Reflections from the Zambezi

Lusaka Baptist Church Part 2: The next 30 years (1990 – 2019)  Alfred Nyirenda was the seventh pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church from 1993 to 1997. He was a passionate preacher of the gospel and a seasoned marriage counsellor. Alfred was born in Lundazi district of Zambia. He did his primary education in the Eastern province and secondary school at David Kaunda Technical School from 1967 to 1971. Alfred became a Christian in 1969. He started attending church at Lusaka Baptist Church and studied at the University of Zambia. While at university he embraced Reformed doctrine after reading Reformed literature. He sensed the call to the pastoral ministry while studying at university. Before becoming a pastor, he was a secondary school teacher. Alfred married Tina in 1975 and the Lord blessed their marriage with three children. He went to Spurgeon’s College for ministerial training which he completed in 1984. Alfred’s ministry at Lusaka Baptist Church was characterised by a str...

Gabriel S. Konayuma 8 min read                                                                                     In 2009, I did biographical sketches of former pastors and current pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church. Lusaka Baptist Church started meetings in 1959 but was established as a church in 1961. More than 10 years later it has become necessary to review some of the things I wrote and write a more summarised version of the biographical sketches that I did. This is so that anyone who is not acquainted with the men that God has used as pastors at Lusaka Baptist Church can at least get to know something of them through a one sitting reading. Definitely, much more detailed biographies are required of these men. That is a work in progress that I hope to complete this year...

Symons, John (1978 - 1979) Fifth pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church. He has also served a pastor at Kitwe Chapel, Portswood Church in the UK and Mkushi Christian Community in Zambia.   John Symons was born on 21 March 1943 in Plymouth in England. He was brought up in Bristol, England of a Christian background that was mostly Brethren. He became a Christian at Southampton University in England where he was studying Geography. He later did a teaching certificate at Bristol University. He taught Geography and other subjects in a comprehensive school in Bristol. Symons has three sisters all who are Christians. One lives in the USA and the others in the UK. He married Gwyneth in 1975. This marriage was blessed with four children all who were born in Zambia. One of them is Andrew. The last born has a Zambian name Mwila.   Symons was convinced of the need to serve as a missionary overseas while teaching Geography in Bristol. The sense of being called went as far ...