Businesspeople Convention Highlights Potential for Mission

The fourth annual Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASi) Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID) convention was held at the Victoria Falls, May 10-13. Dozens of businesspeople and church leaders converged in Livingstone, Zambia, for the event. Under the theme Enterprise Unusual, business presentations sought to equip and inspire church members.

SID vice president Jongimpi Papu led the devotional plenary sessions.

ASi-SID president Advocate Dengure said he believes the event will become a game changer, as members live up to the convention’s theme.

Hopeson Bonya, the SID vice president who oversees ASi affairs in the region, agreed. “As a world church division, we are pleased to see the business community working hand in glove for the mission of the church. If we as a church can continue with this spirit, we will finish the work very soon.”

ASi leaders believe that when businesspeople meet to share ideas, the end product will be an explosion in evangelism. Participants said they enjoyed presentations that sought to instill a spirit of collaboration.

One of the guest speakers was the first female mayor of the city of Livingstone. Constance Nalishebo Mukelebai thanked the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia for uplifting lives in the fields of education and health. “The government of Zambia is very happy,” she said, “with the work accomplished by churches, especially the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to improve the lives of ordinary people.”

Vanny Munyumbwe, president of the Southern Zambia Union Conference, highlighted the visit of the mayor. “The presence of government shows that we are doing a good job and that the government is watching us, so let us keep up the good work,” he said.

Businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei further challenged delegates, asking them to be united, since, he said, it will be impossible to accomplish the mission of the church while divided. He also called delegates to step up. “As businesspeople, we must make our resources available for God’s work so that we can hasten His second coming.”

One of the highlights of this convention was the ASi members’ pledge to emulate Jesus Christ’s ministry of love and compassion by raising funds to assist the 23 former sex workers who were baptized after recent Adventist World Radio evangelistic meetings. The group, now affectionately known as “The Friends of Jesus,” have been given financial support to help them start a new life and support

Sister Esther, the spokesperson of the group, thanked the Adventist Church for its support. “We are thankful to the Seventh-day Adventist Church for this good gesture of pointing us to Jesus and taking us away from the streets,” she said. “They have given us cash to look after our families; they have paid our rent for five months and launched several projects so that we can have a meaningful income as we develop our own businesses.”

ASi businesspeople then invited the group for a big Sabbath celebration and worship, and raised additional funds that will further support them as they find their way back into the community.

ASi-SID projects director Stanley Kondongwe explained the rationale for their actions. “By donating to our dear sisters, we are impacting Livingstone,” he said. “We are showing we are not here just to talk but—as our motto says—to share Christ in the marketplace.”