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Global Prayer for Peace in the Middle East
Global Ecumenical Peace Prayer for Middle East Web Fin.pdf
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DownloadSri Lanka 2026
Rosemary and James Fletcher were back in Sri Lanka for two months January to March 2026, returning to the country where they lived and worked for 5 years 2005-2010.
Four Salisbury Methodist Church John Wesley plates have been given away and greetings brought given from the Southampton Methodist District, Salisbury Methodist Circuit and Salisbury Methodist Church and a little bit of the history of John Wesley and Salisbury shared. Prayer Handbooks for 2025/26 were also given.
Explanation of images below:
Sunday January 18th, 2026
Image 1 shows Rosemary presenting a plate to the Reverend Rajive, Minister of the English-speaking congregation at Kollupytia Methodist Church, Colombo
Tuesday January 20th, 2026
Image 2 shows Rosemary in green saree presenting a plate to the Reverend Sujithar, General Secretary of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, - affiliated to the World Council of Churches and linked with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Suji is a friend and a Methodist Minister and when he and Chrishanthi had their baby Henosha in January 2007 they asked Rosemary to be her godmother.
Sunday 1st February 2026 - image 3
Rosemary was preaching back at Kandy Methodist Church, in which Rosemary and James were much involved 2005-2010. Here she is presenting a plate to the Reverend Mihiri de Silva who is Minister of Kandy MC and Superintendent of the Circuit.
And on Monday 2nd February 2026 they made their first visit back to the Theological College of Lanka, where they lived and worked for their 5 years as Mission Partners. Here (photo 4) they are pictured with the current Faculty, together with their friends Joy and Bryan Jones from Wroughton, north Wiltshire, who joined them for some of the time. Wroughton Methodist Church had supported work at the College, including buying them a piano, and in the years Rosemary and James were there, there was a link with the Bristol District of the Methodist Church. Rosemary is presenting the plate to the Reverend Leslie Daareju, a Methodist Minister, who was inducted as College Principal on 9th January 2026. This is the only place in Sri Lanka where Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians are trained for Ministry. Christians make up 7% of the population of Sri Lanka , 6% being Roman Catholics.
Sri Lanka 2026 - part 2
On Wednesday 4th February 2026, I went into the Theological College for the 6.30am Independence Day service in the College Chapel, followed by the raising of the flag outside (see photo attached) and the singing of the National Anthem in Sinhala and Tamil. It is 78 years since Independence.
I found it very emotional – the country is in such a better position than it was when we left in 2010, and on our previous visits – 2013 and 2017, despite the recent cyclone, whose devastation is still evident in certain areas. The new Government is such an improvement on previous years of dynastic families ruling the country (4 since independence) and is tackling many serious issues and in 18 months has achieved a lot. We met many former students, former colleagues, and friends and all remain positive about what has been achieved in such a short time and there seems to be an end for the moment of identity politics and people voting on ethnic lines. We have never heard in any country such universal support for a Government, of course there are nuances and some criticisms but everyone we have met is pleased with such a dramatic change. The group who are not happy are the extreme Buddhist monks who used to be very powerful but now no longer receive special treatment… but that is another story.
The preacher at the Chapel Service was one of our former students who is now Archdeacon in the Diocese of Kurunegala.
Here is the Prayer for Independence Day from the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka
“Almighty God, your wisdom and your love are over all; accept the prayers we offer for our nation, now united as one people of late devastated by violence, corruption and politicisation.
Give integrity to its citizens and wisdom to those in authority, that harmony, peace and justice maybe secured in obedience to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.”
Sadly, the optimism we found in the Country on our arrival has been dampened rather badly by the war in the Middle East for reasons which include
- A massive increase in fuel prices and rationing of fuel. All Government offices and schools etc are now closed on Wednesdays to save fuel.
- Great loss in tourists coming to the country. I know there are ethical issues about flying and tourism, but Sri Lanka had had its best month for tourism ever in January 2026. However in March people were talking about a 50% loss in tourist revenue. That will mean loss of jobs and livelihoods. And..
- Nearly one million Sri Lankans work in various countries in the Middle East, sending moneys home to families. A lot of them are in the hospitality industry and they are now stuck in empty hotels. There are no flights out and in any event if they leave, they would lose their jobs. One person we spoke told us about a friend of his who was in a hotel in Dubai and heard a bomb go off nearby and another person we know has a brother in Qatar who described is as just as Covid all over again.
So, we left a country rather angry at Trump and Netanyahu…
A Prayer for Iran and the Middle East from the Cathedral of Salisbury
Ever-loving God
Who hears us in our anguish and distress and longs for us to be free.
We pray for the people of Iran and the wider Middle East, at this time of fear and uncertainty, and all affected by the War there.
