The Church Newspaper Zambia, Cape Town (2025)

22/09/2025

PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD ZAMBIA (PAOG-Z) COUNCIL OF BISHOPS
OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON GILGAL MISSION CENTRE AND BISHOP JOSTON K. CHAMA

Date: 22nd September 2025

The Council of Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia (PAOG-Z) wishes to address our membership, and all concerned, regarding the recent regrettable developments at Gilgal Mission Centre, Lusaka Province.

Ordinarily, matters of discipline are handled exclusively through our established biblical and constitutional channels. Indeed, since August 2025, the case concerning Bishop Joston K. Chama has been conducted in strict accordance with these procedures.

However, considering staged acts of rebellion at Gilgal Mission Centre on Sunday 21.09.2025 and the circulation of falsehoods on social media purporting that fabricated allegations lie at the centre of this matter, we are compelled, in this instance, to issue this public statement.

Unfortunate Incident of Defiance

On Sunday 21.09.2025, an eleven-member combined team, comprising representatives of the PAOG- Z Executive Council, the Lusaka Provincial Executive, and the PAOG-Z Disciplinary Committee, visited Gilgal Mission Centre to carry out the third in a roll of normal administrative duties of finalizing the formal announcement of Bishop Chama's excommunication.
To our deepest regret, a section of individuals, in open defiance of both biblical authority and constitutional order, humiliated and threatened violence against this duly constituted team.

Such conduct not only grieves the Spirit of God but also constitutes rebellion against God ordained leadership in the Body of Christ. Scripture is clear: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Samuel 15:23).

We condemn these actions in the strongest terms. They represent a grave offense against the holiness and order of Christ's Church and shall be urgently addressed with remedial measures in accordance with both Scripture and the PAOG-Z Constitution.

OFFICIAL POSITION OF PAOG-Z

For the avoidance of doubt, the Council of Bishops hereby places on record, the following:

1. Excommunication of Bishop Joston K. Chama

Bishop Joston K. Chama remains excommunicated from the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia on account of a thoroughly investigated and biblically adjudicated case of s*xual misconduct. His ministerial credentials and membership in PAOG-Z were revoked on 8th September 2025.

This was done in accordance with the biblical requirements of holiness and accountability (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-7; Matthew 18:15-20) and indeed the PAOG-Z Constitution (Articles 27 and 113).

2. Administrative Guardianship of Gilgal Assembly

Gilgal Mission Centre has been placed under the direct administrative guardianship of the Lusaka Provincial Bishop and the Provincial Executive supported by office of the Southern Region Coordinator. Appropriate transitional arrangements are being made to ensure that ministry continues in order, peace, and accountability.

3. Condemnation of Staged Defiance

The orchestrated rebellion by certain individuals and supporters of the excommunicated Bishop is as serious as the sin that led to his removal. Such conduct will not be tolerated within PAOG-Z.

Remedial measures are underway, guided by the Scriptures and constitutional order.

Guiding Principles

As communicated in our internal memorandum of 17th September 2025, PAOG-Z does not engage in vilification or disparagement of individuals under discipline.

However, where individuals or groups choose to resist correction and perpetuate sin, we are left with no option but to apply biblical sanctions in order to safeguard the purity of the Church.

Appeal for Calm and Unity

We appeal to the brethren at Gilgal Mission Centre, and the wider Fellowship, to remain calm as further administrative steps are taken to urgently restore order.

The Council of Bishops assures the entire membership of PAOG-Z that we are on firm ground to preserve corporate sanity and a unified vision under our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. Let it be clearly understood - autonomy does not mean independence, but rather responsible interdependence. We remain determined to steer PAOG-Z towards Breaking Limitations and achieving Spirit-Empowered Transformation as a united, not fragmented, body of Christ. This too, shall pass.

Issued by Order of the Council of Bishops
Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia (PAOG-Z)

Bishop Dr Lenson Bwalya
General Secretary

22/09/2025

Get ready for this meeting. We are counting down

22/09/2025

Tensions Rise at Gilgal Mission Center Amid PAOGZ Leadership Dispute

A tense situation unfolded yesterday at the Gilgal Mission Center, part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia (PAOGZ), as church members protested the national leadership's actions. The protesters chanted "We want Bishop!" and created a hostile environment, forcing Bishop Justin Mulenga, Bishop Lenson Bwalya, and others to leave the church.

