Zambian Church Service

I want to describe to you all a Zambian church service. We, as the missionaries here, go around to different Wesleyan Churches in the area. Partly we do this to spread our tithes and offerings around and partly because we want a change of pace and to get out of Zimba. But for the churches that we have encountered the format is basically the same. Some churches are bigger than others, some have better choirs than others, one even has electricity, but the Spirit of God is in each place.
Today I want to share with you about Calvary Wesleyan Church out in the bush. It is about 15 kms or so off the beaten trail. The path to drive on is very narrow and rough, but the little church is located on a little hill. It is made of mud bricks with a grass roof. The pews are trees that are cut and placed on a couple of bricks. The first two pews are concreted bricks. This church is really small, with mostly women and children. I don't know where all the men are.
Upon arriving, we are greeted warmly and ushered to the first two pews in the front. The end of Sunday School and the beginning of Church is not easily determined. There is a time of singing. This goes on for a long time then the pastor gets up and welcomes everyone and sings another song. Then there is a time of special music and telling what God has done. There usually is a couple of different groups that come up and share. It is a wonderful time. The people sing for all they are worth whether or not they are on key. It is refreshing. After that the secretary of the Church comes up and gives announcements. I hear that the offering the week before was only about K4000, which is less then a dollar. After that the choir comes up and sings a few songs. At Calvary the choir is not that big, but the people sing loud and that little building almost shakes. They usually sing three or four songs and then are seated. Following is a time of tithes and offerings and then a time of prayer. Again everyone prays out loud. So I do as well. Once that is concluded the pastor comes and gives his message. This time there is no interpreter so he just does it in Tonga. Listening is hard because of the language barrier, but you can hear his passion and it still speaks to the soul. He spoke on Romans 7. "I do what I don't want to do, and I don't do what I want to do." When he is finished we are all escorted out first and we line up and shake everyone's hand that is at Church. It is a lot of shaking hands, but it is good to do that. It is all about relationship here. Shortly after we jump in the truck after saying our goodbyes and are on our way back to Zimba after about three hours in Church.


Pictures of the Church -