[In this blog post, I continue with interviews of Zambian friends who left their jobs to become pastors in Reformed Baptist circles right here in our country. This time, we have the testimony of Pastor Emmanuel Sakala. I continue to pray that many who are in the valley of decision may read these interviews and be made to hold the arsenal of the gospel with both hands and join the gallant soldiers of the cross in the trenches of ministry in our country and beyond. Read on...]
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| Emmanuel Sakala with his beautiful wife, Margaret |
Conrad: Emmanuel, tell us briefly about your doctrinal
journey prior to your entry into the pastoral ministry.
Emmanuel: I got converted in 1980 in the Pentecostal and
charismatic movement. My involvement can best be summarised in the language of
the apostle Paul to the Galatians: “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews
of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Gal
1:14, NIV). This went on until the mid
1980s when I was living in the Copperbelt town of Mufulira. New light dawned on
me and resulted in a dramatic doctrinal shift. I came out of the Pentecostal
and charismatic faith and instead embraced the Reformed faith. I later joined a
newly established Baptist church of a Reformed persuasion, which was pioneered
by a Dutch missionary. At this time I never accepted any responsibility related
to teaching or preaching in the church. In fact, no thought ever crossed my
mind of becoming a pastor at this juncture.
Conrad: How did you move from this situation where you never
ever thought of becoming a pastor to the point of considering this as an
option?
Emmanuel: In 1987, I found myself in the town of Kabwe, located
in the Central Province of Zambia, through a work transfer. In this town, there
was no Baptist church of a Reformed persuasion. In the providence of God we
established one. This was done together with other brethren of like mind
doctrinally who were also new in the town. I found myself thrust into the
leadership of the church and became a teacher and a preacher contrary to my
expectations. This was a decisive development for my character and for my
future calling as a pastor. In the sequence of events, our new church called to
the pastorate the same Dutch missionary I worked under in Mufulira. I worked
very well with him so that in the end I became the de facto “assistant pastor” to the missionary. This development was
positive for my training.
Conrad: I am given to understand that you moved towns quite a
bit in the 1990s before you finally quit what is called secular employment to
become a pastor. Tell us about that.
Emmanuel: Later in 1989, I got married and started a family.
This in a way indirectly re-directed my desire from taking up the pastorate.
This was also largely because no church extended a call to me even though I
myself was ready and ripe.
In 1992, we moved to
Luanshya. Again I found myself in a small local Baptist church. The name of the
church was Luanshya Central Baptist Church established under the Urban Outreach
Program of Lusaka Baptist Church. Before long, I assumed eldership duties and,
hence, became again a de facto
pastor. The church had two elders including myself. Therefore, our joining of
the Luanshya church ignited once again the passion for the pastorate.
In 1993, we moved to
the town of Kitwe after a change of employment. This move once again
precipitated the establishment of another Reformed Baptist church under the
auspices of Chingola Central Baptist Church and this took place in 1995. Again,
I found myself as a de facto pastor. Again it heightened my desire for the
pastorate.
In August of 1995, we
went back to Luanshya after a change of employment again. This time, I joined a
company that was more stable and promising. This new job changed everything for
me, especially my direction in life altogether. In this new Job, I found myself
rising through the corporate ladder until I reached the managerial level. The
rise was accompanied with fringe benefits, such as a big company house and a car.
In short, my life was now defined in terms of remaining afloat in the corporate
and secular world. In conjunction with this success, we as a family found
ourselves diversifying in terms of sources of income. We acquired many pieces
of land for farming and thus became part-time famers in the end. We also established
various business ventures. This is what
changed our outlook in life and the previous desire to serve God in a full time
capacity was shelved.
Conrad: How did the Lord move you from this state where you
had literally shelved any desire to serve in the pastorate to where you are
now?
Emmanuel: It was in 2000 that a number of changes occurred.
Firstly, I started receiving invitations to preach in sister churches. This development
was overwhelming. Thus, it was because of the invitations from sister churches
that our minds were redirected to the call to full time ministry. Most of these
churches were new and so we found ourselves providing leadership counsel to
them whenever we visited them. One of the questions that would be put bluntly
before me was why I was not yet serving in the full time ministry. Of course, I
could neither give myself a church to pastor nor send myself into the mission
field. I needed to be called and this was not forthcoming. This is where the
problem was for me even though the brethren were oblivious to it. Secondly, the
onset of the millennium also compelled my wife and me to make assessment of the
extent of our involvement in the corporate world and also in the business world.
We were convinced that our calling was not there. Se, we decided to disentangle
ourselves from our depth of involvement in the moneymaking industry. It was a
costly decision. We sold off our farms and our businesses and began to wait on
the Lord to open a door into full time ministry.
It was in 2003 when a
call finally came. I was asked to serve as missionary pastor. The call was
extended to us from Central Baptist Church of Chingola (CBCC) to establish a
church in the town of Chililabombwe. Kabwata Baptist Church (KBC) who pledged
to back us financially also encouraged our entrance into full time work. In
view of this support, I resigned my secular job to take up the call. This was in
December 2003. From that time to date, we have been serving faithfully and with
much contentment.
