By OLIVER SAMBOKO
ONLY greedy church leaders who in the past were used to being called in the night to receive brown envelopes are against President Edgar Lungu’s gesture to empower the Church for the benefit of all members, Evangelical Youth Alliance (EYA) president Moses Lungu has said.
Rev Lungu said the gesture by Government to introduce empowerment programmes for the Church has exposed greedy clergy who are now coming out to condemn it over a well-intended programme aimed at helping the people in many ways.
Rev Lungu said in the past, the clergy sought help from Government in their individual capacity for their personal needs which did not benefit the general membership.
He said the Evangelical Alliance appreciates Government’s decision to empower the Church in the face of economic challenges caused by the Covid-19 outbreak that has resulted in many citizens being unable to afford a decent livelihood.
He said those condemning the empowerment gesture by President Edgar Lungu and his Government don’t mean well to the welfare of the many citizens who are going through social-economic challenges.
Rev Lungu said the empowerment programmes have nothing to do with the August 12 general elections as the government was within its mandate in providing for the citizens.
He said those attacking the empowerment gesture by the government don’t mean well to the welfare of the many citizens who are going through social-economic challenges.
Rev Lungu said the President has done well to create a system where Government is able to assist in the needs of every needy member of the church through empowerment programmes.
“This will allow churches to create corporate entities aimed at ensuring that the empowerment programmes are well coordinated,” he said.
He said congregants need a church which will not only take care of their spiritual needs but also relevant to their social and economic needs in their quest to worship and have fellowship with one another.
“The fellowship cannot be complete when the congregants are perpetually poor due to selfishness of some selfish religious leaders,” Rev Lungu said.
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