Christian Nation status is guaranteed, says Lungu

By KETRA KALUNGA and PRISCA LUMINGU-BANDA in KabwePRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has assured the Church that the country will continue to uphold Christian Nation status and values.Mr Lungu said the Church and Government needed to fight together to sustain the declaration of Zambia being a Christian nation.He said as long he was President, Zambia would remain a Christian nation and he believed that no one would want to turn that especially from the PF.“The Government recognises the role the Church plays and it was important the church and government worked together to uphold Zambia’s status as a Christian nation,” he said.President Lungu said this when he met the Clergy in Kabwe yesterday.He said the people who would be in charge of the governance of the country should always ensure that they respected the role of the church because it was God who ordained leaders to be where they were.President Lungu said where things were going wrong in the nation, Government would always consult the Church for guidance.President Lungu assured the church that the fight was not finished over the Christian nation clause embedded in the Constitution following the collapse of bill10.“There was a cry from many churches that we needed to embed the Christian clause in the constitution, but let me assure you my brothers and sisters, the fight is not over yet. We will get there,” he said.Meanwhile, President Lungu has urged the Church to support their members who wanted to join politics.President Lungu said Christians who wished to join politics did not need to leave their calling to talk about politics.President Lungu said the Church should encourage people to join politics but should remind them to always carry Christ with them.He also assured the Church that government would find serious package for the church and empower them following the diverse effects of Covid19.And speaking earlier on behalf of clergy, Reverend Oskin Siyingwa called on President Lungu to continue being tolerant and to embrace everyone.Rev Siyingwa said the church would continue to pray for him so that God would continue to grant him wisdom on how to govern the country.He also commended President Lungu for always including the church in Government’s developmental agenda.The clergy also commanded Government for the early distribution of farming inputs for the 2020/2021 farming season adding that the nation was destined for another bumper harvest.