The protest at the Gilgal Mission was marked by a strong show of support for Bishop Chama, with members vocalizing their discontent with the national leadership's decisions to expel him for a s*xual scandal. The situation escalated quickly, leading to the departure of key church leaders. The dispute appears to be linked to recent disciplinary actions taken by the PAOGZ leadership against Bishop Chama.

The members seem to be against the leadership's position to discipline Bishop Chama, claiming that his more than 20 years of ministry legacy should be preserved. On the other hand, the PAOGZ leadership is determined to bring forth the whip of discipline and set a precedent. Sources indicate that Bishop Chama initially wanted to challenge the decision in the courts of law but later decided to concede.

The incident has sparked a range of reactions, with some expressing support for the protesters and others backing the PAOGZ leadership's actions. The outcome of this dispute remains to be seen, but it is clear that it will have implications for the church and its members. The protest may mean the leadership will need to find an amicable way to deal with the matter.

As the situation continues to unfold, the PAOGZ leadership faces a delicate challenge in balancing discipline with the concerns of its members. The resolution of this dispute will likely have a lasting impact on the church and its future direction. Notably, the level of confrontation and public protest is unusual in Pentecostal settings, where internal disputes are often resolved through internal dialogue and spiritual guidance.

The scene at the Gilgal church was striking, with protesters displaying a fervor typically associated with political rallies rather than church gatherings. The atmosphere was charged, akin to a politically charged rally, rather than a gathering of believers washed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The contrast between the expected decorum of a church setting and the actual behavior of the protesters was particularly notable.

21/09/2025

Rev. Chanza Sikazwe will be ministering in this meeting. Kindly mark your calendar

21/09/2025

Some Quotes by Bishop David Oyedepo

1. Faith does not answer to wishes but to working. The foolishness of faith is the winning ticket in life.

2. Your faith is what determines the event of your life.

3. Faith that works is the faith that speaks.

4. God swore to make me rich because I gave him a car many years ago...now in one day we bought 87 buses at once, another day we bought 100 buses at once.

5. Riches and honour are direct products of wisdom.

6. Wealth is a product of wits.

7. Don't go about minding other people's ministries, God has not called you to be a referee; Referees don't win trophies.

8. Every soul winner is on God’s payroll and the pay package is far beyond monetary values.

9. Soul winning turns ordinary people into extra-ordinary giants.

10. You better personalize your walk with God. Don’t hang around discouraged folks and people that discourage others.

11. Until you know what is written you can’t control what is happening.

12. Your mind is the gateway to your life.

13. It's about you being a covenant child of God where every covenant of God is viewed with a covenant mentality, this is what God will do when I do this

14. The covenant is God’s hammer for breaking financial hardships.

15. Givers are rulers and winners.

16. Life is not a funfair, life is a warfare.

17. You are either spiritual or carnal, you cannot be neutral.

18. When you know and understand what God is saying, and walk in the light of it, you live in the realm of the miraculous.

19. Jesus did not just give them bread he also buttered it with fish.

20. There is no mountain anywhere, everyman's ignorance is his mountain.

21. Your harvest is not in view until your prayers rise up to heaven.

22. Your believe is what makes you, you are a product of your thought, what you believe is what you become.

23. Until something changes within you, nothing changes around you.

24. Great gain begins with great thinking.

25. You can't dominate the world until you are dominated by God.

26. Poverty is not a gift from God but a result of your actions.

27. When you stop thinking you start stinking, it is the thinker’s world.

28. Your imagination sets the pace for your destination.

29. Dream it, believe it, and you become it.

30. Don't assume knowledge, consciously acquire it.

31. It is your mental picture that determines your actual future.

32. You are not a failure until you start looking for who to blame for it.

33. If you are helping the needy and not paying your tithes, you will soon become one of the needy.

34. When your 'tithe' is less than tithe, an angel will see it as an insult to God and take it to Jesus as offering.

Compiled by The Church Newspaper Zambia

20/09/2025

PRESIDENT LAZARUS MCCARTHY CHAKWERA: A Pastor Turned Politician

By Pastor Lawrence Musunte

“When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)

When President Lazarus Chakwera became President of Malawi I didn’t mince my words, I wrote a piece critiquing him, and after his term in office I feel vindicated.

