By JAMES KUNDA –

.President Lungu

Christians must get into parliament to amplify the impact of their voice in decisions regarding how national resources are distributed, President Edgar Lungu has advised.
He has also called for an end to the public debate surrounding Zambia’s declaration as a Christian Nation by Second Republican president Frederick Chiluba.
Speaking at a fundraising service at the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Trinity Parish in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Lungu said the time had come for the Church to take its rightful place in society and bring Christianity to politicians by regularly engaging with people in the political space.
“The powers to divide and share the resources of this country are vested in politicians through Parliament and if we have Christians filling that House, they’ll certainly think of their brethren and share the cake equitably. But people still want to take this issue as controversial, so the church should arise and take its place to guide us politicians,” Mr Lungu said.
He said the Christian Nation declaration was informed by the reality that the majority of Zambians identified with the Christian faith which remained the most widely practised across the country.
“Whether Zambia is a Christian nation or a nation of Christians, it doesn’t matter. Some churches are challenging the declaration. Why say ‘Zambia is not a Christian nation’ just because you didn’t like Chiluba or ‘Zambia does not need a national day of prayer’ just because you don’t like Lungu?” he asked.
The congregation at Trinity on Church Road is erecting a new sanctuary expected to cost some K42 million, with works expected to commence in September this year and to take one 18 months to complete.
Mr Lungu said regardless of the debate about the Christian Nation declaration, it behooved every Zambian to conduct themselves by good moral standards and to promote peace in the interest of national unity.
“A lot of us are believers, a lot of us congregate and there should be no controversy over who you decide to call a Christian. Let us put aside our differences. The declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation is neither here nor there,” he said.
President Lungu urged the Church to be a reservoir of advice to politicians who considered themselves ‘geniuses’ on how to govern a country.
Mr Lungu said he was not a genius of governance himself and was open to advice from people on how to properly run the country’s affairs, adding that he always did his best and allowed God to do the rest, a principle he believed made him Head of State.
He pledged 1,200 bags of cement and a monthly contribution of K18,500 towards the Trinity project.
During the service, President Lungu read two Bible scriptures; Second Corinthians Chapter 8 verses one to 11 and Matthew Chapter six verses 19 to 20.
UCZ Synod Bishop Sydney Sichilima commended President Lungu for ensuring that the country sustained peace and unity, saying Zambia was blessed to have a leader who was God-fearing. He said the UCZ would continue praying for his sustenance and that of the First family.
He urged politicians to be the voice of reason and preach love and peace to the nation as opposed to hate speech.

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