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In this blog, I give an abridged version of the biographical sketches of the the first three pastors of Lusaka Baptist Church from 1959 to 1976. 


Derek Harris (1959 - 1961)


Derek Harris was the first pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church from 1959 - 1961. He played a pioneering role in establishing the church. He was passionate in evangelistic work.

Derek Harris was born on 6 April 1927 and was educated and worked in London. Harris was converted during his teens through the Youth Ministry of the Brethren Assembly. He was called to be the first pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church on 1st January 1959. Claude and Charles Kidwell (brothers) were pioneers in establishing the Church and were key in calling Harris to Lusaka Baptist Church. Though the congregation was small initially, it grew in strength and numbers leading to the construction of a church building. Lusaka Baptist was constituted as a church on 2nd July 1961 with the building being opened for worship on 23rd October 1961. Harris's ministry at Lusaka Baptist Church was an exciting time as the work grew with a number of baptisms with the Sunday School Ministry also growing. From a beginning of 15 people meeting in a classroom, the number grew to 50 (meeting in their own church) when Derek left the pastorate in May 1961.



Basil Medgett (1961 - 1967)


Medgett was the second pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church from 1961 to 1967. He was instrumental in establishment of Baptist Churches in Luanshya, Ndola and Lusaka and also for the establishment of Fiwale Hill Bible College. 

Basil Medgett was born on 1 January 1924 in Whitstable, Kent, England and went to be with the Lord in 1983 in Canada after a short illness. He attended Faversham Grammar School. He was born in a Christian home where the example of Christian parents meant a lot to him. His father, Cyril, was a lay preacher of the Church of England. Medgett learnt of the of the gospel from his parents. He became a Christian at the age of fifteen during a series of special services held in his home town. Medgett became pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church in 1961. At the time he was being called, the church was struggling financially with the income being less than the budget, yet Medgett still accepted the call! Such was his commitment to the cause of Christ and the gospel! Basil left Zambia for Canada in 1967.


Graham Ingram (1969 - 1976)


Graham Ingram was the third pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church from 1969 to 1976. He played a leading role in seeing the church change from primarily serving the expatriate white community to an indigenous church with a major outreach to students.
 
Graham Ingram was born near Sheffield, England in 1936 and was called home to glory in 2017 in Cape Town. He became a Christian in 1955 when he was 18 doing compulsory military service. A few months before he had been strongly influenced by two young men who were preaching in the street. Through their words the Holy Spirit convicted him of sin. Six months later after meeting some more Christians, and seeing Christ in them, he knelt by his barrack room bed - in front of 20 other soldiers and surrendered to Christ. Ingram was educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Retford, Nottinghamshire; the City of Sheffield Teacher Training College and Spurgeon's College in London. Graham become pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church in January 1969. Ingram played a leading role at LBC in seeing the church change from primarily serving the expatriate white community to being an indigenous church with a major evangelistic outreach to students from the University of Zambia, Evelyn Hone College and some secondary schools. He was a passionate and gifted expositor of the  word of God and drew many to the church to listen to the preached word. 

                                                                                                                                      Gabriel Konayuma                                                                                                                                               2 July 2021
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