While I believe that pastors and Christians have a democratic right to join politics and aspire to the highest political office in the land, Proverbs 29:2 doesn’t automatically make citizens rejoice.

President Chakwera himself said he saw his political leadership as an extension of his ministry, “answering God’s call” to pastor the nation.

As a critique I ask: if God is responsible for calling certain people to be presidents in Africa, why does He give us the worst leaders?

The truth is God doesn’t raise presidents in political spaces today, the citizens do that through the ballot.

The corruption and bad leadership on this continent can all be blamed on the citizens who hold the power of the ballot paper.

President Chakwera seems to be losing these elections, with some news outlets reporting he has already conceded defeat. Despite being a Christian pastor, the Malawians have said: “Enough, no more Pastor.”

“When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)

This scripture is often quoted when a pastor enters politics, as if righteousness automatically translates into good governance.

But let’s be honest: especially in Pentecostal/charismatic circles, the leadership style many pastors are used to is closer to dictatorship than democracy.

In their churches, the “man of God” is the final authority. Decisions are top-down, questioning is not allowed, and the structure runs more like a family dynasty than a democratic institution.

Carry that same mindset into government, and you end up with a president who struggles to listen, to be accountable, or to build systems that outlive him.

Worse still, governance gets over-spiritualized.

Instead of policies, people are called to prayer and fasting and are given “spiritual” false hope.

Instead of tackling corruption, hunger, or unemployment with real solutions, citizens are told to “just believe God for a miracle.”

And when people grow critical, the manipulation begins: “Touch not the Lord’s anointed.”

Supporting the pastor-president is branded as siding with God, while questioning him is made to feel like fighting God Himself. That kind of thinking destroys accountability and without accountability, democracy dies.

Proverbs 29:2 calls for righteous leaders, yes.

But righteousness in government is not about titles or pulpits. It is about justice, integrity, humility, and serving people in a way that makes them rejoice.

Lazarus Chakwera entered politics with the moral authority of a pastor and the promise of reform, but Malawians are judging him by daily realities, not religious titles.

The economy has been battered by high inflation, stagnant growth, foreign currency shortages, and natural disasters like Cyclone Freddy and El Niño-driven droughts, leaving many citizens struggling to survive.

On top of that, key campaign promises from fighting corruption to creating jobs have largely fallen short.

Corruption scandals, weak service delivery, and unmet expectations have fueled disillusionment.

For many voters, the gap between Chakwera’s pastoral image and the lived experience of hardship has eroded trust, leaving him vulnerable despite his Christian background.

In Africa we often protest because we want change, fresh ideas, someone new to break the cycle. But instead of investing in young, promising leaders, we end up reverting to “living ancestors” old guards who have already had their turn.

In Malawi’s case, instead of mentoring up-and-coming politicians, people are voting for men in their 80s who have already served.

It’s like a soccer coach stepping onto the pitch to play instead of training new players.

Something has to change: leadership vacuum shouldn’t mean absence of youth, it should mean opportunity for them.

Malawians without shame have elected Peter Mutharika, age 85, who was President of Malawi from 2014–2020, and has now returned as the newly elected President of Malawi.

Youths in Africa must stop waiting for a Messiah-King to rescue them in politics.

No Moses. No “chosen one.” Not the anointed leader.

Youths must wake up and realize God doesn’t send Messiah-Kings into our politics. The people we vote for reflect who we are and our values.

Well, in the democratic system what do we say to Mutharika?

Congratulations to the President-Elect of the Republic of Malawi 🇲🇼 His Excellency President Peter Mutharika.

20/09/2025

Happy birthday Bishop Joe Imakando

19/09/2025

PASTOR CHRIS ON PROSPERITY PREACHER OR POVERTY PREACHER

If you are a poverty preacher, you are wrong just as a prosperity preacher. The Bible consistently talks about contentment in everything. The quest for riches nowadays in the body of Christ has shifted Christ to the back seat and has presented the majority of us as "Christ"

Pastor Chris once claimed as usual “If you are not a prosperity preacher, what are you then? It is either you are a prosperity preacher or a poverty preacher.”

