Let’s have all churches registered

CHURCHES play a vital role in communities, offering spiritual guidance, social support, and moral teachings.
They provide a space for worship, prayer, and reflection, helping individuals strengthen their faith.
Houses of worship offer moral teachings that guide people in making ethical decisions. They foster a sense of belonging, bringing people together regardless of background.
Many churches provide counselling services for individuals facing personal challenges. They offer comfort and encouragement during difficult times, such as loss or hardship.
Churches often run schools, mentorship programmes, and youth activities to educate and empower young people. They teach values like kindness, honesty, and responsibility, shaping future generations.
These religious institutions encourage dialogue and reconciliation, helping resolve conflicts within communities. They promote love, compassion, and understanding, nurturing harmony among people.
However, despite the critical role they play in communities, churches need to be regulated by way of having them registered as this is essential for accountability, legitimacy, and community trust.
This is the premise upon which we agree with Independent Churches of Zambia president David Masupa’s concern about the bourgeoning unregulated churches in communities.
We share Bishop Masupa’s worry because some of these churches exploit vulnerable individuals, promising miracles and financial prosperity in exchange for money.
This is dangerous as it can lead to financial and emotional distress for unsuspecting followers if left unchecked.
Genuine religious institutions play a vital role in shaping moral values and fostering community development. Ensuring that churches operate within legal frameworks helps maintain the integrity of religious practices.
In addition, unregulated religious groups can sometimes promote harmful ideologies or practices that disrupt communities.
Proper oversight ensures that religious teachings align with ethical and legal standards.
Registered churches are subject to regulations that promote transparency in financial dealings and leadership structures. This helps prevent cases of abuse, corruption, or exploitation within religious institutions.
By addressing this issue, authorities can work with religious leaders to establish clear guidelines for church registration, seeing to it that all religious institutions operate legally and ethically.
Bishop Masupa has been talking about the role of the Church in promoting truth and accountability.
His concerns highlight the need for collaboration between religious bodies and government authorities to regulate the establishment of churches and protect citizens from deception.
In the recent past, there have been reports of problematic unregistered churches in Zambia, particularly those led by self-proclaimed prophets who operate without formal theological training or legal registration.
Some unregistered churches have been accused of demanding large sums of money from members in exchange for promises of miracles, healing, or financial breakthroughs.
Certain churches operate in residential areas without proper authorisation, causing disturbances to neighbours.
Some individuals claim to have divine powers and attract large followings despite lacking theological training.
For example, a certain self-proclaimed prophet in Kalikiliki Township in Lusaka has been leading an unregistered church for over two years despite concerns about the legitimacy of his teachings.
Many of these churches do not adhere to financial transparency or ethical guidelines, making it difficult to track how donations are used or whether leaders are acting in good faith or not.
It is, therefore, important that the concern by Bishop Masupa is given the attention it deserves if churches in Zambia are to operate in an ethical, morally upright, transparent and accountable manner.