State, Church Should Work Together, Says Minister

26 April 2011

Gender and Women in Development Minister Sarah Sayifwanda has advised the Church to involve the Government in all its programmes because the two serve the same constituency.

Ms Sayifwanda said on Saturday evening at a fund-raising dinner for the Solwezi United Church of Zambia (UCZ) that Government leaders were always available for the Church when called upon.

She said it was important for the church to invite Government leaders because the Government attached importance to church programmes.

She said any church programme in Zambia promoted peace and harmony which the people wanted and cherished.

The minister said it was good the UCZ in Solwezi was fund-raising to buy a motor vehicle for the reverend whose work involved covering a distance of about 80 kilometres.

She advised the people to take interest in matters of the Church and the community for them to understand what was happening around them.

Ms Sayifwanda advised the church to encourage people to stick to one partner to avoid the spread of HIV/AIDS.

North-Western Province Minister Daniel Kalenga said the church and the Government should work together because leadership was from God.

Mr Kalenga said it was important for the church and the Government to speak the same language because they worked for the same people.

UCZ North-Western Presbytery Bishop Sylvia Mukuka said the Church and the Government should draw closer, especially this year when the country was approaching elections.

Bishop Mukuka said both parties needed each other, the first thing was for them to draw closer to God.

She said blessed was a nation whose God was the Lord as it would continue to be blessed.

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