The prosperity doctrine has, in many cases, contributed to financial exploitation, complacency, and spiritual stagnation among some Christians. A preacher of the prosperity gospel is, in essence, no different from a thief.

Being born into prosperity gospel using the doctrine is totally and far different from being born into Kingdom. These people are almost near the kingdom but they're not in the kingdom.

The consistent messages that we can make material wealth through the gospel of the kingdom of God are producing more scammers, criminals, bandits, theives and manipulators.

My dear brothers and sisters, false Preachers today are most of the popular guys that are having fame, jets and big auditoriums and large following but we can't accept it because we are hoping to be there one day through manipulation.

The Word of God gives no such dichotomy. There is no biblical office of a PROSPERITY PREACHER or a POVERTY PREACHER. There are only preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ according to Romans 1:16 and 2 Timothy 4:2

If Jesus Christ and the apostles were preaching in today’s world, many modern pastors would dismiss them as “failures” because they did not live in luxury or showcase material wealth. Christ Himself said,

“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58).

Paul often worked with his own hands, suffered hunger, imprisonment, and hardship, yet he carried the true riches of the gospel.

In the eyes of today’s prosperity-driven preachers, Jesus would be labeled “poor,” and the apostles would be mocked as unsuccessful in ministry But in God’s eyes, they were the very vessels of eternal glory, carrying treasures not measured in gold or silver, but in truth, holiness, and salvation.

To reduce the gospel to either PREACHING PROSPERITY or PREACHING POVERTY is to mutilate the faith once delivered to the saints. It is to replace Christ-centered proclamation with materialist rhetoric.

Material wealth is not one of the signs of God’s approval. The devil himself tempted Jesus with prosperity:

❤️“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” (Matthew 4:8–9 NIV)

If material wealth were automatically proof of divine approval, then Satan would have been offering Jesus something that aligned with God’s will. But Christ rejected it, showing us that prosperity is not necessarily godly.

If the apostles had preached what prosperity preachers preach today, the gospel would never have spread because their message would have appealed to men’s greed instead of confronting their sin.

Nobody gets crucified, flogged, imprisoned, or martyred for promising wealth. They were persecuted because they preached repentance, the cross, holiness, and Christ alone as Lord according to Acts 5:41 and 2 Timothy 3:12.

Contrast that with today’s prosperity message, no Roman emperor would have bothered arresting Paul if all he said was, “God wants to make you rich.” But Paul said,

❤️ “I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) and “we preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).

That is what made him dangerous to the powers of his day—not a sermon on financial increase.

The central message of the gospel is Christ crucified, not personal fame, wealth, or worldly success. Paul reminds us

❤️1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

True prosperity in the Bible is spiritual, relational, and holistic, not merely financial. For example:

Spiritual prosperity where Psalm 1:3 describes the righteous as “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.” This is about growth, stability, and fruitfulness in life, not money.

Relational prosperity like Joseph in Genesis 39–41 where he experienced God’s favor in relationships and influence, despite initial hardships.

Moral and ethical prosperity like Joshua 1:8 connects prosperity with obedience to God’s Word, not accumulation of wealth.

The modern prosperity gospel often distorts these biblical principles, equating God’s blessing solely with money, power, or comfort, which contradicts the holistic and often costly nature of discipleship that Jesus and the apostles modeled.

True preaching focuses on transformation, faithfulness, and fruit of the Spirit, not material gain.

What is the real Gospel vs. prosperity Gospel?

The prosperity gospel makes money the proof of God’s blessing. The true gospel makes Christ the proof of God’s blessing.

The prosperity gospel creates two classes believers and pastors THE PROSPEROUS and THE POOR

The true gospel creates one new man in Christ, where slave or free, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, all are equal in Him.

Ephesians 2:15 (NIV) “by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations, that he might create in himself ONE NEW HUMANITY, thus making peace.”

This verse emphasizes Christ’s work in ending the old covenant’s legalistic separation and establishing the New Covenant of unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It shows that salvation is not about following rituals or accumulating wealth, but about Christ creating a new humanity in Himself.

The prosperity gospel is obsessed with bank accounts and buildings. The true gospel is obsessed with souls, holiness, and eternal life.