Be near to those who are anxious:
Bring comfort to all who are suffering.
Guide those with the power to make decisions, and lead them in the ways of wisdom, compassion and moderation: that people of goodwill would seek harmony and reconciliation.
Join us with our Christian brothers and sisters in all places, in praying for peace and justice, through him who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Zambia link - April 2026
April begins with Holy Week and then the Easter season. Here, we are in Spring time, the end of winter and the beginning of warmer weather. In Zambia, April is the transition from the warm wet season to the cooler dry months.
For many congregations in Zambia, Palm Sunday is the biggest act of public witness in the year, with outdoor worship and processions, often with different denominations marching and singing together.
On Easter Sunday, all the choirs and fellowships and the Boys’ Brigade band will be involved in thrilling worship of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
We are asked to pray in the next few months about the general election in Zambia. On 13th August Zambians will vote in local government, in national parliament and in presidential elections. At present the Electoral Commission is delineating new constituency boundaries, increasing the number of National Assembly members by nearly 45%, from 156 to 226. The government’s hope is that this will accurately reflect the population distribution and produce more diverse and inclusive representation.
Pray that the huge administrative tasks of creating 70 more constituencies and of running the election will go smoothly, and pray for honesty and integrity in the pre-election campaigning.
In April, we hope that Mr Whiteson Chenge will visit the Southampton District, staying here from 25th to 29th, and meeting District officers and people of the congregations linked with congregations in Lusaka. Whiteson is the link person of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Lusaka Presbytery with our Southampton Methodist District. Pray for travelling blessings for Whiteson, as we look forward to meeting him and sharing his experience and wisdom.
Cecil King
Our Zambia link - January 2026
Our Zambia Link
2026 is election year in Zambia; voting for President and Parliament is due in September. Zambia has been a democracy since independence in 1964; even during the 19 years when Zambia was a one-party state, there were plenty of rival candidates at parliamentary elections, and plenty of arguments about policy. Zambia has had different parties in power and different presidents, and the transfer of power has always been peaceful. But rivalries are fierce; violence between parties erupts, and so this year we are asked to pray, with our fellow Christians in Zambia, for peace during the months of campaigning.
In this new year, the change for our link with Lusaka Presbytery of the United Church of Zambia is that Lusaka Presbytery has become two presbyteries – Lusaka and Lusaka East. This is because of the geographical size of the presbytery - extending from Lusaka 500 kilometres east to the Luangwa River - and because of the growth in the number of congregations and the size of congregations. Bishop Lordwell Siame remains the Bishop of Lusaka Presbytery, and the Revd David Mujumila is interim Bishop of Lusaka East Presbytery. Pray that the changes in structure will go smoothly, and pray for the officers of the new Lusaka East Presbytery.
Give thanks that the rainy season has been sufficient for the crops; pray that the rains continue sufficient to bring Lake Kariba to the level that electricity generation will be more reliable. Cecil King
Golden Anniversary for Hong Kong
The Methodist Church in Hong Kong celebrated its 50th Anniversary this autumn with a Thanksgiving service attended by 7,000 people including representatives from the UK.
Please see below for full article:
Our Zambia link- February 2026
Continue to pray for honesty, integrity and peace in the campaigning which has begun for the presidential and parliamentary elections in August.
Give thanks for the sufficient rain which has fallen in the rainy season drawing to its end.
March in the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) will have three special Sundays:
8th: Women’s Christian Fellowship (WCF) Sunday, giving thanks for the WCF’s ministry in witness, in supporting bereaved families, in worship and in pastoral care.
15th: Youth Christian Fellowship (YCF) Sunday, celebrating the contribution of young people in witness and worship, in choirs and in drama, and in leadership of Girls’ Brigade, Boys’ Brigade and Sunday School.
22nd: Green Harvest Sunday: when God is honoured with offerings of the first fruits from the rainy season crops; thank God for sufficient rain this season.
Pray that all the arrangements for the April visit to England of Mr Whiteson Chenge will go smoothly. Mr Whiteson Chenge is the link person for our Southampton Methodist District’s link with the Lusaka Presbytery of the UCZ; he is to come to the Salisbury Circuit for three days towards the end of April.
Give thanks for the establishment of the new Lusaka East Presbytery (a UCZ presbytery is equivalent to a District in British Methodism). The new District is necessary because of the growth in the number of congregations in Lusaka Presbytery. Pray for the officers of the new presbytery and for their Bishop, David Mujumila, and for Lusaka Presbytery and their Bishop, Lordwell Siame. Cecil King
Our Zambia link- more from October 2025
On 24th October Zambia celebrated the 61st anniversary of the nation’s independence and sixty years of peace, stability and development. The celebration was preceded, on 18th October, by a national day of prayer, praying especially for reconciliation.
