religion in Zambia

Zambia gained independence in 1964 from the British Empire.{{Cite web|title=HISTORY OF ZAMBIA|url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ad27|website=www.historyworld.net|access-date=2020-05-29}} Post independence, Pentecostal and charismatic missionaries from the United States were met with a wide audience in the 1970s. The growth of the religion suffered during the 80s and 90s on account of increased economic turmoil. After Frederick Chiluba (a Pentecostal Christian) became President in 1991, Pentecostal congregations expanded considerably around the country.{{cite thesis| author=Matthew Steel| title=Pentecostalism in Zambia : Power, Authority and the Overcomers| type=MSc Dissertation| publisher=University of Wales| year=2005}} While the initial constitution did not specify religion, the amendment in 1996 declared the nation as "a Christian nation while upholding the right of every person to enjoy the person's freedom of conscience and religion". As per Article 1 of the constitution, the nation is a Sovereign Secular Republic and as per Article 25, citizens free to express thoughts and practice any religion.{{cite book|title=Law, Religion, Constitution: Freedom of Religion, Equal Treatment, and the Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4I8WDAAAQBAJ&q=zambia+religion&pg=PA164|page=164|first1=W. Cole |last1=Durham|first2= Silvio |last2=Ferrari|first3= Cristiana|last3= Cianitto|first4= Donlu |last4=Thayer|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317107385}}

In September 2021 the newly elected president, Hakainde Hichilema, disbanded the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs and put regulating religions under the control of the Office of the Vice President.

The government requires religious groups to affiliate with a "mother body" which in 2021 were 14 in number. The Christian ones were Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Independent Churches of Zambia, Apostles Council of Churches, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Christian Missions in Many Lands. The non-Christian ones were Islamic Supreme Council of Zambia, Hindu Association of Zambia, Guru Nanak Council of Zambia, Jewish Board of Deputies Zambia, Rastafarians, Council for Zambia Jewry, and Baha’i Faith in Zambia.{{cite web |title=2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Zambia |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/zambia/ |website=United States Department of State |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=2 June 2022}}

{{main|Christianity in Zambia}}

File:David Livingstone by Thomas Annan.jpg]]

Christianity is believed to have arrived in Zambia in the form of European Protestant missionaries and African explorers during the mid of 19th century. David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary who did pioneering missionary work that brought the attention of Africa to the Western world. Livingstone inspired abolitionists of the slave trade, explorers and missionaries. He led the way in Central Africa to missionaries who initiated the education and health care for Africans. Many African chiefs and tribes held him in high esteem and it was one of the major reasons for facilitating relations between them and the British.{{cite book|last=Blaikie|first= William Garden|year=1880|title=The Personal Life of David Livingstone|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13262|access-date=16 October 2016}}

Zambia is officially a Christian nation according to the 1996 constitution, but a wide variety of religious traditions exist. Traditional religious thought blends easily with Christian beliefs in many of the country's syncretic churches. Christian denominations include: Presbyterianism, Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, New Apostolic Church, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Branhamism, and a variety of Evangelical denominations. These grew, adjusted and prospered from the original Catholic missionary settlements (Portuguese influences) in the east from Mozambique and Anglicanism (English and Scottish influences) from the south. Except for some technical positions (e.g. physicians), Western missionary roles have been assumed by native believers. Zambia has one of the largest communities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Africa with over 200,000 members.{{cite web|title=2023 Country and Territory Reports|year=2023|url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/2023-service-year-report/2023-country-territory/|publisher=Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania}}

{{main|Baháʼí Faith in Zambia}}

The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) reported Zambia as having the eighth highest population of followers of the Baháʼí Faith, with 241,100, representing 1.80% of the population, placing it at fourth overall in that measure, in 2010.{{cite web |title=QuickLists: Most Baha'i (sic) Nations (2010) |work=Association of Religion Data Archives |year=2010 |url=https://www.thearda.com/QL2010/QuickList_40.asp |access-date=2020-10-20 |archive-date=2021-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302132059/https://www.thearda.com/QL2010/QuickList_40.asp |url-status=dead }} However the official website of the Bahá'í Community of Zambia reported 4,000 Bahá'ís in 2018{{Cite web|date=2018-05-30|title=Bahá'í Faith in Zambia – The Bahá'í Community of Zambia|url=http://www.bahaizambia.org/bahai-faith|access-date=2020-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530180717/http://www.bahaizambia.org/bahai-faith|archive-date=2018-05-30}} and the UNdata reported 3,891 Bahá'ís in 2015.{{Cite web|title=UNdata {{!}} record view {{!}} Population by religion, sex and urban/rural residence|url=http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode:28|access-date=2020-11-08|website=Filter to Zambia}}

The William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation, an organization founded in 1995 and run by the Zambian Baháʼí community, is particularly active in areas such as literacy and primary health care.{{cite web|url=http://www.devlp.com/dla.html#masetlha |title=About DLP |author=DL Publicaciones |access-date=29 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012180746/http://devlp.com/dla.html |archive-date=12 October 2007 }}{{cite web|title=William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation|url=http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/organizations/william-mmutle-masetlha-foundation|website=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs|publisher=Georgetown University|access-date=5 February 2016|archive-date=5 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205060537/http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/organizations/william-mmutle-masetlha-foundation|url-status=dead}} The Maseltha Institute, its parent organization, was founded earlier in 1983.

