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'''Lubwa Mission''',  located in [[Chinsali District]] in [[in Muchinga province]] of [[Zambia]], is a Christian mission established in the early 20th century by the United Church of Zambia (Church of Scotland). The mission was dedicated to providing education, healthcare, and spiritual guidance to the local community. The provision of education was a major method of evangelisation.
{{Featured article}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name          = Lubwa Mission
| native_name    =
| native_name_lang =
| image          = LUBWA-MISSION.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Lubwa Mission in Chinsali. Source: ZNBC
| location      = Chinsali District, Zambia
| country        = Zambia
| denomination  = United Free Church of Scotland
| founded_date  = 1904
| founder        = Livingstonia Mission
| status        = Active
| functional_status = Historic
| heritage_designation =
| designated_date =
| architect      =
| completed_date = 1904
| construction_cost =
| closed_date    =
| demolition_date =
| website        =
}}


==History==
===Education===
The mission also operated a vocational training center, which offers courses in practical skills such as carpentry, tailoring, and other trades. By 1967 Lubwa Church had been fully Africanised. It had also relinquished its role in health care and education.


===Approach===
The '''Lubwa Mission''' is a historic mission established in 1904 in [[Chinsali District]], Zambia, by the Livingstonia Mission of the United Free Church of Scotland. It played a central role in the religious, educational, socio-political, and economic development of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and was instrumental in shaping Zambia’s independence movement.
Lubwa Mission used literacy and intellectual agreement with the contents of the catechism as criteria for admission to church membership. New members were incorporated into the structure of the Mission as teachers, evangelists, catechists, or paid employees of the Mission. The converts were initially mainly young men, exhibiting a westernized style of life (use of language, food habits, clothing, house building, hygiene, child-rearing, relationship with their spouses).<ref>[https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-development-of-Lubwa-Mission%2C-Chinsali%2C-Zambia%2C-Ipenburg/1c11dab1f9b7215d2e30b9ce9a3720e2dfaad0d9 The development of Lubwa Mission, Chinsali, Zambia, 1904-1967], At Ipenburg 1991</ref>


===Politics===
== Founding and Purpose ==
In the 1940s Lubwa missionaries came under criticism by young mission teachers, who established a Chinsali Branch of the [[Northern Rhodesia]] [[African National Congress]] at Lubwa. The church was used as a base for the ANC to mobilise political support in [[Chinsali District]].
The Livingstonia Mission was inspired by [[David Livingstone]]'s vision to spread Christianity and promote socio-economic development in Africa. Lubwa Mission’s work combined religious education with practical skills training, initially attracting young men and introducing Westernised lifestyles that brought both opportunities and challenges to local communities.


Also, Lubwa Mission was very important in the area of nationalisation. Its first African minister was David Kaunda, and this was where his son [[Kenneth Kaunda]] was born and begun his career. Kaunda was later dismissed from his teaching job and moved to [[Lusaka]] to focus on his political career.
== Growth and Challenges ==
After World War I, Lubwa Mission expanded rapidly, heightening its rivalry with the Roman Catholic White Fathers' Mission. This competition led to a strong emphasis on education and evangelism, introducing new cultural norms that affected family and community dynamics.


==Prominent people at Lubwa==
== Educational and Health Initiatives ==
Some of the prominent people who went to Lubwa Mission include Zambia's first republican president [[Kenneth Kaunda]], [[Simon Kapwepwe]], [[Robert Makasa]] and [[Alice Lenshina]], who led a break-away movement called the [[Lumpa Church]]. Lenshina drew a lot of members from Lubwa and set up her church just few kilometres from the mission.
The mission became a major centre for education, training teachers and evangelists to support an independent African church. In 1936, Lubwa Mission established Lubwa Hospital, which served as the primary healthcare provider in the district until 1960, facilitating a shift from traditional to modern medicine.


==References==
== Political Influence ==
<references/>
In the 1940s, Lubwa Mission emerged as a hub for political consciousness and anti-colonial sentiment. Graduates, including [[Kenneth Kaunda]], Zambia’s first president and [[Simon Kapwepwe]] became pivotal figures in Zambia’s independence movement, with Lubwa’s teachings of self-governance shaping their advocacy.