In 1964, on Independence Day, few people gave Zambia any chance of peace or prosperity or real political and economic independence. In five of the countries bordering Zambia there were wars. Landlocked Zambia, a thousand miles from the sea, had no good route to the coast to export the copper on which the economy depended - only a long dirt road to Dar-es-Salaam. There was no university, and there were very few secondary schools for Africans; nearly all skilled professional jobs were done by foreigners.
The borders of Zambia – formerly Northern Rhodesia – had been drawn by European politicians in Berlin in 1885, with no regard to or knowledge of the people who lived there. So Zambia was an artificial creation with more than 70 different languages spoken and people’s primary loyalty being to their extended family and home area.
Give thanks to God that Zambia has been an independent democratic peaceful nation for 60 years, despite the big problems it was born with.
There have been setbacks – times of economic hardship, the AIDs pandemic, devastating drought, leading to the failure of electricity generation from Kariba Dam, some corrupt government, crop failures, the COVID pandemic.
There has also been huge expansion in schools and universities, great improvements in road links especially to previous isolated areas and, for some people, higher living standards.
Christian churches have multiplied and the number of church worshippers has increased enormously.
Give thanks for Zambia and for the United Church of Zambia. There are four United Church of Zambia ministers serving as circuit ministers in British Methodism; Zambia sends ministers to us – a rapid change from 40 years ago, when Britain was sending ministers to Zambia.
Continue to pray for the United Church of Zambia, as they continue to pray for us.
Cecil King
October 24 - Zambia Independence Day
Loving God, we thank you for the beauty of your creation and for the land of Zambia. We lift up Zambia and its leaders, praying for wisdom, knowledge, and a deep sense of responsibility to protect the environment
We also pray for the country as it comes to terms with the loss of USAID and all that this lack of funding means to the poorest people in the country, especially in the provision of Anti-Retroviral Drugs to all those who are born HIV positive. (US Aid had been paying for these drugs)
We pray for integrity and compassion for the elected Government as they seek to navigate this new territory and that they will work to protect those who are the most vulnerable in their society. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
The Reverend Rosemary Fletcher
Our Zambia Link -December 2025
The rainy season has begun in Zambia, where prayers are constantly for sufficient rain these next months to fill the rivers and dams and to water the newly planted crops.
During December, the UCZ will, like us, be observing Advent and celebrating Christmas. Pray especially for the choirs, drama groups and preachers as they present the Gospel of Jesus’ coming and birth among us.
December 21st is Health Sunday in UCZ churches, praying especially for the work of the church in its two rural hospitals and its nine clinics.
During the rainy season malaria is particularly prevalent; the wet weather is the time for mosquitos to breed. The work of the hospitals and clinics is vital while Zambia is still suffering the after effects of Covid and cholera epidemics.
Pray especially during the weeks of December for young people receiving the results of their school leaving examinations and decisions about their future.
A Zambian Christian who was asked “Are you ready for Christmas?” replied: “You mean, am I ready for Jesus to be born again in my life, my home and my church? Well, I am trying to make room for Jesus in my heart.” That is a word to us that being ready for Christmas is not only about the presents, the food and the travel arrangements; it is about being ready for Jesus.
In the UCZ, worship to see the New Year in is very important. The theme of New Year worship this time is to be “The narrative must change” – the story we tell about ourselves as a church and as a nation needs to be about our unity and what we have in common rather than our arguments and rivalries. This is especially important because 2026 is an election year in Zambia, and the repression and violence around neighbouring Tanzania’s recent election has raised anxiety in Zambia.
Pray for the Lusaka Presbytery of the United Church of Zambia, especially for Bishop Lordwell Siame, as their congregations pray for us.
Cecil King
Our Zambia Link - June newsletter
As the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) prepares to receive anew the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (June 8th), there will be a retreat for all church workers, starting on 5th, and a Nationwide Prayer meeting on Saturday, June 7th.
Health work is a very important part of the UCZ’s ministry, especially in rural areas, including two church hospitals – one at Mwandi in the south west corner of Zambia, and the other at Mbereshi
near the northern border – as well as seven rural clinics. Staffing and equipping these health facilities is demanding financially and difficult because they are reached by poor roads in areas far from urban centres. June 22nd is Health Sunday in the UCZ, when congregations will pray for and give to the health work of the church.
On Sunday, 29th June, UCZ congregations will be praying for and learning about Theological Extension in Zambia (TEEZ). TEEZ was started in 1979 by the United Church of Zambia, the Churches of Christ and the Anglican Church in Zambia, to provide theological education and lay training for church people all over the country. TEEZ creates and distributes course material which people study in their own homes and work through in local groups with a trained local tutor. This is an ideal way of learning in a vast country where travel is not easy, and it means that training is done in each person’s local area, language and congregation rather than in a residential college far away from the place where a person ministers. Many people have been and are being trained for ministries like local preaching, worship leading, teaching in Sunday School and membership classes and leading Bible study groups.
