Non-partisan in Zambia

Bishop William Muchombo with worshippers in Zambia

Zambia is facing elections in 2011. The Church is trying to tread a careful line of encouraging debate - but debate that is neither partisan nor acrimonious.

Bishop Muchombo said,

“The clergy are free to speak on any issue concerning the running of the country but what we advise against is being partisan at any time,” he said.

Recently, some outspoken Anglican clergy have been quoted in sections of the media denouncing the Government and speaking on lines bordering on partisan inclination.

From the Times of Zambia

The church (not just in Zambia) has always had to have a careful relationship to the state - not least because churches are state-like structures which have within them an inherent threat to the sovereignty of any secular state.

The Anglican Church has been on the side of the ruling power ever since Henry VIII enforced the submission of the clergy and the church had to make the best of a bad thing.

On the other hand the expression of Christianity and its implications is inherently political or it's vacuous - yet stepping from Christian generalizations to endorsing specific policies or parties is always hazardous. Supporting the government in the name of being non-partisan is not necessarily any better than taking sides against the government.

Let us hope that the Church in Zambia can find the right balance.

Primates on Zimbabwe: more detail

The Rt Revd Albert Chama, Bishop of Zambia Photo Credit: ACNS

From Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

The Primates of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Alexandria, held what the Anglican Communion News Service called a "moving discussion on Zimbabwe" on Monday night, February 2, led by Bishop Albert Chama of Central Africa and Archbishop Thabo.

You can hear a recording of the news conference, addressed first by Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Brisbane, media spokesman for the meeting, and then Archbishop Thabo, at the ACNS website.

You can also read reports referring to Archbishop Thabo's contributions to the meeting by the U.S. Episcopal Church's correspondent at the meeting, and a report in The Guardian, London.

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Help the poor in Zambia

Anglican clergy urges govt to adopt pro-poor policies
Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sunday, January 04, 2009

From Maravi

ANGLICAN Diocese of Eastern Zambia Bishop William Mchombo has urged the
government to come up with pro-poor policies that can help reduce poverty levels
in the country. In his end of year message, Bishop Mchombo said the government
should put in place measures that would help raise living standards of the
people.

“The year 2008 was a very critical year, I think poverty levels for our
people have been very grinding and if you go round the villages, you can see
that there should be a deliberate policy to help people especially in rural
areas to come out of poverty,” Bishop Mchombo said.

Restoring the Church in Zambia

Rt. Revd David Njovu, Bishop of Lusaka

A major fund raising campaign is underway in Lusaka to refurbish the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, built in 1958.

A Cathedral Corporate Partnership ball with the theme ‘ Restoring a National Spiritual Heritage through Partnership’ was attended by President Banda and Bank of Zambia Corporate Affairs Manager Danny Kalyalya.

Zambia is constitutionally a Christian country. One expression of this is a government commitment to the refurbishment of the Cathedral which has had a key role in many important national occasions.

And speaking earlier Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Lusaka The Right Reverend
David Njovu said the Cathedral of the Holy Cross has continued to play a central
role in Zambia’s spiritual affairs and in guiding the nation.

Rev. Njovu said the Cathedral was therefore a symbol of Christ’s Lordship over Zambia which has now become even more significant with the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation.

He noted that the church is humbled and inspired by the wisdom in the
leaders to declare Zambia a Christian nation.

Fuller accounts here and here.

The Anglican Communion may be under strain in these post-colonial and globalising days. But one element of the genetic code of Anglicanism (on it's mother's side) that is still strong is the capacity to work in a close and subordinate relationship with the state.

And, just to reinforce the point, just after I'd posted this I saw: Barack Obama accepts Episcopal Church offer to host a prayer service in honor of his inauguration on Wednesday morning January 21,