mercy ministry, like reaching out to the vulnerable in the area. So Kabata Baptist Church, they have what they call Children's Hunger Fund. I think there's an organization here in the U.S. that sends them money for such activities. So we ask them whether we could be you know, part of that ministry. And so they've been giving us some items which we give out to vulnerable children in the area. So as you can see, those are the vulnerable children in the area who comes and then we give them some foodstuffs.

Yeah, this has created a very good problem. So what has started happening is that their parents, they've started coming to our church. Of course, not for the gospel, but for food. Yeah, but it's a good problem. We can still use it to preach the gospel to them. So there was a Saturday, I think it was a month ago, where we had about 150 you know, coming from the community, from this vulnerable community.

And right now, we are praying and, you know, thinking as an eldership to start maybe a vernacular service, since our services are done in English. So we may start another service to cater for them. That's one of the possibilities. or plant maybe a vernacular church. But I think for now, we will start the vernacular service at Silvery Central Baptist.

Any questions?

Yeah, I think so. That's it from me. I'll answer the questions now. Any questions? It's about six hours drive. Yeah. Six hours drive. So Sunday morning is expository. So I've been preaching through the book of Genesis. Yeah, so I've been doing an exposition of that book for about three years now.

Yeah. Yes. How many? Yeah, they are comfortable. Civil rights is an affluent community. Yeah, it's an affluent community. Yeah. Both children and their parents. I'm able to preach both in English and in vernacular, so I can still handle that. Yeah. Yes? I don't think I can recite it in our language, but if I had a Bible with me, I would read it. We are three elders. Yeah, and planning to add two more elders.

A regenerate church membership

So our membership is now at 53, though attendance is between 100 and 150. So remember, we are meeting at the university, so we have a lot of students who come. Yeah, but also we have people who come who are not willing to commit to membership. Yeah, because we are strict on membership. We believe in a regenerate church membership. Yeah, so some people, that offends them. It's more like you have been segregative and so on, yeah. The issue. A number of factors. One of them is the fact that Zambia is a very religious country. In fact, we call ourselves a Christian nation.

So if you are to come to Zambia and then you are talking to someone about the gospel, you ask them whether they are saved, they will tell you they are saved. Ask them now, how did you become born again? You hear funny answers, like, no, Zambia is a Christian nation.

My mother is a Christian. You know, I hang around with Christian friends. Yeah, so to tell them that for you to become a member, you need to be someone who has professed faith in Christ. And you need to convince us that you are a Christian. That is something which is very, very new to most of them.

I remember recently a secondary school teacher, very committed woman who should attend the services. And when she applied for membership and we asked her to give a testament of salvation, she said she was a believer because she was born in a Christian family. You are not a believer based on that testimony. Yeah, she stopped coming for three months and then wrote me a text and said,

I think you are right.

Yeah, so what we don't want is to have a forced growth. To just have, you know, okay, we're having 150 people, you know, meeting with us. Anyone who wants to join membership, raise your hand, and then you are in now. So it's better we are, you know, we are a few and those few regenerate. So, yeah. I think that's one of the biggest reasons. Yeah. Yeah, the other is on, so we also have missionaries. For instance, some missionaries from the U.S. Okay.

Yeah, who would say, well, I'm a member where I come from, in the U.S. So there's no need for me to become a member here. We also have such categories. Or, I'm a member where I come from. If you want me to become a member, It's okay, but I'll not be committed. So we have people in that category, and we tell them, no, you can't be a member, you are not part of the body, you are not committed, and so on. I don't know whether that answers the question.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So another hunt? Okay. Yes, so my vehicle has been down for some time now. So it's on and off, on and off. At times you are driving and there's an issue on the way and my wife is late for work, children are late and so on. In terms of details, I'm not too sure how much, you know, the vehicle costs. I think I may need to ask the deacons. Yeah. Yeah. One more question? I'm a man under authority, so one more question. Yes. Members from, like students who are members? Yes, we do. We do have a number of students who are members. Yeah. Thank you.