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GEOGRAPHY

Area 752,614 sq.km. Landlocked, forested Central African country.

Capital Lusaka 1,695,000. Other major cities: Ndola 500,000; Kitwe 446,000. Urbanites 22%.

PEOPLES

85 ethnic groups.

Bantu 98%. Bemba-related 3.3 mill.; Nyanja-related 1.6m; Tonga(5) 1.38m; Lozi-related 750,000; Tumbuka 392,000; Lala-Bisa 371,000; Kaonde 248,000; Lunda 222,000; Lamba 214,000; Luvale 205,000; Lenje 171,000.

Khoisan (Bushmen). Under 1,000 in 4 groups, in the west.

Foreign-origin 2%. South Asian 27,000 (mainly Gujarati); European 25,000; Refugees – many Congolese and Angolans fleeing war in their homelands.

Literacy 78% (declining; functional literacy under 25%). Official language English. Trade language Bemba and Nyanja spoken by large minorities of the population. All languages 41. Languages with Scriptures 15Bi 8NT 3por 3w.i.p.

ECONOMY

Copper mining and refining has long been the major source of foreign exchange. Post-independence prosperity was squandered by heavy-handed socialism, neglect of agriculture and widespread corruption. The collapse of world copper prices, instability and meddling in wars in surrounding nations further pushed the nation into virtual bankruptcy. The Chiluba government has only partially reformed the economy but done little to stem corruption. The AIDS catastrophe has devastated the population and brought health services to the point of collapse. HDI 0.431; 151^st/174. Public debt 148% of GNP. Income/person $370 (1% of USA).

POLITICS

Independent from Britain in 1964. One-party democracy under President Kaunda's leadership until 1991. Growing corruption, economic collapse and a revulsion against one party regimes prompted multi-party elections. The Chiluba government began well in freeing up the economy, allowing press freedom and outlawing abortion, pornography and prostitution. However, it has not maintained democratic freedoms nor improved the quality of life for most Zambians. There is widespread disillusionment.

RELIGION

Kaunda's socialist humanism was government policy. Chiluba, as an active Christian, declared Zambia a Christian country in 1991 but with full religious freedom for all faiths. This was written into the constitution in 1996.

Missionaries from Zambia
P,I,A 228 in 22 agencies to 18 countries: Zambia 182.

Missionaries to Zambia
P,I,A 566 in 66 agencies from 24 countries: USA 210, UK 102, South Africa 48, Germany 35, Canada 34, New Zealand 27, Australia 25.

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Answers to Prayer

1 The growth of the Church during the 1980s accelerated in the 1990s, helped by President Chiluba's public Christian confession and the opening up of public institutions and media to the gospel. Evangelicals were 515,000 (9%) in 1980, 800,000 (12.6%) in 1990 and 2.2 million (25%) in 2000.

Challenges for Prayer

1 President Chiluba openly dedicated Zambia to God as a Christian nation at his inauguration in 1991. The outworkings in public life have been disappointing, with many in the government becoming ostentatiously wealthy while half the population live in dire poverty. Pray for hearts, worldviews and structures to be moulded by God's Word, for democracy not to be discredited and for Christianity not to be debased or even rejected through such failures.

2 The widespread poverty and lack of economic progress could lead to unrest or worse. Pray that the government may tackle the massive problems with honesty and courage. The foreign debt burden is one of the world's highest, and the economic impact of the AIDS pandemic one of the world's worst.

3 The massive growth of Protestant and Independent churches has been encouraging. The Spirit of God has moved through the country with many coming to personal faith in Christ – in urban areas, among educated young people and increasingly in rural areas. The United Church (fruit of the work of LMS, Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, Church of Scotland and Methodist Missionary Society) has a growing evangelical witness and is bringing new life and outreach in once formal congregations. The economic crisis, poverty, unemployment and the AIDS pandemic have all prompted a search after God that multiplied conversions in the 1990s. Yet there are dangers:

a) Superficiality and lack of real understanding of the grace as well as the radical demands of the gospel. Many are still bound by fear of witchcraft.

b) Lack of indigeneity. There is need for a true African expression of Christian lifestyle, theology and worship patterns.

c) Too much multiplication of churches by acrimonious divisions. This is especially true of the burgeoning Pentecostal and charismatic networks.

