Council of Churches in Zambia calls for inclusive development to empower small churches

The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) has underscored the need for inclusive development that enables churches of all sizes to fully participate in national and community transformation initiatives. CCZ General Secretary, Father James Phiri, emphasized the importance of ensuring that small churches were not overlooked in the country’s development agenda. He made the remarks during a courtesy visit to the CCZ Secretariat by Tearfund Country Director, Annie Mumba, describing the partnership between the two institutions as a blessing.

“Development must be inclusive. Small churches play a critical role at the grassroots level and should not be excluded from initiatives aimed at transforming our communities,” he said. Phiri further highlighted the wide range of resources and networks within CCZ member churches, stating that these could be effectively utilized to support sustainable community development efforts.

Mumba introduced the African Church Transformation Forum (ACTF), an initiative aimed at strengthening and empowering churches and communities to actively participate in development and governance processes. “The ACTF is anchored on two key pillars: scaling up church and community engagement, and advocacy for good governance,” Mumba said. She explained that the forum provided a platform for churches across Africa to collaborate and learn from each other’s experiences.

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Meanwhile, CCZ Head of Programmes, George Chibwana, emphasized the need for the Church to take a more active, on-the-ground role in driving development, with reduced dependence on external support. CCZ and Tearfund reaffirmed their shared commitment to empowering churches and communities to advance inclusive and sustainable development in Zambia. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.

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