Church registration a must- Sumaili
By NATION REPORTER
IT is illegal for any church to operate in the country without being registered by the Registrar of Societies, says National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister, Reverend Godfridah Sumaili
Speaking at the weekend in Livingstone when she met with the clergy at Anglican Church in Livingstone, Reverend Sumaili said that it was for that reason that government through her Ministry was taking up an inventory of all the Churches in the country.
Earlier some religious organisations expressed unhappiness over the new regulations requiring all entities to register with the Registrar of Societies.
Pastor Muzumara of Lion of Judah Church wondered what would happen after taking the inventory since the deadline for doing so is April 30, 2018.
He further asked the ministry to clarify on foreign pastors and
prophets that have wanted to enter the country but were denied entry.
But the Minister said that as a Christian nation, the government had a duty to protect unsuspecting believers from being exploited by foreign prophets that want to visit the country.
“As you are aware with the atmosphere of being a Christian nation,
“Zambians have been taken advantage of by the so called prophets because people are hungry super natural word and powers…so a lot of prophets want to come in Zambia because of that,” she said.
“But we need to guard the nation from those who are abusing
unsuspecting believers. The country has felt we need to have order because even some local pastors are now copying from foreign prophets.
Government has made it very clear that for any foreign prophet or pastor to visit our country, he or she must go through the Ministry of Home Affairs for clearance,” she said.
Rev Sumaili further charged that for any church that wants to invite a foreign prophet or pastor to visit Zambia, such a church must go through church mother bodies for recommendations before engaging her ministry.