4 Rural churches vary widely in spiritual quality and vigour. Pray for:

a) The many thriving evangelical congregations in the northwest among the Luvale, Chokwe, Lunda and others (Brethren), Kaonde, Mbwela and Nkoya (SIM) and Lamba (Baptist). The area has a high concentration of evangelical believers, but they need a greater vision for cross-cultural outreach to other areas of the land.

b) The fruitful work of the Brethren in Christ and Churches of Christ among the Tonga peoples in the south; but some areas are only partially evangelized.

c) The Reformed Church among the Nyanja peoples in the east, which is theologically evangelical and now growing fast.

d) The Lozi and southwestern peoples and the Bemba and northern peoples, who have few evangelical congregations. Many have become nominally Christian, but because of unclear teaching, large numbers have been swept into sectarian or syncretistic indigenous churches. Pray for churches to be planted in these spiritually needy areas.

e) The PAoC, Pentecostal Holiness Church, SIM, Brethren and Churches of Christ who have all commenced work in the less evangelized northeast.

5 The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) has become an important focal point of fellowship and cooperative efforts for denominations and agencies. Pray that God may give united vision to Christian leaders as they tackle the daunting problems facing Zambia. In 1998 a new national initiative was launched through the inspiration of the AD2000 and Beyond Movement for outreach within, and missions outside, Zambia.

6 The AIDS crisis is overwhelming the health services (80% in hospitals have AIDS), the pastoral work of churches (many funerals) and family life. Pray specifically for:

a) All seeking to bring about real change in sexual behaviour, attitudes to victims and heart attitudes in order to check the spread of the disease. The Bible Society with Jesus Cares Ministry, Advocates for Change and SU's Aid for AIDS programmes are some such. Some estimate that half the present population will die of AIDS.

b) Medical workers who have to face the daily challenge of so many needing help but who lack resources. Mission hospitals have again become important. It is reckoned that 20-25% of the population has HIV. In prisons, over 50% are infected.

c) Children. Zambia probably has the highest level of AIDS orphans (650,000+) in the world. Over 90,000 live on the streets of the cities. Extended families are too over-stretched to care for them all.

7 Leadership training. This is a priority in a land where nominalism and syncretism are common. The EFZ has sponsored the Theological College of Central Africa in Ndola – the first evangelical, degree-awarding theological institution in Central Africa. The TCCA, Justo Mwale Theological College, Apostolic and Pentecostal Bible Schools are full to capacity. There are a total of 18 Bible schools. Pray for spiritually and educationally qualified leaders to be prepared through these institutions. TEE is widely used, but has only been partially effective. Lay training is a must, as most church planting has been done by lay people.

8 Young people. SU has had a significant impact in the secondary schools, with large, lively groups in most of them. Many missionaries and Zambian believers have an extensive ministry in teaching the Scriptures in government schools. ZAFES(IFES) has three staff workers and groups in almost every post-secondary institution.

9 Missions. There is an open door, but the emphasis is on working within the structure of the national churches, or in preparing Zambians for leadership. The largest are: Brethren (133), SIM (74), IMB-SBC (25), Liebenzell Mission (22), Christian Chs/Chs of Christ (20), SdA (19), Brethren in Christ (13). Pray for wisdom, tact and humility as they seek to help the Zambian Church. There are many opportunities for service: Bible teaching in schools, medical work, leadership training and the use of technical skills such as in radio and literature production and distribution.

10 The less reached:

a) The many smaller peoples in the southwest are minimally reached – the Subiya, the 4 Khoisan groups, etc.

b) The urban satellite towns of Lusaka, the Copperbelt and Kabwe are spiritually needy. Many are squalid shanty settlements. Pray for the work of DM and others in evangelizing these areas where sin is rife.

c) The Indian Gujarati community is both Hindu and Muslim, but few are Christian. South African SIM and Asian missionaries from Tanzania are working among them.

d) Muslims are active in propagating their religion and making liberal use of funds to entice non-Muslims into their sphere of influence. Pray for effective outreach to Muslims. Few Zambian Christians are equipped for this.

11 Christian specialist ministries:

a) Bible translation and distribution.The Bible Society has a key role in a number of OT and three NT translation projects.

b) Christian literature.There are 16 Christian bookstores, but the quantity, range and local applicability of available literature are limited. Lack of foreign exchange, local supplies and authors are big limitations.

c) Christian radio and television ministries have expanded rapidly. There is now a Christian FM station in Lusaka and a Christian TV channel. The major issue is quality. There are too many frothy Western TV shows whose performance techniques are copied by local preachers.

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