== Economic and Social Development ==
Lubwa Mission contributed significantly to economic and social development in Chinsali District. The mission promoted modern agricultural techniques, including crop rotation and animal husbandry, and introduced rectangular Western-style houses that improved sanitation and reduced disease. Skills training in carpentry, brickmaking, and sewing provided economic opportunities, enabling some graduates to establish small businesses that supported the regional economy.
== Bible Translation Efforts ==
Lubwa Mission was pivotal in translating the Bible into Bemba, making Christianity accessible to Bemba speakers. Early translators included H.C. Nutter, W. Freshwater, and later R.D. MacMinn and [[Paul Mushindo]], who completed the full Bemba Bible, ''Baibele wa Mushilo'', in 1956. The translation preserved cultural relevance by using familiar Bemba terms, such as “Umupashi” for "spirit," enabling a deeper connection with Christian teachings.
== The Crisis of 1955 ==
The year 1955 marked a significant crisis at Lubwa Mission, resulting in its first major schism. The crisis was fueled by disputes over the authority of direct revelation versus biblical revelation, the role of women in church leadership, and the mission's approach to witchcraft. [[Alice Lenshina]], an uneducated woman from [[Kasomo village]] near Lubwa, claimed to have had a vision of Jesus in 1953, which led her to challenge the mission’s teachings. Lenshina’s movement, the [[Lumpa Church]], quickly grew and drew away many followers, resulting in the formation of an independent church that rejected both mission and colonial authority.
Lubwa responded by restructuring its operations, forming the KBBK women’s organisation to strengthen community engagement. However, rising tensions between Lumpa members and others in the community led to government intervention and the violent suppression of the Lumpa Church in 1964.
== Legacy ==
By 1967, Lubwa Mission had transferred its educational and healthcare roles to the Zambian government. Nevertheless, it remains a landmark in Zambia’s socio-political and religious history. Through its emphasis on Bible translation, economic development, and community leadership, Lubwa Mission fostered a uniquely African Christian identity and inspired a generation of leaders who played central roles in Zambia's post-independence era.
== See also ==
* [[Kenneth Kaunda]]
* [[Paul Mushindo]]
* [[Alice Lenshina]]
* [[Lumpa Church]]
* [[Chinsali District]]
== References ==
*Arie Nicolaas Ipenburg, ''The Development of Lubwa Mission, Chinsali, Zambia 1904-1967'', Ph.D. thesis, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, May 1991
[[Category:Churches in Zambia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Muchinga Province]]
[[Category:Christianity in Zambia]]
[[Category:Educational institutions in Zambia]]
[[Category:History of Zambia]]
[[Category:Missionaries in Zambia]]
[[Category:Missionaries in Zambia]]
[[Category:Chinsali]]
[[Category:Chinsali]]
[[Category:Places in Zambia]]

Latest revision as of 04:46, 12 November 2024

Lubwa Mission
Lubwa Mission in Chinsali. Source: ZNBC
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusActive
StatusHistoric
LocationChinsali District, Zambia
CountryZambia


The Lubwa Mission is a historic mission established in 1904 in Chinsali District, Zambia, by the Livingstonia Mission of the United Free Church of Scotland. It played a central role in the religious, educational, socio-political, and economic development of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and was instrumental in shaping Zambia’s independence movement.

Founding and Purpose

The Livingstonia Mission was inspired by David Livingstone's vision to spread Christianity and promote socio-economic development in Africa. Lubwa Mission’s work combined religious education with practical skills training, initially attracting young men and introducing Westernised lifestyles that brought both opportunities and challenges to local communities.

Growth and Challenges

After World War I, Lubwa Mission expanded rapidly, heightening its rivalry with the Roman Catholic White Fathers' Mission. This competition led to a strong emphasis on education and evangelism, introducing new cultural norms that affected family and community dynamics.

Educational and Health Initiatives

The mission became a major centre for education, training teachers and evangelists to support an independent African church. In 1936, Lubwa Mission established Lubwa Hospital, which served as the primary healthcare provider in the district until 1960, facilitating a shift from traditional to modern medicine.

Political Influence

In the 1940s, Lubwa Mission emerged as a hub for political consciousness and anti-colonial sentiment. Graduates, including Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president and Simon Kapwepwe became pivotal figures in Zambia’s independence movement, with Lubwa’s teachings of self-governance shaping their advocacy.

Economic and Social Development

Lubwa Mission contributed significantly to economic and social development in Chinsali District. The mission promoted modern agricultural techniques, including crop rotation and animal husbandry, and introduced rectangular Western-style houses that improved sanitation and reduced disease. Skills training in carpentry, brickmaking, and sewing provided economic opportunities, enabling some graduates to establish small businesses that supported the regional economy.

Bible Translation Efforts

Lubwa Mission was pivotal in translating the Bible into Bemba, making Christianity accessible to Bemba speakers. Early translators included H.C. Nutter, W. Freshwater, and later R.D. MacMinn and Paul Mushindo, who completed the full Bemba Bible, Baibele wa Mushilo, in 1956. The translation preserved cultural relevance by using familiar Bemba terms, such as “Umupashi” for "spirit," enabling a deeper connection with Christian teachings.

The Crisis of 1955

The year 1955 marked a significant crisis at Lubwa Mission, resulting in its first major schism. The crisis was fueled by disputes over the authority of direct revelation versus biblical revelation, the role of women in church leadership, and the mission's approach to witchcraft. Alice Lenshina, an uneducated woman from Kasomo village near Lubwa, claimed to have had a vision of Jesus in 1953, which led her to challenge the mission’s teachings. Lenshina’s movement, the Lumpa Church, quickly grew and drew away many followers, resulting in the formation of an independent church that rejected both mission and colonial authority.

Lubwa responded by restructuring its operations, forming the KBBK women’s organisation to strengthen community engagement. However, rising tensions between Lumpa members and others in the community led to government intervention and the violent suppression of the Lumpa Church in 1964.

Legacy

By 1967, Lubwa Mission had transferred its educational and healthcare roles to the Zambian government. Nevertheless, it remains a landmark in Zambia’s socio-political and religious history. Through its emphasis on Bible translation, economic development, and community leadership, Lubwa Mission fostered a uniquely African Christian identity and inspired a generation of leaders who played central roles in Zambia's post-independence era.

See also

References

  • Arie Nicolaas Ipenburg, The Development of Lubwa Mission, Chinsali, Zambia 1904-1967, Ph.D. thesis, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, May 1991
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