New Apostolic Church Zambia
| District Apostle (President): | Kububa Soko (since 2019) |
| Predecessor: | Charles S. Ndandula (2005-2019) |
| Helper: | District Apostle Helper : Robert M. Nsamba (Zambia) District Apostle Helper : Arnold N. Mhango (Malawi, Zimbabwe) |
| Seat of the district church: | Lusaka |
| Municipalities of Zambia: | 6,057 |
| Members Zambia: | 1,301,098 |
| Municipalities whole area: | 7,995 |
| Members whole area: | 1,524,735 |
| Website: | www.naczam.org.zm |
The New Apostolic Church Zambia (English New Apostolic Church Zambia ) is an administrative district of the New Apostolic Church (NAK). It includes the countries of Zambia , Malawi and Zimbabwe . This District Church of the New Apostolic Church is the first and the second largest independent District Church in Africa . In terms of membership, Zambia is only surpassed by the New Apostolic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . On July 21, 2019, when he was commissioned as District Apostle Kububa Soko to succeed Charles S. Ndandula, he took over the leadership of the District Church .
history
The first New Apostolic congregation in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) was founded in 1928 by George Mkandawire Henwood in Livingstone , Maramba. Only one year later, the New Apostolic Church in Northern Rhodesia was officially recognized. In 1932 the first divine service of a New Apostolic apostle took place in Northern Rhodesia. Here sealed Heinrich F. Schlaphoff 244 believers and ordained George Henwood for elders .
Henwood's missionary brothers planted churches throughout Northern Rhodesia that same year, including the first in Lusaka , later the capital of Zambia.
Apostle Schlaphoff was ordained District Apostle for Northern Rhodesia in 1934 . By then, New Apostolic Christians had spread into the Copperbelt (copper belt). In 1936 the missionary Henwood was ordained District Elder, at the time he was looking after 120 New Apostolic Christians in Lusaka.
It was not until 1943 that Henwood expanded missionary work to include Nyasaland . A year later the first church was founded there too. The first New Apostolic congregation was founded in 1944 in Barotseland (today Western Zambia). By 1948, the New Apostolic faith also spread to the Lozi people and the Zambezi Province. In 1950, the New Apostolic Church also began building it in Chipata (now Eastern Zambia).
After the Second World War , European apostles of the NAK, including the President of the Church in Northern Rhodesia, Heinrich Schlaphoff, were able to visit what is now Zambia for the first time. Schlaphoff divided the Church of Northern Rhodesia into three elders districts (Livingstone, Lusaka, Ndola) and ordained Henwood on June 11th as a bishop. In 1952, European churches were also planted in Lusaka, Ndola and Salisbury . The first two apostles for the Northern Rhodesia District (George Henwood and Hubert Fernandes) were ordained in Cape Town on December 12, 1954 . Henwood is the first dark-skinned apostle in the history of the New Apostolic Church.
On October 19, 1955, Hubert Fernandes was proclaimed District Apostle and first President of the NAK Northern Rhodesia. In the same year, the future District Apostle Mfune was sealed by Henwood.
In 1963 Henwood died of a cardiac embolism on the way to Salisbury. He was buried on September 19th in Choma. A year later, another apostle, Njamba, was ordained. Chief Apostle Walter Schmidt was the first head of the church to visit the now independent country of Zambia in 1965. The new District Apostle in 1971 was Andrew James Fernandes, who was now also entrusted to Malawi in the Zambia District Church in Zambia. By the following year he expanded the church in Zambia and introduced Sunday schools , religious instruction and choral work. His brother and District Apostle Hubert Fernandes, who had previously cared for Rhodesia , Bechuanaland and the Caprivi Strip , died in 1976. His care countries were given to his brother. The Zambia District Church thus comprised the following countries at that time: Zambia, Malawi, Rhodesia and the now independent Botswana .