Please continue to pray for the Lusaka Presbytery of the United Church of Zambia, as they pray for us.
Cecil King
Our Zambia link - summer newsletter
After the cold months of July and August, September sees the weather getting warmer, but still dry. The harvest is in, and people in Zambia give thanks that this year’s harvest is good – so different from the drought afflicted food shortage of 2024.
In the early days of September, the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) will be engaged in an evangelism campaign to make Christ known and to bring more people to Jesus. From here, we wonder why a fast-growing church in a self-designated Christian country needs to have an evangelism campaign. The UCZ recognises that people struggling to get enough to eat, anxiously looking for paid employment and needing to provide for extended families often lack the time or energy to give attention to the Gospel. And there are rural areas where people have no nearby Christian congregation, while in schools Religious Education is not central to the curriculum. Pray for the UCZ’s evangelism campaign.
The evangelism of the UCZ is not just about saving souls; it is about the health and wholeness of each person – body, mind and spirit. So September 7th is Temperance Sunday, praying for people who are addicted or who spend a high proportion of their wage on beer and seeking to persuade people away from drinking too much.
And September 21st is Health Sunday, praying especially for the ministry of the UCZ in the two rural hospitals and seven health clinics the church runs, amid shortages of medicines and equipment and continuing widespread malaria and HIV/AIDS. Pray for the health and healing ministry of the UCZ.
Pray for the Lusaka Presbytery of the UCZ, especially for Bishop Lordwell Siame, linked with our Southampton District, as they pray for us. Pray that our link will strengthen during the new Connexional year.
Cecil King
Our Zambia link - October 2025
October is the hottest month in Zambia, when, astonishingly, green shoots begin to appear, even though it has not rained since April. We, with the people of Zambia pray that the rains will come in November.
And October is the month when Zambia celebrates the nation’s independence. The new nation of Zambia was born on October 24th, 1964.
We, with the people of Zambia, give thanks for blessings received and hardships overcome since then. The struggle continues, and, by God’s grace, justice and peace will prevail.
We in the British Methodist Church are particularly thankful to God for Zambia’s independence and growth, because of the people from Zambia, from the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), who have contributed their gifts and graces to our life and witness.
At present, there are four ministers ordained in the UCZ working in circuit ministry here. They say that mission is much harder here than it is in Zambia, and so we are especially grateful to them for their service here – Revd Teddy Kalongo in Bristol, Rev Teddy Siwila in Wolverhampton, Revd Dr Peggy Kabonde in Canterbury and Revd Sydney Sichilima in Bedford.
And our church is enriched, too, by people in British Methodism whose Christian life and ministry has been inspired and enriched by visiting or working in the UCZ.
During this month of October, pray especially for schools in Zambia beginning term four of the new school calendar introduced this year. Pray for pupils taking national exams in October and November – the first national exams based on the new curriculum.
October 18th in Zambia will be a national Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation. Join the people of Zambia that day in prayer for the nation.
Continue to pray for the UCZ Lusaka Presbytery as they continue to pray for us.
Cecil King
Rosemary's month in Zambia- the full report
Our Zambia link - April 2025
April is the end of the rainy season, and we join with people in Zambia to give thanks that there have been sufficient rains this time – though it will need another season or two of good rain to restore the level of Lake Kariba and better electricity supplies.
In the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), there will be ordination of ministers on Sunday, April 6th; pray for the women and men being ordained. Each UCZ minister working with local congregations has several thousand Christians in their congregations.
Palm Sunday – 13th April, this year – is the biggest day of public Christian witness in Zambia,
with processions and open-air worship in most parts of the country. Congregations of different denominations worship together out of doors and then go in procession to the local hospital or hospice to present gifts for the patients.
Primary and secondary schools have two weeks holiday from 14th April, and, as well as Good Friday and Easter Monday, another public holiday this month is Kenneth Kaunda Day - April 28th.
Kenneth Kaunda was the president of Zambia from independence in 1964 until 1991. He died in 2021, aged 97, and his birthday – April 28 – was made a public holiday to honour his memory as the founder of the nation and to sustain his ideals of national unity and respect and care for one another.
Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s memory is especially precious within the UCZ because he was the son of Rev David Kaunda, a Church of Scotland minister, and was a church person all his life. The UCZ congregation that Amesbury Methodist Church is linked with – St Andrew’s UCZ, Lusaka – is very near State House, where Kenneth Kaunda and his family lived while he was President; his wife, Betty, sometimes worshipped there on Sunday mornings - in the tiny church dwarfed now by the huge newer St Andrew’s church building.
