Zambia: A Christian Nation

I wrote this post on a Sunday: a day when a whole lot of people go to church.  I’ve had more than a few people ask about the religious makeup in Zambia, so this post is for them.

The church that I most often attended while in my village.  Belonging to the Evangelical Church of Zambia (ECZ) denomination it wasn't too far from home and the music was pretty good.

First the Zambian government clearly states its standing on this topic when it openly claims to be a Christian nation.  Seemingly, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for those of other faiths but there are many other options for the interested and inclined; those with religious convictions – even atheists.

I’ll start with the big one: Christianity.  In my area, nearly everyone says they’re Christian.  Typically one of the first questions I’m asked when meeting someone (after they ask my name) is to which church do I belong.  Then come the other questions like am I married, am I from England, and what am I doing in a village in the middle of the Zambian bush?

This embracing of Christianity is seen everywhere and in many, if not most aspects, of life here.  From everyday bus rides where a preacher boards the coach and gives fire and brimstone sermons to the passengers; to the continuous prayers before and after every meeting whether it’s at a national meeting or at the more meager rural meetings for cooperatives, women’s groups, and the like.  

The sermons at the church were nearly always in Kaonde, which offered me a chance to reflect on my life (more often than not I day dreamed).

A fairly large Catholic contingent can be found among the population of Northern Province, while my former province of North-Western has a large evangelical following.  The rest of the country is largely one Christian denomination or another.

My dear friend, Nshimbi, was a proud member of this church.  We would walk into the Sunday morning service and he'd set down his Bible and hat, then walk straight to the front and hop in with the choir (seen here as they enter) to sing his lungs out.

Islam is predominately located in the capital’s province and in Eastern Province of Zambia, but as this faith is following global trends here it is spreading into other parts of Zambia and is expanding beyond these two areas.

Jehovah’s witnesses and their Kingdom Halls are found dotting the entire country.  In fact, one of their churches was located within walking distance down the road from my old hut, and practitioners of this faith do move around from hut to hut, knocking on doors, and talking to the willing.

The man squatted in the front is the head pastor of this church: ECZ Kalambo.  Those surrounding him are deacons and other members of the church's board.

And that example, my hut in relation to houses of worship, is as fine an example as I can come up with to show the ties that Zambians have with religion – within a two (2) mile radius of my hut were seven (7) churches.

I suspect the strong ties to religion are primarily due to the area’s extensive interactions with missionaries.  This is a country where Dr. David Livingstone of “Dr. Livingstone I presume?” fame once marched as he worked his way across Africa as a missionary in the 1800s, and those ties, as well as more contemporary ones, still remain.  Livingstone's commitment to the people of Zambia through the mission field is still easily, and often seen, today in the varying mission hospitals pocking this country and the countless missionaries that have given 10+ years of service to Zambia's poor and in-need (something I have tremendous respect for).

Some of the congregants after a church service.  Nshimbi is second from the right in the blue shirt.

All of this has absolutely affected me and my beliefs, which I won't be stating here, but I will say that I think my beliefs now are stronger than ever in what I believe, but the vastness of what Christianity means among Zambians and the common use of "being a Christian" have caused me frustration over these past three years.

For instance, a man stole something from me once and when I called him on it he said, "You're a Christian and I'm a Christian, so you can't be angry at me."  No, I don't believe that's how it works.  It's that falling back on religion and believing it exempts you from punishment that I have a hard time with and openly question.  However, nothing gives me more pause than when a drunk man is telling me how he's a pastor or a deacon, then goes on to discuss his multiple girlfriends (he's married).  That's difficult to rectify, difficult to look past.

Yes, Americans do the same thing as well, but - to me - it's much more openly accepted here as a part of life / matter of fact, which I'm really uncomfortable with.

And that's a brief overview of Zambia's religious breakdown.  In short, the government declares itself to be a Christian nation, while the population declares the same sentiment, but it seems to me there are more shades of Christianity, rather than a one-size fits all look to it.