The Future of the Emerging Town of Samfya, Zambia

David Temfwe is a native to Zambia, a former student of Moody Bible Institute and on staff at Jubilee Center, which equips and  serves pastors, professionals, missionaries and Christian leaders to bring about change in the moral, economical, and political transformation of Zambia.  He is also a part of the team coordinating the GLS events that take place throughout Zambia. Today he writes about a recent event held in Samfya, Zambia to give key leaders in the community a taste of the Summit.

“The Summit could not have been proposed at a better time for the people of Samfya, Zambia. We need this now!” These were the words of one of the people who showed up at the GLS promotional event held in Samfya in early January of 2016. Samfya is a small town located in the Zambian province of Luapula with a population of 198,000 inhabitants. It is comprised of a predominantly low income community with 64 percent living in extreme poverty.

It has always been considered a scenic town, known for its recreational, sandy beaches and picturesque landscape. Consequently, in recent years, the government and several private entities have shown an interest in Samfya. They are investing resources into infrastructure and more recently, paved roads, which has raised the value of property and the demand for a slice of this town.

The GLS promotional gathering was attended by 72 people. The objective was to give the participants a taste of the GLS and decide whether we should establish a host site in Samfya. The participants were deeply engaged in the post-presentation discussions, and what became evident as each person stood up to speak was their understanding that sustainable development is unequivocally hinged on selfless leadership.

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Frances, a young lady from one of the local churches said, “The government wants to keep the power gap. It is up to us, the church, to crush it and the time is now.” This was a reoccurring narrative after Sam Adeyemi’s presentation. The role of the church was being clearly defined with respect to our growth as a nation. One pastor confessed to pursuing his own success instead of prioritizing his congregation. He learned the importance of being honest with one’s own intentions as it pertains to leading others. Another leader mentioned her resolve to renounce her fixation on money and redirect her efforts to nurturing great ideas.

After the session on the Intangibles of Leadership, the facilitator zeroed in on the question, “What’s your white hot why?” The question hit home with applications that included orphans, business, education, families, HIV and AIDS and politics. Attendee, Bishop Mukuka was fueled to break the cycle of poverty, “I want to be remembered as a person who helped people with methods of escaping the poverty trap, and my church is going to be known for that.”

Uganda’s grander vision video showed the role of church in bringing healing to the devastating trauma the nation had gone through. It was particularly impactful because Zambia hasn’t experienced anything close to what Uganda has endured, but if our peace isn’t guarded with unity, repentance, reconciliation and prayer, we could find ourselves in a similar predicament. Following the video, the whole congregation erupted into prayer and surrendered Zambia to the hands of the Lord. On that account, the churches have declared the 26th of January a day of prayer and fasting for their town and the nation as a whole.

Samfya is at a pivotal point. The 72 people in that building walked away knowing that the future of their emerging town will rise or fall at the hands of their leaders and they are fully aware of the role they will play.

Are you interested in supporting the launch of the GLS in Samfya, Zambia in 2016, and equipping leaders for their grander vision for their country?
Send your gift to give.willowcreek.com and indicate that you’d like your support to be sent to Zambia.