From November 12 to 18, 1980, Hans Urwyler was the second Chief Apostle to visit Zambia. Two years later he consecrated a large central church in Lusaka for the 50th anniversary of the congregation in this city. In 1986 he held the first dormition service on Zambian soil. Andrew Fernandes died in 1989 at the age of 72. His nephew and Bishop Anthony H. H. Fernandes became District Apostle for Zimbabwe and Malawi, Duncan B. Mfunde for Zambia - the first dark-skinned District Apostle of the NAK. The year 1989 also reflected the highest growth of the Church in Zambia: 53,000 Zambians were sealed. The first international District Apostle Meeting in Zambia took place in April 1990.
In the mid-1990s, Chief Apostle Richard Fehr held several divine services in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. These were broadcast nationwide on public television. Government figures also came into official or private contact with the New Apostolic Church more and more frequently.
In 2000, a large central church in Lilongwe and an administrative office for the district church in Lusaka were built. At the end of the year, another District Apostle meeting took place in Zambia, and the number of members also reached the million mark. District Apostle Mfune retired in 2005, and his successor was the previous District Apostle Helper Ndandula.
At Pentecost 2015, the District Church of Zambia hosted the Chief Apostle. In addition to the festive divine service on Sunday, concerts and apostle meetings with more than 250 participants took place on the weekend of Pentecost. The Pentecost service was watched by 71,000 spectators in the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, in addition, over 1,000,000 believers were connected to Zambia through broadcast from all parts of the world.
After 14 years as national church leader, Chief Apostle Schneider said goodbye to District Apostle Ndandula in a festive divine service in Zambia on July 21, 2019. Kububa Soko was commissioned to succeed the District Apostle in the same divine service.
District Apostle in Zambia
- Heinrich Schlaphoff (1934–1955)
- Hubert Fernandes (1955–1971)
- Andrew Fernandes (1971-1989)
- Duncan B. Mfune (1989-2005)
- Charles S. Ndandula (2005-2019)
- Kububa Soko (2019 to date)
Todays situation
| Church statistics (as of 2012) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| country | Members | Communities | Clergy and deacons |
| Zambia | 1,208,801 | 7,264 | 28,560 |
| Malawi | 214.931 | 1,833 | 5,189 |
| Zimbabwe | 11,793 | 115 | 445 |
In Zambia, almost 13% of the total population are currently New Apostolic Christians. Between 2001 and 2007 the number increased by about 300,000 members. The numbers are also increasing in Malawi. Between June 2001 and 2007 the number of believers increased by 47%. Due to the high death rate and mounting political tensions, the numbers in Zimbabwe have been falling over the past few years. In 2001 the number of members was still over 18,000.
Henwood Foundation
The Henwood Foundation is a charitable organization founded by the NAK Zambia . It is directed by Apostle Richard Luhanga. The members of the facility want to fight poverty and all the consequences of it in Zambia. The most important areas of activity are school education, health, food security and support for the disabled. The organization supports existing schools through modernization and student support, especially with donations, and also creates its own learning centers and schools. Students are also continuously supported with scholarships. Other activities relate in particular to AIDS education and support for those affected, help for farmers in agriculture and homes for the disabled, and the provision of devices such as wheelchairs to households with disabilities. Funding comes from donations from the Church and members of the Foundation, the public and the sale of various utensils.
Web links
Footnotes
- ↑ A self-made product full of vitality , report on nac.today of May 21, 2015, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ↑ 90 years of NAK Zambia - celebrating birthdays at the cradle , report on nac.today of April 26, 2018, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ^ A journey across Africa , report of the New Apostolic Church International of May 30, 2015, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ↑ Zambia and Pentecost - they go well together , report of the New Apostolic Church International of March 17, 2005, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ↑ Change of office in the heart of Africa , report of the New Apostolic Church International of July 24, 2019, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ↑ Apostle Areas , statistics on the website of NAC Zambia as of 2012, accessed on January 9, 2020
- ↑ Information at nak.org