Prosperity preachers themselves are not even among the world’s richest. Despite their obsession with wealth, no prosperity preacher ranks among the truly wealthy of the earth.

The billionaires shaping world economies are not pulpit merchants of prosperity doctrine. If prosperity teaching truly worked, why has it not produced even one among the richest men on earth?

Meanwhile, secular men without Christ hold more wealth than all the prosperity preachers combined. This shows that prosperity is not proof of the gospel—it can be achieved by anyone through systems, not salvation.

By suggesting that rejecting “prosperity preaching” means embracing “poverty preaching,” Pastor Chris commits a false dichotomy fallacy. Scripture commands us neither to glorify wealth nor glorify poverty, but to glorify Christ. Paul said:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being CONTENT IN ANY and every situation. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12–13 NIV)

Paul was neither a prosperity preacher nor a poverty preacher. He was a Christ preacher and Jesus is the gospel, not money

Salvation deals with sin, not with social class or financial standing and the church exists to make disciples, not consumers. Any message that makes prosperity or poverty the epicenter is another gospel according to Galatians 1:6–9.

Pastor Chris’s teachings nowadays are not only unscriptural but dangerous, it reduces the eternal gospel to a worldly slogan.

We must boldly affirm that there is no such thing as a prosperity preacher or a poverty preacher. There are only preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You need to work, manage and invest to meet up with your daily basis and take care of your family and advance the kingdom but be careful of the wrong mindset.

You can imagine someone who claimed to have PHD in divinity but keep manufacturing false teachings on daily basis. You have to go through Christ before going to Bible school and sometimes the highest people producing Falsehood today are even the ones we are claiming they have gone to school

The apostles preached Christ crucified. Prosperity preachers preach Christ monetized. And the two are not the same?

Are you preaching the gospel or poverty?

Are you preaching the gospel or prosperity?

Are you reading the scripture to find how to be like Christ or how to become rich?

Mngo Kingsley Keneh

19/09/2025

"You are either a prosperity preacher or a poverty preacher."

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

18/09/2025

CHEATING SPOUSES ESPECIALLY YOUNG COUPLES – POSSIBLE REASONS

By Hon. Given Katuta Mwelwa

1. Some people had too many partners before marriage. To them, sleeping with someone else is not a big deal.

2. They think it is okay as long as their husband or wife does not find out.

3. They have no self-control and always want more s*x.

4. They say, “I will stop when I get older,” but they never stop.

5. Some cheat because they feel lonely or unloved in their marriage.

6. Others cheat because they are angry with their partner and want to hurt them.

7. Some cheat just for excitement or adventure — they like the danger of being caught.

8. Alcohol or drugs can make them lose control and do wrong things.

9. Some friends encourage them to cheat and say it is normal.

10. Social media and phone chats make it easy to hide secret relationships

Stop cheating. Talk to your partner. Respect your marriage. Control yourself. Cheating breaks trust and destroys families.

17/09/2025

Why most people fail to fulfill destiny?
Pastor Prosper Siame Chosen

17/09/2025

Bible Study And Preaching

An observation by Pastor Mukanzu Kawemba

The Bible is an ancient Book, it is the word of God in written, and the Bible was written by approximately 40 authors from diverse backgrounds and professions, inspired by God, over a period of about 1,500 years. These authors included shepherds kings, fishermen and physicians, and it was written in three different languages on three continents.

The most important thing as to why I am writing this post:

The Bible's prominent author is God Himself and writers were just inspired by the Holy Spirit to write God's mind about His creation of which the favourite is mankind.

Having said this, I now will try to bring in some thoughts; Since Scriptures were given by the inspiration of the Spirit, all the readers must read it under the inspiration of the same Spirit to understand its message. Scriptures don't have diverse meanings nor do they mean different things today than what they meant when they were first written.

When preaching; The preacher should be very humble enough to submit to the authority of the Scriptures by visiting the author's world, language and sit in the author's original audience. Then after that, the preacher should come back, get their audience and travel with them to the author's world and allow them to hear the ancient message so that they can come back with that message to the present day world and apply that same ancient message to their modern day lives.

We don't need to bring the Bible to our modern day, but we should take the Church to the ancient world to hear the ancient message.

The Church Newspaper Zambia

22/09/2025

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