The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Western Presbytery has launched its one hundred (100) year’s celebration of the Butoya Conference slated for October 18th to 22nd, 2023 in Sefula area in Mongu district.
The launch started with the flagging-off of marchers by Western Province Minister, Kapelwa Mbangweta at Barotse Shopping Mall in Mongu who later graced the event at Mukoko UCZ Congregation.
Mr Mbangweta commended the church for having been a faithful partner in the development of Western Province and also expressed hope for the gesture to continue.
He urged the UCZ to become proactive and also start participating in the developmental projects of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in order to improve some various health and education infrastructure as well as other activities.
“Speaking on behalf of the government we would like the UCZ also to be participating in developmental projects in CDF so that it can improve some of the various infrastructure in the health and education sectors as well as other activities,” Mr Mbangweta said.
He assured the church of full government support for holding the Butoya conference.
And in his homily, Western Presbytery Bishop Roy Kanchele praised the missionaries for the great job they did to the church in the past and challenged the congregants over what they could do to the church today.
“I am challenging each and every one of us if the church is to be in safe hands to be careful with decisions we make for its existence tomorrow, let us be attentive to the decisions we make for the sake of our children,” Bishop Kanchele said.
He further challenged everyone to rise on, keep moving and serve the lord.
Meanwhile, Reverend George Kachiza explained that the Butoya Conference started with bringing youths across the presbyterian around September and October for a week’s bible studies and recreation activities such as tug of war, beach volleyball and wrestling among others.
Rev. Kachiza said that the birth of Butoya Conference was at a missionary conference held in Sefula in 1923 where a decision was made that all church members be meeting annually at the area and hence now to celebrate its 100 years of being in existence.
He said that the conference later changed to become a bi-annually engagement and now every after four years adding that prior to the conference, the presbytery council meets to elect the bishop at a colourful Sunday church service to lead the church for the next four years.
Has the UCZ become political? Of late the church has been in headlines of some perceived misunderstanding with the UPND govt. Just asking .