By Kellys Kaunda
WHY I SYMPATHIZE WITH BISHOP ALICK BANDA
Biblically, the welfare of gospel ministers is a responsibility of church members.
God set aside the tribe of the Levites to serve as Priests.
To ensure their welfare, He decreed that part of the offerings that came into the sanctuary would be for their upkeep (Numbers 18: 21-24).
Fastforward to our time, full time gospel ministers are paid a salary that comes from the offerings church members bring.
But in addition to this, church members are encouraged to appreciate their gospel ministers by giving them gifts in whatever form they see fit.
This is in keeping with Biblical teachings that expect believers to look after the welfare of their ministers.
But the Zambian law doesn’t recognize this Biblical practice and yet it’s a Christian nation!
The declaration of Zambia was done without bringing its laws in line with some Biblical practices.
We have a day of national prayer because prayer is a Biblical practice.
We have even declared December 29 as a holiday in memory of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation.
And yet some aspects of the Bible, like the obligation to take care of our gospel ministers, we shall not obey!
This is why some of us remained opposed to this declaration because it is not only contradictory, it’s hypocritical.
Gospel ministers, like the churches they serve, are not biblically obliged to ask their congregants the source of the gifts and offerings they are bringing into the house of God.
I expect the criminal justice system of a country that was declared a Christian nation to align with Biblical principals such as the welfare of gospel ministers.
This will mean having a law that specifically states that a church or its gospel minister shall not be a subject of criminal investigations in respect of property gifted to them in the course of their duties.
This is not too much to ask because church offerings are already tax exempt.
As long as the Zambian government doesn’t do this, law enforcement agencies will summon and subsequently prosecute gospel ministers who happen to be found in possession of stolen property.
It’s even possible that some churches shall one day forfeit their buildings to the state should it be established that they were built out of proceeds of crime!
In your first sentences you are correct by saying the welfare of the Man of God should come from the offering of the members of church, but then you got lost when you brought in the government. The same bible teaches the church and children of God to observe and respect the worldly authority (GRZ). GRZ supports or appreciate men of God and churches in a universal way that benefits all churches not 1 individual. Then accounts says you can only give what you have and not what doesn’t belong to you
The levis where marrying and having children, why the church hadto look after them is because them with their offspring had no right to inheritance nor right to own anything personal unlike these catholic hyenas that own secret women, children and properties like he owned the said hi-lux. Look at the right term used in the bible, I quote tithe till the walls overflow! Which walls the temple not bandas pocket.
Form 3 type of reasoning. A gift to a man of God should be done according to laid down channels. Does this writer expect any government accountant to therefore draw any sum and hand it over to John General?