“We don’t really believe that we’re blessed unless we have stuff,” Anderson said. “And they believe that they’re blessed just because they have a relationship with the Lord.”
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Anderson, who co-authored with Kyle Canty the book “Ask Me Why I’m Not in Church,” conducted a workshop on reaching the community. In preparation, he sent 100 copies of the book to Zambia in 2020, when the trip was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and conducted a survey months in advance of the trip about the needs of the communities pastors serve there.
“Based on that, we went over with workbooks, with T-shirts and we created a ‘Ask Me Why I’m Not In Church’ evangelism plan and strategy for those pastors,” Alexander said. “They were so appreciative.
“The shirts are meant to be thought-provoking. One of the pastors walked right out of the conference, got into a rideshare, somebody asked him why wasn’t he in church, and he shared his faith, and this guy accepted Christ. That was the highlight.”
Wilson is working to expose other African American pastors to missions on the continent of Africa.
Zambian pastors appreciate meeting pastors on mission who share their skin color, Wilson said. He and another pastor visited Zambia a year in advance of the trip to plan the outreach conducted April 22-May 6.
“One of the things that we found enjoyable in dispelling the myth of African Americans’ absence in Africa, is that we were poisoned against what life is like in Africa,” Wilson said. “But if a person has never been there, you really can’t say what it is.
“I’ve shared with them, … I’ve done work in Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia,” he said, “and I’ve seen the beauty of the continent, and the beauty of the people.”
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Zambia’s constitution proclaims it a Christian nation.
“It gives us an opportunity to do the wells, do the ministry in the villages, do the ministry with the people to help them to be all that the Lord would have them to be.”
Wilson encourages U.S. – Zambian church partnerships to equip Zambian churches to impact communities for Christ through education, evangelism, edification, and economic development.
A.K. Malemba, pastor of the multisite Moving Gospel Ministries Inc. in Zambia, served as the central host pastor. In the 15 years that the Zambia Partnership has taken mission trips to Zambia, Wilson said, Malemba has planted 21 churches and leads a network of 31 congregations.
