AT A GLANCE | MEMBER CHURCH NEWS AFRICA United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Synod Bishop calls for non-violence before General Elections His Grace Bishop Sydney Sichilima has urged political leaders to dissuade their cadres from violent campaigns before the upcoming General Elections. During elections in recent years, politicians have mobilised their followers along tribal and regional lines, leading to ethnic-based voting and identity-based violence.
Police officers (right) try to control suspected riot. Photo by Lusaka Times
“Engaging in violence is retrogressive to the peacefulness of this country. Zambia is a Christian nation and this should reflect in the way we conduct our politics. We should not reach an extent of killing each other for the sake of money because peace is more important,” said Bishop Sichilima, who was speaking during the farewell service for Deaconess Chileshe Kafwimbi. Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) Moderator encourages COVID-19 vaccinations The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) Moderator has advocated for COVID-19 vaccines to congregations in a letter on 15 February, where he addressed concerns about its safety and side effects. With people in townships and rural 04
areas, the poor and unemployed likely to receive the vaccine last, Rt Rev Dr Peter Langerman appealed to congregations to offer their buildings to health departments as vaccination centres.
Image by Siphiwe Sibeko. Reuters
On an individual level, he asserted that getting vaccinated is “their moral responsibility for the common good, and that protecting the health of the community takes precedence over individual ideologies”. Thus, ministers and elders should lead by example by volunteering to be vaccinated and encourage people to agree to do so. UPCSA Moderator calls for day of fasting and prayer following spike in COVID-19 cases
At the Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, South Africa, a volunteer receives an injection from a medical worker during the country's first human clinical trial for a potential vaccine last June. Photo by AFP
The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) Moderator Rt Rev Dr Peter Langerman called for a day of fasting and prayer on 11 January after an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in the countries that UPCSA is active in. This second wave of INSiGHT | February 2021
COVID-19 infections, hospitalisations, and deaths had claimed the lives of some UPCSA ministers and afflicted many families. The churches were asked to pray and fast for the healing of those infected, and for a speedy rollout of the vaccine in these countries. South Africa’s Health Minister had earlier announced that 1.5 million doses of the vaccine would arrive for health workers this month, even as a new coronavirus variant began to spread in South Africa. EAST ASIA Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT)’s Christmas evangelism efforts downtown
With the pandemic under control in Taiwan last Christmas, Lu-Chou Presbyterian Church held an evangelical walk downtown where they delivered 1,000 packages of Christmas presents including New Testament Bible, evangelical leaflets, Christmas cakes and candies. Over 70 congregation members of all ages were invited to perform for the Christmas evangelism event. With COVID-19 cases escalating in London, the traditional Christmas thanksgiving service was hosted online for Taiwanese missionaries from
