A history of the church of christ in the southern province of Zambia, 1910-2015.
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Date
2020
Authors
Daka, Brian
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study is an attempt to reconstruct a history of the Church of Christ in the Southern province of Zambia from 1910 to 2015. In doing so, it examines key aspects of the church’s activities including its contribution to the development of education, health and orphan care provision in Southern province. The study argues that like many other missionary societies, the Church of Christ utilised education and medical outreach programmes to win converts. Unlike other missionary societies, the church continued using education as a major tool of winning converts even after independence. However, the church transformed its strategies, from focusing on the classroom to win converts to using outreach programmes after independence. The study further demonstrates that the church was involved in health care provision since colonial times. However, it did not do much in the colonial era, but after independence, it developed into one of the most important health care providers in Southern province. The church provided health care because it felt it was a responsibility given to it by Jesus. The church did not only provide health care through its clinics but it also conducted medical missions in most parts of Southern province. The study argues that medical missions were accompanied by massive evangelism and church planting. The study further concluded that the church was first involved in orphan care during the colonial period. It argues that orphan care in the colonial period was different from that of the post-colonial period. At inception the church kept orphans through institutionalised orphan care while after independence it transformed to home based care. The study further argues that the Church of Christ and the state collaborated well in education, health and orphan care. For instance, the state exempted the mission from paying taxes on imports.
Description
Thesis of Master of Arts in History.