Celebrations of the 60th jubilee of the UCZ continue, and on 26th April there will be a General Conference of the UCZ remembering the heroes and heroines of the church and of the missions which united to form the church in 1965.
Continue to pray for our linked church -the Lusaka presbytery of the UCZ – as they pray for us.
Cecil King
Our Zambia link - May 2024
May is the beginning of the dry season, In the coming five months there will be a lot more out of door activities. In United Church of Zambia (UCZ) congregations, there will be frequent church weddings during these five months.
Zambia, like a lot of countries, observes Mothers’ Day on the second Sunday of May – 11th May, this year, and in UCZ worship that Sunday there will be a call to all adults to be role models for young people.
Africa Freedom Day on 25th May commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 and celebrates the liberation of African nations from European rule. Zambia observes it as a public holiday (on Monday 26th, this year). In the UCZ, it is a day for reflecting on the need for the church to change ways of mission as the world changes, hence the UCZ’s motto for this year of Diamond Jubilee: “Changing the Narrative”.
“Changing the Narrative” is the theme especially on Sunday, May 4th, when each UCZ congregation is asked to pray and listen about how they are to be a missional congregation nowadays, in the age of digital communication.
In church, throughout May this year, Easter is being celebrated, up until Ascension Day on 29th May. Pray, with our sisters and brothers in the UCZ, that we shall know the risen Jesus with us in all that we do.
Cecil King
MWM - Prayer and Care Winter 2024/25
https://mwm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/MWM-Prayer-and-Care-Newsletter-No-37-Winter-2025.pdf
Our Zambia link - February 2025
We give thanks that Rev Rosemary Fletcher spent such a fruitful month in Zambia visiting our United Church of Zambia (UCZ) partners. Come to Rosemary’s presentation about her month in Zambia at Bemerton Methodist Church on the evening of Thursday, 6th March.
Continue to pray for the people of Lusaka suffering water shortages and frequent power cuts.
It will need another year or two of good rainy seasons before the hydro-electric power from the Kariba Dam will return to what it was.
March in the UCZ is a month of special Sundays:
2nd: Green Harvest Sunday, when God is honoured with offerings of the first fruits from the rainy season crops – thankfully much more than after last year’s drought.
9th: Women’s Christian Fellowship (WCF) Sunday, giving thanks for the WCF’s ministry in witness, in supporting bereaved families, in worship and in pastoral care.
16th: Youth Christian Fellowship (YCF) Sunday, celebrating the contribution of young people in witness and worship, in choirs and in drama, and in leadership of Girls’ Brigade, Boys’ Brigade and Sunday School.
23rd: When local churches will hold their services of thanks and re-dedication in this Diamond Jubilee year of the UCZ.
30th: Mission Sunday: when each congregation commits to evangelism, service and community development in its neighbourhoods.
Our prayer link with the Lusaka Presbytery of the UCZ continues. Pray for them as they pray for us.
Cecil King
Celebrating 60 years
A special service took place at Salisbury Methodist Church on 26th January to celebrate 60 years of Zambian Independence and 60 years of The United Church of Zambia.
Reverend Dr Teddy Kalongo - Former Principal of the United Church of Zambia Theological College and Former General Secretary of the United Church of Zambia - preached, and a total of £345 was raised for the World Mission fund.
If you missed the service you can still view it here: https://youtube.com/live/flFjt9KT7p0
Images below show:
- The Reverend Dr Teddy Kalongo with District chair The Reverend Rachel Bending and The Reverend Dr Mark Cheetham
- The Reverend Dr Teddy Kalongo with The Reverend Cecil King
- Teddy and Emelia Kalongo with James Rowley
Our Rosemary is in Zambia - conveying greetings from Southampton district
MONDAY JANUARY 13TH 2025
UNITED CHURCH OF ZAMBIA UNIVERSITY
Muwshi bukeni Mkwai
In the name of God, Father Son and Holy Spirit
GREETINGS
I bring you greetings from the British Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church and in particular the Southampton District of the Methodist Church and the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church . I am now our Southampton Methodist District Global Relationships Link person with responsibility for our links with Zambia. This means I also meet with representatives of the United Reformed Church. I bring you special greetings from the Reverends Nigel Appleton and Cecil King.
This is my 5th visit to Zambia – 1999, 2000 when I taught here for the month of November, covering the Reverend Dr Caroline’s furlough in the UK, 2003 and 2015 and now 2025.
