Reflections from the Zambezi

Howard Worth (Image credit: Salwa Ravensdale) Yesterday, I was thrilled to discover a letter that I got from Howard Worth in 2009 where he wrote of his ministry at Ndola Baptist Church in the 70s. Below is a biographical sketch of Howard Worth based mostly on the letter that he wrote. Introduction Howard Worth was born in London in England on 7th November 1937. In terms of siblings, Howard Worth had an older brother, Colin and a younger sister, Valerie. His parents though not Christian, encouraged the family to go to Sunday School when they were living in Ewell, Surrey. Worth was the fifth pastor of Ndola Baptist Church after Terry Smith. Conversion Worth was converted at the age of 19 during his 2 years of National Service which at the time was compulsory. He was led to the Lord by a Church of England Chaplain. Worth describes it as “a wonderful and dramatic conversion experience and the Lord made a complete change in his life”. Although he had no help, he found myself witnessing to ...

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...

Joe Simfukwe was the sixth pastor and first Zambian pastor of Lusaka Baptist Church. He is also one of the longest serving pastors of Lusaka Baptist. He was pastor from 1979-1990. Simfukwe was instrumental in popularising expository preaching in Evangelical and Baptist Churches. He played a leading role in establishing Baptist churches in Zambian urban towns. He also officiated and preached at a number of weddings and wrote many booklets.  Joe Simfukwe was born in 1950 in Jombo Village in then Northern Province, now Muchinga Province where he did his primary and secondary schooling. He later went to do his secondary school education in Scotland. He later studied at Glasgow University in Scotland from 1969-1973. He became a Christian in 1970 at university. He studied theology at Spurgeon’s College in London from 1976-1979. He later did postgraduate theological studies in Australia from 1990-1993. Before his call to be pastor in 1979, Simfukwe worked as an Agricul...

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” This was one of the many biblical texts that Reverend Joshua Kekana liked to preach from. Rev. Kekana was one of the elders at Lusaka Baptists Church in the 80s. I have never heard anyone else preach more on the subject of revival that he did.  You could really get a sense of one who longed for God to revive his Church as he had done in times gone by. There was this urgency and passion when he preached on Revival and on other subjects. Rev. Kekana was the oldest elder at the time and a widower. His wisdom and insight into a number of issues was evident. He was very disposed to young people whom he loved to associate with and encourage in the things of God. Rev. Kekana was a godly man who loved and knew his God. He loved to preach the word and point men to God. He loved the presence of God and it is no wonder he longed for revival something he often would return to preach about.  His sermons were ...

Travelling to Kafue On 23 October 2008, I travelled to Kafue Secondary School in Kafue. Kafue is in Lusaka Province of Zambia. It has Kafue river (one of Zambia's four major river's). The town has been known for the now defunct Kafue Textiles and Nitrogen Chemicals. Other places of interest are Kafue River Cliff (a boating club), Kafue Gorge (where electricity is generated) and Kafue Secondary School. The town has not underone much change over the years. Most of the infrastructure is very old and in astate of disrepair. And yet the town is very close to the Capital city (45 km)! Memories of Kafue Secondary School The school is owned by the United Church of Zambia which works in partnership with the government. The school is 42 years old, though it existed as Kafue Trades Institute before Independence. My trip to Kafue Secondary School was in order to attend a funeral of Maureen, wife to my cousin Paulson. The first memento of my school (where I did my form 1 - 5 from 1981 to 8...