Chongwe Deputy Mayor, Anita Kamanga, has called on church leaders in the area to serve local communities with integrity and compassion.
Ms Kamanga states that church leaders are viewed as pillars of spiritual and moral support in society, hence the need for them to maintain good characters.
She also urged church leaders to continue promoting peace and unity in society at all times.
ZANIS reports that the Deputy Mayor was speaking when she officiated at the first graduation ceremony of pastors to be conferred with Bachelor of Arts in Theology Degrees at Chongwe School of Theological Studies.
Ms Kamanga noted that the graduation is timely as the country is in dire need of church leaders with high standards of integrity.
She further encouraged the graduates to take a leading role in addressing some of the challenges facing communities such as moral decay through spiritual guidance.
And Chongwe School of Theological Studies Director, Luke Buleya , challenged the pastors to use the Holy Bible as a guide for their work.
” As pastors, you ought to be deeply grounded in scripture in order for you to effectively lead the flock and undertake your roles in churches,” he said.
Dr Buleya also implored the pastors to utilise the knowledge and skills they have acquired from the school to serve local communities.
Meanwhile, Baptist Fellowship of Zambia Executive Secretary, Gracious Chambala reiterated the fellowship’s commitment to support the advancement of the Christian doctrine across the country.
Reverend Chambala said theological training is the foundation of church leadership which should be supported by every Christian fellowship.
He called on churches to embrace the graduates and give them opportunities that will enable them to enhance their capacity to lead in the Christian ministry.
“I would like to appeal to churches out there to welcome these pastors who have graduated and work closely with them. Give them opportunities that will help them to develop their skills and knowledge in the Ministry, Reverend Chambala stated.
Reverend Mike Phiri who gave a vote of thanks on behalf of his fellow graduates, thanked the college and various stakeholders for creating a conducive learning environment which helped them to successfully complete their studies.
