Central

PHYSICAL FEATURES

The Province is located between longitudes 27 degrees and 31 degrees east and latitudes 13 degrees south. It shares boarders with eight other Provinces of Zambia with the exception of Northern Province.

It shares boarders with national’s capital Lusaka Province in the South, Southern Province and Western Province in the West, Eastern Province in the East, Copperbelt, North Western, Muchinga and Luapula Province in the North.

It also shares boarders with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

CLIMATE

Maximum and minimum temperatures occur in October and July respectively. There is a cool period from May to August with temperatures dropping from 24.2 centigrade in October to 18.1 degrees centigrade in May in most parts of the Province. Monthly rainfall increases from 15mm in October to as high as 298mm in January.

Annual rainfall varies from 1,100mm in north east and just under 800mm in the southern areas of Luangwa valley and the Kafue flats. 

POPULATION (2016)

1,307,111

MAIN LANGUAGES SPOKEN

English is the official language of communication and instruction in Central Province. The main local languages of communication are Lala, Lenje, IIa, Swaka, Bemba and Sala.

MAIN ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Agriculture has become the main economic activity in Central Province following the closure of mining and manufacturing companies that were operating in the Province in the 1990s.

Historically, small scale agriculture consisting of crop, livestock and fisheries production have dominated agriculture sector. Large scale agriculture dominates in cash crop production.

 

CENTRAL PRESBYTERY

BRIEF HISTORY

Most of Central Presbytery as it is today was under the Methodist Church from 1905 to 1965 stretching from Southern Presbytery to Keembe. The other part of the Presbytery was controlled by the Church of Scotland. After attaining independence in 1964, the United Church finally was born on 16^th January, 1965 and Central Presbytery then stretching from Kafue of Lusaka Presbytery to Serenje of Central Presbytery today.

The Church in its December 1978 Synod meeting agreed to separate Lusaka from Central Presbytery as it used to be called and in the same meeting, Rev. Wallace C. Mfula was appointed interim Moderator for Central Presbytery covering Chipembi, Keembe, Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi, Serenje and Chitambo. In terms of staffing levels, the Presbytery had the following Synod Ministers at the time of its establishment:

1. P. S. Bwalya who was at St. Peter’s and in-charge of all vernacular congregations
2. Barry Morris who was in-charge of All Saints Congregation

The following retired Ministers were stationed accordingly:

1. Siwale – Kapiri Mposhi which was a preaching point of All Saints Congregation, Kabwe
2. Makumba – Chipembi Consistory
3. Chilumba – Chitambo Consistory

 

ADMINISTRATION

The Presbytery Headquarters is in Kabwe, the Provincial capital. And the Presbytery is under the pastoral charge and administration of Rev Bishop Edward Musonda. The Presbytery Secretary is Mrs. Rose P. Mupanda, and the Treasurer is Mr. Kapembwa Sichilima.

Thereafter, the following headed the Presbytery:

• Rev. Joseph C. Mwansa as Moderator (1987 – 1994), and the following headed the Presbytery as Bishops:
• Rev. Albert Bowa (1995 -2003),
• Rev. Crispin Mbalazi (2004 – 2007),
• Rev. Pethias J. Siame (2008 – 2009)
• Rev. Edward Musonda (2010 to 2020
• Rev. Laston Chisanga (2021 to date
• Bishop P.J.Siame died in a road traffic accident together the Rev. Simumba who was minister-in-charge of All Saints Congregation, Kabwe.

The change of the title from moderator to Bishop was done in 1994.

 Central Presbytery Mission stations:

1. Chipembi Mission which encompasses Chipembi Girls Secondary School, Chipembi Rural Health Centre and UCZ University Chipembi Faculty of Agriculture and the Church.
2. Chitambo Mission Hospital is run by the Government of the Republic of Zambia (previously used to be a Church Hospital), and the Church (Rev. Malcolm Moffat, nephew of Dr. David Livingstone, opened a station at Chitambo in 1906 with Dr. Hubert Wilson, Livingstone’s grandson)
3. Mpili Mission in Keembe with only a Church, office and Manse buildings in place. The school that used to be Mission school is now run the Ministry of General Education. The two mission stations (Chipembi and Mpili) were established by the Methodist Church from United Kingdom.
4. Bwalya, S. Chuba. A History of Early Christian Missions and Church Unity in Zambia: 2005, p.48.

 

 

 

ADMINISTRATION

The Presbytery Headquarters is in Kabwe, the Provincial capital of Central Province of Zambia. The Presbytery is under the pastoral charge and administration of Rev. Bishop Edward Musonda. The Presbytery Secretary is Mrs. Rose P. Mupanda, and Mr.   Kapembwa Sichilima is the treasurer.

