If there are critical stages in the life of a church, then one of those must be the bringing in of church elders. It is often said that a church cannot progress beyond what the leaders put in. Seven years down the line, the Lord was pleased to bring in Mr. Edgar Munsnaje, Mr. Kolezi Chirwa, and Mr. Emmanuel Dukuzeyesu into the eldership at Choma Central Baptist Church. This happened on 17th January 2021.
The process started with receiving names of potential elder candidates from the church members. Six names came up. Myself and some of the elders at Kabwata Baptist Church had interviews with all the men, out of which three names clearly emerged as those who met the qualifications stipulated in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. These three names were then brought for a confidence vote before the church members and all three were affirmed.
In all this, I first of all want to thank God for answered prayers. For many years, this is what we have been praying for Choma Central Baptist Church. I would also like to thank everyone who has been praying for the work here and all who have been supporting the work financially. Indeed, your spiritual and material support are not in vain.
Second, it would be helpful to note that it has not been an easy road. As you may be aware from previous reports, I almost stepped down as pastor at one point because of struggles with the interim leadership. I have shed tears many times along the way. Thankfully the Lord has seen us through it all. These are some of the challenges of pastoral ministry.
Thirdly, I recognize that this is not the end, but the beginning of more work, hence the need for more prayers. It is one thing to have elders come along side you, and yet another to work in harmony with them. My prayer is that we may bond well and faithfully serve the Lord together. We plan to study good books together that will help them grow in faithfully serving God’s church.
In conclusion, pray for unity of purpose in the newly established eldership. Pray that we settle in quickly and get to work. Pray that we also find ways to take the gospel to our community despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Social media is being utilized but it has a lot of limitations. Pray also that the members adapt quickly to the change of leadership structure.
In Christ,
Kwenda Kwenda
