CHINGOLA DC AND POLICE STORM LIFE GOSPEL CATHEDRAL CHURCH, ORDER BISHOP KAZHILA TO PREACH POWER POINT MESSAGE.
By Richard Aaron Ngoma
Chingola District Commissioner Agness Tonga accompanied by several police officers this morning stormed a live Church service at Life Gospel Cathedral, that was being presided by Bishop Joseph Kazhila. The shocked congregation watched as the equally startled Bishop led the high powered delegation to his office.
Earlier in the service that was broadcast live on Radio and TV, Bishop Kazhila had vehemently opposed the tradition of the national day of prayer that compels people to pray and fast on the 18th of October every year. In his sermon Bishop Kazhila argued that government had no moral obligation to force anyone when to pray or not to pray.
“The Bishop said prayer was a personal matter and that it was not correct for a government that thrived on injustice, corruption and violence to force people to pray and then after prayers return to their evil ways. The Bishop insisted that prayer should be an every day matter and not on any one day and that those involved in undesirable vices must not be the ones to force people to pray” , said the source.
The message appeared to have angered the District Commissioner who scrambled a team of Police officers to the Church.
“In the Bishop’s office, the District Commissioner ordered the Bishop to preach the power point message that had been authorised by the government under the Ministry of Religious affairs. Upon his return to the auditorium, the Bishop walked to the pulpit and announced that he would rather fear God than man and that as a matter of fact politicians ought to fear him than him fearing politicians”, said the impeccable source.
The District Commissioner’s entourage left the Cathedral after the service. Early last year Bishop Kazhila was arrested by police after accusing them of being behind the gassing and ritual killing in the small Copperbelt mining town of Chingola. He was charged for alarming the public but was however acquitted of the charge by the courts.
It is yet to be seen if the Police will charge Bishop Joseph Kazhila for preaching a contrary message to that of government on the national day of prayer and fasting. -Zambia Eagle