KBC 30th anniversary and missions conference—Day 5

Sunday, February 28, 2016

The final day of our 30th anniversary celebrations and commemorative meetings was here. The meeting began at 09.00 hours with a Q&A session with all our missionaries lined up in front of us as members asked them very pointed questions about our role in their lives and their work out there in the field. Mr George Sitali moderated this event.

Mr Charles Bota leading the church in worship

Then at 10.30 hours our normal worship service began, led by Mr Charles Bota. Apart from the songs and hymns that we sang, we enjoyed one of the most animated songs I have ever heard from our music ministry. It was very well sung. Then during the collection of the offering, Mr Logan Nyasulu took us through a summary of the last seven-year period of the history of KBC (2010 to 2016). This comprised the period when the youth camps and conferences and the pastoral internship program grew by leaps and bounds. It was also the period when KBC called its second pastor, Chipita Sibale, who brought the number of current serving pastors at KBC to two. It was also in this period that the African Christian University project started together with KBC’s campus outreach ministry. The report ended by stating that KBC now had a payroll of 51 individuals and the Lord continued to supply the funds to remunerate all of them.

The music ministry singing their song with exuberant joy

After the historical summary, Logan interviewed Mrs Monde Mulunga who recalled how an invitation from a friend caused her to visit KBC for the first time in the Kabwata Community Hall. She said after that visit she never went back to her previous church and has been with us since. She also spoke about a series that Pastor Sibale was recently preaching on the life of David that really ministered to her after her eye surgery and her car accident. She urged the members to be grateful to God for what he has done among us and to faithfully serve him in the church.

Mrs Monde Mulunga testifies about life at KBC

It is on this final day of the conference that KBC members take a collection (and pledges) towards a missions project or projects that the elders choose. As stated in earlier blogs, our goal was to raise K150,000 towards the construction of a “majestic entryway” to our ACU Chisamba campus. At this point the collection was taken.

Mr George Sitali invited the current missionaries together with the elect missionary (Emmanuel Komba) to come forward and be prayed for them. After he prayed for them, we went into the ordination of Emmanuel Komba as our latest missionary to Sierra Leone. Mr Sitali read the charge to Emmanuel and then invited the rest of the elders to come and lay hands on Emmanuel. What a glorious occasion this was!

Elder George Sitali prays for the current missionaries

“Yours truly” was the preacher yesterday. My subject was, “The resurrection and glorification of the bride of Christ.” I preached from 1 Corinthians 1:30, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” I argued that the redemption being spoken about here is not what took place at Jesus’ first coming but what will take place at his second coming (Romans 8:23 and Ephesians 4:30). That was why it came at the end of the string listed by the apostle Paul and not at the beginning. By using the picture of the redemption or liberation of a slave, I went on to look at this theme under three heads:

Missionary elect Emmanuel Komba responds to the charge

What we will be redeemed from. I stated that we would be redeemed from the curse of the fall. To begin with it will be all that everyone goes through—whether saved or not. Then added to this is the persecution that the bride of Christ suffers from the non-believers. Lastly, it was the remaining or indwelling sin in our hearts that often leaves us in tears and sorrow. We long for these sources of misery to come to an end perhaps more than a slave longs to be liberated from his chains and enslavement.

The KBC elders lay hands on Emmanuel Komba as an act of ordination

When we shall be redeemed. I stated that we would be redeemed at the second coming of Christ. That is “the day of our redemption” mentioned in Ephesians 4:30. On that occasion, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and our earthly bodies will become like his heavenly body.  The effect of the fall will be over. The persecution of the world will also be over. We will be taken by Jesus and will forever be with him in glory.

How life will be after that redemption. I stated that the life after our redemption beggars our imagination. We will live a life that is totally free from sin. External sin will be no more because all sinners will be consigned to hell. Internal sin will be no more because our very natures will be totally transformed into the absolute holiness. We will be reunited with our lost loved one in Christ. We will worship God with an unsinning heart. And above all, we will see our Saviour face to face.

Newly ordained missionary Emmanuel Komba thanks KBC

This was how I captured “the resurrection and glorification of the bride of Christ”. After the sermon, we sang

“Jerusalem the golden,
With milk and honey blessed,
Beneath thy contemplation,
Sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, O I know not,
What joys await us there;
What radiancy of glory
What bliss beyond compare.”

We spend the next hour in a fellowship meal. How the ladies managed to feed the 300 to 400 people is beyond me but they fed us well. After lunch we gathered for what is called “the grand announcement”. This is always the last event at our missions conferences where the funds collected are announced. For me, as the church pastor, I am always anxious while I wait for the deacons to tell me how much the people of God have given. Yesterday was no exception. How much have KBC members given or pledged to give towards the ACU entryway? I announced the amount. It was K151, 086. I was relieved and full of thanksgiving to God for the generosity of his people. Dr Ken Turnbull came forward to respond to this. His tears told us what was in his heart. It was an emotional moment for all of us. He prayed for KBC and on that note we were all dismissed!

Teary-eyed, Dr Ken Turnbull thanks KBC for its generosity