I bring you greetings from my former church Caversham Heights Methodist Church who for many years supported Mindolo UCZ and the Theological college library , and the Race Course Community School. The link really affected that church in a postive way and there were several exchanges. I was their minister 1996-2004 but the link continued until recently, and in that context i came here to Mindolo in 1999 , 2000 and 2003. And then my husband James Rowley and I returned to Zambia in January 2015 for the Golden Jubilee of the UCZ.
I bring you greetings from my present church of Salisbury Methodist Church and I have a gift for you from that church…
- A Plate with a picture of John Wesley …. Explain
- I bring you a gift from the Southampton District of the Methodist Church - a lectern sized Prayer Handbook to remind us of our world wide links as the family of God.
- I bring you a book about Chipemwe Girls School ( read out the title) a gift from the Reverend Cecil King for the Library
- I bring you a Methodist Worship Book also for the library
- From my husband James I bring you a large calendar of Wiltshire (like a province here in Zambia) which has a pictures of Salisbury Cathedral and is the city where we now live and also it is the county where the Reverend Dr Peggy Kabonde lives and I bring you greetings from her
- I bring some clerical collars as a gift from me – two each for each of the final year students and some for members of the Faculty.
I also bring you greetings from the Reverend Dr Teddy Kalongo and Mrs Emelia Kalongo and their family
I bring greetings from the Reverend Dr Caroline Wickens who served here 1997-2000 and from her husband Andrew and from their now grown up children Matthew and Catherine
I bring greetings from my own birth family – my late great uncle and aunt , Methodist Missionaries – the Reverend Ernest Stamp and Mrs Muriel Stamp served here in Mindolo 1949- 1952 and I have photos of theirs from that time! I am going to leave a couple of the photos with you for your archives.
And lastly my personal greetings from me , the Reverend Rosemary Fletcher, and my husband James Rowley, who is working back in the UK, not able to be with me at this time.
Our first visit here to Zambia in 1999 changed our lives - we later offered to be Mission Partners and we were sent to Sri Lanka 2005-2010!
I have so many wonderful memories of my times in Zambia and I am glad to be back again.
Enough greetings! May God bless you all.
United Church of Zambia - Diamond Jubilee Order of Service
THE UCZ-MINDOLO-JUBILEE THANKSGIVING ORDER OF SERVICE.pdf
PDF file, 8.33 MB, last modified one year ago.
DownloadNews from Zambia - Oct 24
On 24th October Zambia will celebrate 60 years of independence, thanking God that a diverse population of 73 different languages, brought together by lines drawn on a map in Berlin in the 19th century, has become a united nation, a stable democracy, where power has been peacefully transferred between different political parties several times.
We thank God also that Zambia has come through dangerous and difficult times. At independence in 1964, wars were raging in five of the eight countries bordering Zambia, cutting off the main route to the sea and bringing many refugees into Zambia. At independence there was no university and only a few secondary schools, so not many Zambians had professional qualifications or degrees. HIV/AIDS, Covid 19, cholera and malaria have brought many deaths. Severe droughts (including one this year) have caused famine and shortage of electricity, which is nearly all generated by hydro-electric schemes.
We thank God too for the rapid growth of churches and church membership and the good relationships between the different denominations in Zambia.
From 21st October, for two weeks, there will be a display in the north corridor, celebrating Zambia’s 60 years of independence.
Our link with the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Lusaka, through our weekly exchange of prayer requests, is being embodied this month by Revd Rosemary Fletcher being in Zambia for some of October. Rosemary will be representing Southampton Methodist District and strengthening our link with the UCZ, including worship with congregations linked with local churches here. Pray for safe travel for Rosemary.
Plans for visits by people to and from Zambia are planned for 2025. Pray that these will go ahead smoothly.
Pray for our brothers and sisters in the United Church of Zambia, as they pray for us.
Cecil King
Advent newsletter from Mission Partners in Zambia
Zambia advent newsletter
/MEDIA/1993/ZAMBIA-ADVENT-NEWSLETTER file, 465.88 KB, last modified one year ago.
DownloadNews from Zambia - June 2024
Our Zambia link
July and August are cool dry months in Zambia. Travel is much easier, because the roads and tracks are dry. It is the season when regional and national conferences and other gatherings are held, especially during August when schools are on holiday.
This year the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) will hold the National Synod, which meets every two years; national office holders are elected.
Pray for wisdom and peace as these appointments are made.
On Thursday, 13th June, UCZ said thank you and farewell to Gina Siatwinda Oliver, a mission partner from UK Methodism who has been the UCZ’s Health Secretary. National Synod Bishop Sydney Sichilima spoke of Gina’s unwavering dedication to the church’s mission and to the community and her extensive travels throughout the huge country. Much of the UCZ’s health work, its hospitals and clinics, is in far apart rural areas; Gina has tirelessly visited and supported even the remotest clinics; her work has been during the Covid epidemic and the cholera outbreak – challenging times. Gina replied “Thank you for being an amazing team” – the team of health workers and administrators she has led.