{{main|Islam in Zambia}}

File:Zambia Lusaka Independence Avenue Krzysztof Błażyca 2011.jpg and Mosque in Lusaka Province.]]

Islam arrived in Zambia in the form of Arab slave traders during the mid of 18th century. Other Muslims and people from Hindu community arrived to Zambia during British Colonial rule.{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Global Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WwJzAwAAQBAJ&q=zambia+religion&pg=PA1399| editor1-first=Mark |editor1-last=Juergensmeyer|editor2-first= Wade Clark |editor2-last=Roof|publisher=SAGE Publications|year=2011|isbn=9781452266565}} In 2014, there are 100,000 Muslims in Zambia, representing 2.7% of total population.{{cite web | url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/zambia/ | title=Zambia }}{{Cite web|title=Zambia Religion Facts & Stats|url=http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Zambia/Religion|access-date=2021-07-04|website=www.nationmaster.com}} The vast majority of Muslims in Zambia are Sunni. An Ismaili Shia community is also present. About 500 people in Zambia belong to the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbElAQAAIAAJ|publisher=Mission Press|year=2007|editor1-first=John|editor1-last= Henze|title=Some basics of religious education in Zambia|isbn=9789982073370|access-date=30 March 2014}}

{{see also|History of the Jews in Zambia}}

There is also a small Jewish community, composed mostly of Ashkenazis. Notable Jewish Zambians have included Simon Zukas, retired Minister, MP and a member of Forum for Democracy and Development and earlier the MMD and United National Independence Party. Additionally, the economist Stanley Fischer, who is both the former governor of the Bank of Israel and the former head of the IMF, respectively, was born and partially raised in Zambia's Jewish community.

Notable sects, such as the Alice Lenshina–led Lumpa Church and the newly established Last Church of Order also exist.

Humanists and Atheists of Zambia (HAZ){{Cite news|url=https://humanists.international/2019/07/on-we-go-zambian-humanists-atheists-look-forward-to-first-national-meeting-despite-moral-panic/?fbclid=IwAR0ph9mFVwzGzcEjh4Wj0_EIos8j0DyHgU58r7UUiMH0n_yNwK_jluA-_bA|title="On we go": Zambian humanists and atheists look forward to first national meeting – despite moral panic|date=2019-07-03|work=Humanists International|access-date=2019-07-05|language=en-US}} is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Thasiyana Mwandila and Larry Tepa, with Mwandila serving as Vice President.{{Cite web |title=Humanism in Zambia: creation of a 12-episode podcast to spread humanism in the country |url=https://humanists.international/grantee/creation-of-the-podcast-humanism-in-zambia/ |website=Humanists International |access-date=2025-03-08}} The organization promotes secular humanism and aims to normalize atheism in Zambia, where atheism is often stigmatized.

HAZ organizes campaigns and discussions on topics related to humanism, secularism, and human rights.{{Cite news |title="Humanism in Zambia": creation of a 12-episode podcast to spread humanism in the country | newspaper=Humanists International |url=https://humanists.international/grantee/creation-of-the-podcast-humanism-in-zambia/#:~:text=Humanists%20%26%20Atheists%20of%20Zambia%20(HAZ)%20was%20founded%20in%202018,first%20humanist%20organization%20in%20Zambia.}}

In June 2019, HAZ President Larry Tepa released a press statement announcing a youth conference scheduled for October of that year.{{Cite web|url=https://sadcnews.org/2019/06/27/zambia-is-atheist-gathering-going-to-happen/|title=Zambia: Is atheist gathering going to happen?|last=Emmanuel|date=2019-06-27|website=Southern African Development Community|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-05}} The announcement triggered backlash on social media, with hundreds of Zambians expressing displeasure over the presence of atheists in the country and calling on the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs (MNGRA){{Cite web|url=http://www.mrng.gov.zm/|title=Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-05}} to stop the event.{{Cite web|url=https://zambianeye.com/will-the-zambian-government-stop-atheist-gathering-in-october/|title=Will the Zambian government stop atheist gathering in October?|date=2019-06-27|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-05}}

In October 2021, HAZ announced the suspension of President Larry Tepa due to allegations of fraud and embezzlement of funds. The announcement was made via the organization's official Facebook page.{{Cite web |title=HAZ Suspension Announcement |url=https://web.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1415012248900591 |website=Facebook |access-date=2025-03-08}} Following an internal investigation, Tepa was permanently expelled from the organization on November 21, 2021.{{Cite web |title=HAZ Expulsion Announcement |url=https://web.facebook.com/Humanistsandatheistsofzambia/photos/pb.100066455335828.-2207520000/1430727423995740/?type=3 |website=Facebook |access-date=2025-03-08}}

In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.[https://freedomhouse.org/country/zambia/freedom-world/2022 Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08]

{{portal|Zambia}}

• Church of the Province of Central Africa (Anglican)
• Catholicism in Zambia
• Council of Churches in Zambia
• Demographics of Zambia
• Religion in Africa

{{Reflist|20em}}

{{Africa religion}}

Category:Society of Zambia

Category:Culture of Zambia