PRESBYTERY STAFFING

 

STAFF

1. MINISTERS

• Stephen M. Nyirenda  – Chitambo Consistory
• Evelyn Y. Mulenga  – Serenje
• Daniel Chisenga  – M’kushi
• George K. Musonda  – Kapiri Mposhi (Hilltop)
• Samuel Banda – Kapiri Mposhi (Central Cong)
• Oskin Siingwa – Kabwe North Chairperson / St. Johns
• Gift Kyembe  – Kabwe North / St. Andrews
• Mulenga F. Bwalya  – Kabwe North / All Saints
• John M. Mwelwa  – Kabwe North / Bethel and St. Paul’s
• Laston Chisanga – Kabwe South Chairperson / St. Mark’s
• Charity M. Mwale – Kabwe South / Trinity and St. Stephen
• Lydia M. Mwale – Kabwe South / St. Luke
• Georgina M. Ezerioha – Kabwe South / St. Peter’s
• Bernard Mwanza – Keembe Consistory
• Teddy Mubonda  – Chipembi Consistory
• Betty Nyirenda – Chipembi Girls Secondary School Chaplain

 

2. RETIRED MINISTERS

• Joseph Mwape – Chitambo
• Benson M. Chongo – Kapiri Mposhi
• Joseph C. Mwansa – Kabwe North
• Wallace C. Mfula – Kabwe North
• Richard Mulenga – Chipembi
• Kennedy M. Lwiche  – M’kushi
• Bishop Mutale Mulumbwa – Keembe

 

3. DIACONAL WORKERS

• Deaconess A. Mafupa  – Kabwe South
• Deacon Misheck Jonazi – Kapiri Mposhi

 

4. RETIRED DIACONAL WORKERS

• Deaconess F. K. Mponela – Serenje
• Deaconess S. M. Kumwenda – Kabwe North
• Youth Worker H. Chilanga – Kapiri Mposhi
• Deaconess F. Kaite – Kabwe South

 

5. RETIRED SYNOD EVANGELISTS

• R. Kate – Kabwe South
• J. Mugala – Serenje

 

6. WIDOWS AND WIDOWER TO LATE CHURCH WORKERS

• M. Simumba – Kabwe North
• Bowa  – Kabwe North
• Mugulube – Kabwe North
• A. M. Gondwe  – Keembe
• Musaka – Kabwe South
• Bwalya – Chitambo
• Mutale – Kapiri Mposhi
• Phiri – Kabwe North
• Mutale – Kabwe North

 

7. LAY WORKERS

• Mrs Maleny M. Kakombo – Secretary
• Phinias Muyoya – Book Keeper
• J. Daka – Caretaker

 

8. HEAD OF INSTITUTIONS

• Albert Chituka – Chipembi Girls Secondary School Head teacher
• Easter Sakala – Chipembi Mission Rural Health Centre In-charge
• Winter Siluyele – Faculty of Agriculture Dean

 

9. PRESBYTERY CONVENERS

No	NAME	Group / Committee	Consistory
i	Mrs. J. kunda	WCF	Kabwe South
ii	Mr. G. Mphande	MCF	Kabwe South
Iii	Mrs. Roydah Chileshe	Youth	Bishop’s Office
iv	Rev. G. M. Ezerioha	Fundraising	Kabwe South
v	Rev. Bernard Mwanza	Lay Preachers	Keembe
vi	Rev. M. F. Bwalya	DWE	Kabwe North
Vii	Rev. O. Siingwa	CRR	Kabwe North
viii	Rev. L. Chisanga	Stewardship	Kabwe South
ix	Mr. Sacheka	Communication	Kapiri Mposhi
x	Mr. W. D. Shamfuti	CPDPC	Kabwe South
xi	Deaconess A. Mafupa	Diaconal	Kabwe South
xii	Mr. Mutongo	Strategic Plan	Kabwe North
xiii	Rev. J. M. Mwelwa	Twinning	Kabwe North
xiv	Rev. G. Kyembe	CTC/CBSI	Kapiri Mposhi
xv	Mr. K. Sichilima	Finance	Keembe

 

10. OFFICIAL STATISTICS

Captured from the Consistory reports presented to the last Presbytery Executive that was held in Kabwe from 5^th – 7^th May, 2016 at Diakonal Centre.

Communicant Members

No	Consistory	Male	Female	Catechumens	Sunday School Children	Adherents	Total
i	Chipembi	549	840	123	753	437	2702
ii	Keembe	3657	4585	461	1824	175	10542
iii	Kabwe South	2028	3602	397	3842	387	10256
iv	Kabwe North	1071	2656	67	1756	365	5915
v	Kapiri Mposhi	2500	6400	2190	2280	4400	17770
vi	M’kushi	1320	3686	271	3407	1002	9686
vii	Serenje	1438	2790	302	512	117	5159
viii	Chitambo	2123	3640	155	1737	970	8625
	TOTAL	14686	28199	3966	16111	7853	70815

 Community Development and Social Justice field headed by Deaconess Anna K. Mafupa.