It is our hope that Gina will visit Salisbury after her return to the UK. Pray for her, giving thanks for her ministry in Zambia. Pray also for Revd Emmanuel Kafwita Bwalya who is now acting Health Secretary of UCZ
Cecil King
Global Relations Newsletter May 2024
https://methodist-news.org.uk/cr/AQieeBCr5PAGGIWw0csCsIF8yBQm53dAbYI2D5fhdBHF2w5g77ueqTm6Leo7o1M
News from Zambia -
July 2024
Our Zambia link
The national Synod of the United Church of Zambia, which is the equivalent of our Methodist Conference, meets every two years. This year the Synod was held in Kabwe, in the centre of Zambia.
35 ministers and 9 deacons were ordained for ministry in the church. Rev Chipasha Musaba was re-elected as General Secretary of the church, and Rev Festus Bwembya Chulu was elected as the new Synod (national) Bishop.
Pray for the newly ordained and for Rev Musaba and Bishop Festus in their ministries.
Give thanks for the sustained life and growth of the church through hard times in Zambia this year – the cholera epidemic,
the severe drought causing crop failure and food and water shortages and the frequent electric power cuts.
Continue to pray for our sisters and brothers in Zambia as they pray for us.
Cecil King
Debt deal for Zambia
For nearly four years, Zambia has been trapped in negotiations to try and bring down huge debts that have destroyed the economy. This week, we heard that most of Zambia’s private lenders have FINALLY agreed to a deal to reduce debt repayments by up to $1.4 billion!
This is a big achievement that campaigners have helped win. Over the last two years, an impressive 10,000 of you signed petitions demanding debt cancellation for Zambia, thousands of you emailed your MPs and supported the campaign on social media.
You can read more here: https://debtjustice.org.uk/blog/debt-cancellation-deal-for-zambia?
Debt Justice
Drought situation in Zambia - March 2024
Climate change is a reality, and it is the poor who are affected the most.
Jenny Featherstone, a former Mission Partner in Zambia and now retired there (where she continues to work as a volunteer) sent this picture last week, and now updates us all on the situation. Please do read the article below which Jenny has sent to help in our understanding of our situation.
Sadly, in Jenny’s province ( Southern) of the small-scale farmers, i.e. those who mostly depend on the crop for their food with any surplus for income, 90% will lose their crops. There is a lot of fear as inflation is also at 13% and prices of basic foods are rising every week.
https://techcentral.co.za/southern-africa-driest-february-on-record/241025/
April 2024 - news from Zambia
Zambia is in a national emergency, because of the drought which has affected ¾ of the country, including the main food producing areas.
And this at the same time as the cholera outbreak which has killed hundreds of people and infected tens of thousands.
Pray for the people of Zambia and that food aid will be given.
The lack of rain also means that many people in Zambia suffer frequent power cuts because there is not enough water in Lake Kariba for the hydro-electric plant to generate electricity.
The United Reformed Church Wessex Synod Trust has sent a grant to our linked Lusaka Presbytery of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) to support the church’s work to combat cholera. And the
Methodist Church World Mission Fund has also recently given a grant to the UCZ’s health work.
At our link congregation, St John’s UCZ in Lusaka, the minister – Revd Godfrey Gama – has been transferred to another congregation in the Chelston Consistory, and the appointment of a new minister for St John’s is awaited. Pray for the new minister and their family.
During March, the people of St John’s observed Mothering Week, celebrating and supporting the mothers in the congregation, and Youth Week, celebrating the Youth Christian Fellowship, as well as the Girls’ Brigade and the Boys’ Brigade, and praying for their members and leaders and their ministry.
Continue to pray for St John’s congregation, as they pray for us. Cecil King
Requests and thank you from Ghana
Before Christmas we had a request from Ghana for hymn books and bibles, among other things. Cornelius (our contact) is very grateful to all those who have sent him hymn books and Bibles, which he is sharing around folks in Ghana. If you know of a church who has sent him things, please do pass on his gratitude!
His original requests are below but he has recently written asking for:
- Bed sheets
- Musical instruments for children and young people
- Toys for children
Details of where to send are in the document below. Image shows a young people’s choir using copies of Hymns and Psalms in Ghana, rehearsing for Christmas.
New Year Message from Lusaka
Words from Bishop Lordwell Siame’s New Year message for January 2024 to the people of United Church of Zambia Lusaka Presbytery:
Five actions planned in response to the needs of our time:
1 As people in Lusaka’s growing communities have to travel long distances to access church buildings, to plant churches in new and upcoming communities
2 To build the capacity of leaders at all levels of church leadership.
3 As some youth members are moving out of our churches, to strengthen youth ministry, especially Sunday school.
4 Given the deficit of manse houses, to construct at least ten houses in the next five years.
5 To complete the rebuilding of Nambala Secondary School.
The theme for 2024:“A year of pressing on with courage” (Galatians 6:9).
