OPEN LETTER: TO MY BELOVED FELLOW CHRISTIANS WHO ARE STILL PERSONALLY INJURED OR DISSAPPOINTED THAT I, A PASTOR/ EVANGELIST IS STILL INVOLVED IN POLITICS- DR NEVERS MUMBA

OPEN LETTER: TO MY BELOVED FELLOW CHRISTIANS WHO ARE STILL PERSONALLY INJURED OR DISSAPPOINTED THAT I, A PASTOR/ EVANGELIST IS STILL INVOLVED IN POLITICS

To my fellow believers who have expressed concern

I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In the past, and especially recently, I have received many messages from fellow believers asking questions like:

“Dr Nevers Mumba, why are you involving yourself in politics? As a pastor, are you not supposed to stay away from divisive matters? Why are you siding with the ruling UPND and seemingly defending some of their actions? Isn’t that a betrayal of your calling as a man of God?”

I understand this concern. It is sincere, and I welcome the dialogue. But let me respond, not with emotion or partisanship, but with biblical perspective, historical understanding, and spiritual conviction.

1. GOD’S SERVANTS HAVE ALWAYS SERVED IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT

From Genesis to Revelation, we see God consistently placing His servants in positions of influence within civil government — not to remain silent or passive, but to bring righteous counsel, protect the vulnerable, and preserve godly order in society.

Daniel served in Babylon, under a king who was known for ruthlessness — one who threw dissenters into fiery furnaces and lion’s dens. And yet, Daniel, a man of prayer and unshakable faith, did not stand on the outside shouting accusations. He operated within the system, with wisdom, tact, and integrity. He challenged injustice with courage — but always with respect and divine timing.

Joseph served in Egypt under Pharaoh, a pagan ruler. He rose to become the most powerful administrator in the land. He didn’t shout from outside the palace gates. He brought life-saving solutions from within government — preserving a generation from famine and disaster.

These were not compromised men. They were strategically placed vessels used by God to influence nations from the inside.

2. DIFFERENT PROPHETIC ASSIGNMENTS FOR DIFFERENT TIMES

We must also understand that God can place calls on His servants differently depending on the season and the assignment he has for them.

John the Baptist, for example, was called to deliver a bold and public message of repentance, confronting immorality in high places. That mission ultimately cost him his life. He was a prophet from the wilderness and he was raised and prepared specifically for that moment.

But Daniel and Joseph were also called to be insiders. Their messages were no less divine, and their impact, was in no way any less powerful. By serving from the inside, they shaped empires not through protest, but through proximity. Both approaches are biblical. Both are valid. What matters is that one follows God’s specific call for their life.

Let us not confuse method with mandate. One can be prophetic from BOTH the inside and from the outside. From the RULING PARTY  side or from the OPPOSITION side. BOTH  are needed, and BOTH must be led by the Spirit of God.

3. BELIEVERS MUST NOT BE NAÏVE — WE MUST BE WISE AND TACTFUL

One of the greatest dangers we face today is naïve Christianity — alot of well-meaning Christians,  but who lack depth, strategy, or discernment and it is these who isually find themselves dissappointed when they see the Lord leading someone like myself, or indeed, any of the many brothers and sisters that God has raised in various missions in the world that were previously considered to be uncharted waters. For the record, if God was not with me, protecting me, and if higher hands were not leading me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Of this, I can testify.

The Bible calls us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). That means we must combine our spiritual purity with practical intelligence and wisdom. Remember that Zeal without knowledge can be very destructive, just like Passion without strategy leads to confusion and instability.

As Christians, when our fellow believers engage in politics, we must not be the first ones to publicly attack, shame, call them names and publicly destroy the work that God is doing through them to expand the influence of the body of Christ.

At the same time, for those of us who manage to get involved in politics or business or anything that brings the reputation of the church and other believers into sharp focus, let us do our best never to resort to immature public behavior, public bickering, or shallow exchanges. Instead, we must model mature, principled, and intelligent engagement that build rather than break. Remember, we are missionaries in these fields.

Remeber that Criticism is not always a sign of courage; sometimes, it just shows a lack of discipline. God calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) — with wisdom, and not with noise.

4. ZAMBIA IS NOT BABYLON — OUR CONTEXT IS VERY DIFFERENT

Some Christans assume that all political systems are inherently oppressive or godless. But that is NOT TRUE and in the Zambian context, we must acknowledge our Christian Nation status.

Let me be clear. Zambia is not Babylon. We are a Christian Nation.

And, we are a democracy. Our current president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, is not a tyrant. He is a democratically elected leader who values and respects the rule of law, human rights, freedoms, consultation, he listens to advice, and operates within a constitutional framework.

Moreover — and this must be said clearly — President Hichilema is a fellow believer. He is a devoted family man, a Christian, and an elder in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He upholds many of the same moral values and convictions that millions of Zambian Christians profess — such as integrity, service, justice, and compassion.

As someone in a working alliance with President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling UPND, I have firsthand experience that President HH is not unapproachable or authoritarian. We have regular opportunities to debate, challenge, and advise within the alliance structure. That is how mature Alliances work. We do not shout at each other in public; we reason together in private.

Some may interpret our lack of public confrontation as silence or compromise. It is neither. It is wisdom. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7). And effective leadership knows the difference.

5. ZAMBIA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION — WHERE BETTER TO SERVE?

Zambia has declared itself a Christian Nation. That is not a slogan. It is a call to responsibility.

If we believe this declaration, then where better for a servant of God to serve than in a nation that claims Christ as its foundation? Should we not bring righteousness into the very systems that shape our laws, our economy, and our governance?

Retreating from politics leaves a vacuum that others will fill — often without godly principles. But stepping into that space, with integrity and humility, is not a betrayal of faith. It is an expression of it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have not entered politics for wealth, fame, or personal gain. I have done so because I believe that faith must shape nations — not from a distance, but from within.

I will continue to support what is right. I will continue to correct what is wrong. I will continue to speak truth — whether to power or to the people — because that is what I believe God has called me to do.

Let us not tear one another down with assumptions and immature criticism. Let us build a nation of wisdom, unity, and godliness. Let us engage as intelligent, Spirit-led believers who understand the times and know what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).

May God bless you.
May God bless Zambia.

DR NEVERS MUMBA
SERVANT OF GOD AND CITIZEN OF ZAMBIA