Zambia: Africa’s First and Only “Christian Nation”

 In 1991, then-President Frederick Chiluba, a Pentecostal, appeared on national television and declared Zambia a “Christian Nation.” He proclaimed:

“I have entered into a covenant with the living God… Today, as president, I surrender myself to the dominion of Jesus Christ. Likewise, I surrender the government of Zambia and the entire nation to the lordship of Jesus Christ. I further declare that Zambia is a Christian Nation, guided by the right principles of God’s Word.”

At the time, leaders of Zambia’s mainline Protestant and Catholic churches opposed Chiluba’s declaration. They argued that if he truly wanted to make Zambia a Christian nation, he should do so through concrete action—by caring for the poor and avoiding corruption—rather than with statements that evoked a state religion and the specter of religious persecution.

In contrast, Pentecostal leaders strongly embraced the proclamation. To them, it was proof that Pentecostalism represented the “truest” and “most Zambian” form of Christianity.

Five years later, the declaration was incorporated into the preamble of Zambia’s constitution, where it remains to this day.

Yet after Chiluba’s presidency, successive leaders largely refrained from invoking the proclamation—until Edgar Lungu came to power in 2015. Under Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) government, a series of Christian policy initiatives were introduced, including the establishment of a Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs, the designation of a National Day of Prayer as a public holiday, and a commitment in Zambia’s Seventh Development Plan to draw on the nation’s Christian heritage as a governance standard.

According to researcher Kenan Toprak:

“Christian nationalism in Zambia can be defined as an idealized religious understanding of national identity that structures efforts to make a country more Christian through explicit, often state-centered political action.”

Those directly involved in efforts to “Christianize” the nation were typically church leaders, pastors, bishops, or heads of para-church ministries. Both the theology and practice of Christian nationalist activism in Zambia were overwhelmingly Pentecostal, often with formal or informal ties to international Christian organizations and individuals.

Pentecostal Christianity and the Christian Nation

The theological foundation of Zambia’s Christian Nation declaration was rooted in Pentecostal practices, as Chiluba himself was a Pentecostal Christian. During his presidency, he personally attended Pentecostal congresses and large revival gatherings, known as crusades.

His administration introduced several policies shaped by Pentecostal theology:

  • the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel (Pentecostal churches in Zambia, like others worldwide, embraced Zionist ideology),
  • the granting of diplomatic passports to prominent pastors,
  • and the organization of large-scale international evangelistic crusades—personally led by Chiluba and funded by the state.

For many Zambian Pentecostals, the declaration was viewed as a sacred covenant between God and the nation, the key to future prosperity. Other churches, however, opposed it for years.

Today, Pentecostals fear that removing the declaration from the constitution would cancel both the blessings already received and those yet to come. Some even go as far as to claim that repealing it would bring “war.”

 

A Battle Over Kaunda’s Legacy

Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda had ruled for nearly three decades, promoting an ideology he called “African Humanism.” A blend of socialism and Africa’s ubuntu philosophy, it was introduced as Zambia’s national philosophy, taught in schools, and used to guide government initiatives.

But in Chiluba’s Christian Nation project, Kaunda’s humanism was portrayed as demonic, and his legacy was deliberately targeted for erasure.

Although Kaunda, a devout member of the United Church of Zambia, was a practicing Christian, he favored a secular state structure.

Before moving into the State House he inherited from Kaunda, Chiluba ordered 50 evangelical pastors to pray through every room to “cleanse” it of evil spirits.

He went further, claiming: “Dr. Kaunda hates me because I destroyed the idols in his universal temple,” and accused him of not being a true Christian.

 

Shifting National Dynamics

Chiluba’s personal faith profoundly shaped his politics. Under Kaunda, Zambia had severed ties with Israel and supported Palestinian liberation. Under Chiluba, diplomatic relations with Israel were restored and Christian Zionism was embraced. In contrast, Kaunda’s close relations with Iran and Iraq were cut off on the grounds that they were Muslim countries.

Chiluba established a Christian Affairs Office in the presidency, provided vast funding to supportive churches, and granted them tax exemptions. Pentecostal/Charismatic churches proliferated nationwide.

Although Chiluba claimed that minority religions would be protected in a democratic system, tensions soon arose. Zambia’s Muslim minority, in particular, felt increasingly insecure about their place in a “Christian Nation.”

Economically, Chiluba’s belief that a God-fearing nation would prosper proved unfounded. Instead, Zambia’s economy deteriorated further: unemployment rose, investments dried up, and wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small elite while the majority lived in poverty.

Politically, his government faltered. Corruption grew unchecked, leading to cabinet resignations and protests. Doctors went on strike over low wages. The privatization of mines was poorly timed, and the expected revenues failed to materialize.

Chiluba faced two coup attempts during his presidency and was accused of human rights abuses for imprisoning opponents—including founding president Kaunda.

Ultimately, his rule ended in disrepute, his reputation as both a Christian and a democrat shattered. After ten years in power, he left Zambia poorer and more divided.

 

Zambia Today

Despite Chiluba’s failures, Zambia retained its Christian Nation identity under subsequent leaders. With about 95% of its population Christian, the country continues to define itself through this lens.

In 2023, President Hakainde Hichilema reaffirmed this identity, declaring that Zambia would remain a Christian nation, guided by principles such as hard work, honesty, and integrity.

 

Sources

 This article was originally published in Independent Türkçe, on November 27, 2024.

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