The apostle Paul says “Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”.
My dear brothers and sisters, life is full of things that make us weary. That was true when Paul wrote this verse 2,000 years ago, and it is true today. And Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to give up. It might be hard, but it will be worth it.
Here at the end of his letter to the Galatians, Paul gives a word of encouragement about what will come if Christians persevere through the challenges they face. It is very easy for followers of Jesus to become discouraged. Life can beat us down, and we can face opposition, fatigue and even despair in doing good. It can feel like we are doing all this hard work for nothing. Growing weary in doing good is a constant danger in a Christian’s life. In that situation, we need to listen to Paul’s words – “at the proper time we will reap a harvest” – not just a single piece of fruit, but a full harvest.
I pray that you shall be prayerful, fruitful, dutiful and a blessing to the church and the people around you.
While it might seem like our work isn’t producing much, the reality is God is doing things we cannot see this side of heaven.
Rev Bishop Dr Lordwell Siame - Lusaka Presbytery Bishop
Good news story!
Following an earlier appeal a church’s Knit Stitch and Natter group sent five kilos of knitted baby clothes to Zambia.
Apparently giving baby clothes is not only useful for the babies, especially in the winter, but the gifts encourage the expectant mothers to come for advice and even for the births.
A parcel takes fifty-eight days to arrive, but they do seem to be arriving intact.
Very inspiring for our group members to be so useful.
For further information please contact Rosemary Fletcher
October 2023
October is the hottest month, and the month in which we shall celebrate the 59th anniversary of Zambia’s Independence Day – 24th October, 1964.
In the United Church of Zambia (UCZ), the special Sunday in October is on 8th October, when we shall observe Widows, Retirees and Orphans Sunday. The Bible, in the Old and New Testaments urges us to care especially for widows and orphans, and, in Zambia today, this is especially important because of the ravages of HIV/AIDS leaving very many orphans.
We are grateful for the several UK based charities supporting orphans in Zambia, especially helping children get through school.
Widows, retirees and orphans are the neediest people in Zambia, and at St John’s, Mtendere – our link congregation – the Community Development and Social Justice group led by Mukupa Chanda works to help such people in our neighbourhood.
Give thanks for the visit to Zambia of Revd Helen Everard from Fleet URC, which has strengthened our link with UCZ Lusaka Presbytery and pray for the development of more links between congregations here and congregations in Lusaka.
Cecil King
November 2023
Zambia celebrates 59 years as an independent nation on 24th October this year. To give thanks for that, there is a display in the North Corridor at Salisbury Methodist Church from 16th October to 20th November about Zambia, about the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) and about our link congregation, St John’s UCZ, Mtendere.
Pray that the rains will arrive in Zambia in November. As we heard at Holiday Club in August, these rains are essential after 6 months with no rain,
so that the crops will grow, so that the rivers and lakes will be replenished and so that Zambia will have enough electric power from the hydroelectric schemes on the Zambesi and Kafue rivers.
Pray for pupils in school preparing for school leaving exams at Grades 7, 9 ad 12. These exams are at the end of November and during December,
at the end of the school year.
Pray too for the ministers and deacons in training at the UCZ University who are completing their courses before starting ministry in January.
At St John’s UCZ, Mtendere, the congregation give thanks for growth in numbers this year and for full resumption of church activities after the Covid restrictions. One new project the Chelston Consistory has recently started is eye screening through the Community Development and Social Justice group.
This is a much needed provision.
Continue to pray for the people of St John’s congregation, as they pray for us.
Cecil King
December 2023
Praise God that the rains have begun, and pray that they will continue.
In December the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) looks forward to Christmas. The week before Christmas is “Christmas Revival Week” in the UCZ, when, in church and in all the church groups, we preach and pray that Christ will be born again in the hearts and lives of each of us and in the lives of people who have not been Christians.
December is also the month of public examinations, when school pupils write their school leaving examinations – after Grade Seven, Grade Ten and Grade Twelve. Pray for the young people doing their exams – and for their teachers and the people involved in marking the exams.
As in the UK, December is a month when people look to give support especially to children. Zambia has many thousands of orphans because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, so we work and pray to support the orphanages and organisations that support orphans through school and higher education.
At our link congregation - St John’s UCZ in Mtendere, Lusaka - we are asked especially to pray for the three robed choirs and for the Boys’ Brigade Band and for the witness they give to the birth of Jesus and the salvation he brings.
Continue to pray for the people of St John’s as they pray for us.
Cecil King