Gatherings in Zambia: christian cults

Gatherings in Zambia: christian cults. The groups belonging to the different christian denominations each hold a formal meeting every week in their church building (calici). This meeting is mostly led by local ministers or lay members, sometimes by visiting ministers or missionaries. Less formal meetings of all members of the group or a part of them are organised regularly for religious purposes, like Bible study, or for social reasons, for instance visiting the sick or mutual help in agriculture. Once or twice a year the Witnesses organise a kampu, a large meeting of all Witnesses of the congregations of a certain administrative area (Circuit). It lasts two days.

At the Sunday meetings normally 40 to 80 people meet. A meeting lasts about two hours and consists of readings, preaching and singing.

Christian choirs

Gatherings in Zambia: christian cults. Most congregations have a choir. Songs are sung by the choir with the other members singing along depending on whether they know the song or not. For those who can read, text books are available.
The choir also sings at the funeral wake of deceased group members or their relatives (Cililo 3) and at the wedding ceremony of members or relatives of members, see Film 2. The fifteen to thirty members of the choir are youngsters of both sexes between ten and twenty years of age. The choirs practise two or three times a week. The leader is one of the experienced members who stays in contact with the adult leaders of the group and with neighbouring choirs of the same denomination.
For most youngsters membership of the choir (in which are their friends) is an important reason to be a member of a christian group. The choir is rather independent of the rest of the group. Choirs often have a plot of land which they cultivate collectively or they work the land of someone else for money. From the proceeds they can pay for extra activities such as buying uniforms or travelling to other churches of the same denomination to meet or compete with other choirs. Serenje district counts around 30 UCZ choirs. They do not only meet and compete in pairs, but all choirs also meet once a year for a weekend.

Song 91

A UCZ song performed by the UCZ New Jerusalem Choir of Chibale village, 2004.

Text of Song 91 ∵ Lucky is that person

Alishuka umuntu uyo
Alishuka umuntu
Ushisangwa nababifi
Kabili munshila yababembu
Temininamo
Napekala bamiponto
Tekalapo

Lucky is that person
Lucky is the one
Who doesn’t mix with wrongdoers
And on the path of the wrongdoers
That one doesn’t linger there
And even where the wrongdoers chat
That one doesn’t stay there

Nelyo/Lelo amalango yamfumu eyakupe nsansa
Kabili wena alishuka
Kuli/Muli fyonse fyo acita

It is in the good works of the Lord that one finds joy/
   Today, the good works of the Lord bring joy
Because that one is lucky
With all that he/she does