CMS Ireland has been in partnership with the Diocese of Northern Zambia since 1995 – and for the majority of that time our focus has been on supporting leadership training in St John’s Anglican Seminary.

The Seminary is based on the Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation campus, which is home to a number of other third-level institutions.

The Anglican Church in Zambia is a growing church and as such requires its leaders to be properly equipped to meet a series of significant challenges. The training for ordained ministry is two-fold:

1. Academic Theological Training
2. Spiritual Formation (helping to shape the lives and characters of the students so that they grow into leaders who can impact the wider community)

CMS Ireland’s links with the Seminary are traced back to the work of Canon John Kanyikwa (who served as a lecturer and Principle of the college) during the 1990s and today that work is continued by Keith and Lyn Scott.

In recent years our connections in Zambia have been strengthened and continue to grow. Bishop Albert Chama has led the diocese since 2003 and has a real heart for mission and evangelism. Bishop Chama has broadened the partnership from being just with the St John’s Anglican Seminary to cover the whole Diocese.

The CMS Ireland 2006 Annual Project – ‘The Broken Butterfly: Tools of Faith’ was based in the diocese and provided much needed support to train those living in particularly difficult circumstances in townships.

The project targeted young people in those townships and helped provide basic life skills and training in tailoring and brick making. It also enabled the Church to work with the rural community of Mwinilunga to provide bicycles and a micro-finance scheme.

Through these things the Church hopes to be a living witness that transforms the lives of individuals and communities.