Although publications referring to the CCAP in Zambia are available in libraries and archives, a comprehensive history of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in Zambia has not yet been written. Much research has been done on the church in Zambia, but there is nothing on the emergence of the Scottish Mission to the CCAP in Zambia. The results of this research can play an important role in the CCAP in Zambia by giving its members the background from which the Church evolved and where it is today. The contribution of the Zambian and Malawian Christians is to be noted as they played a major role in the spreading of the Gospel and planting of the Church in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), as well as in the establishment eventually, of the CCAP Synod of Zambia.
In his book entitled, Towards Church Union in Zambia, Peter Bolink (1967) updates the reader about the Livingstonia Mission in Central Africa and traces the origins of this mission since May 12th 1875. Bolink’s concern is mainly with those CCAP congregations in Zambia that participated in the church union process starting in the 1920’s. These are the CCAP congregations in Lubwa, Mwenzo, and Chitambo in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia). He pays no
attention to the mission stations (congregations) of the Livingstonia Mission more to the Northeast from the above mentioned, namely: Uyombe, Usenga North, Usenga South, Chasefu, Lundazi and Kazembe congregations.
A record that, in part, provides some glimpse of the Livingstonia Mission in Eastern Zambia, is Johnston’s (1908) book, Dr. Laws of Livingstonia. This book focuses mainly on the role of the Rev. Dr. Robert Laws in respect to the birth and growth of the Livingstonia Mission, but it makes no mention of Uyombe, Lundazi, Kazembe, Tamanda and Chasefu, historical mission fields of the Church of Scotland. Johnston mentions places such as “Marambo Villages, Luangwa Valley, Senga people, and Wiza women” (Johnston 1908:96, 113, 114, 116). All this signifies the areas covered by the Livingstonia Mission; but it needs a prior understanding. Johnston (1908:116) also mentions the pioneer missionary of Loudon and Chasefu, Rev. Dr. Donald Fraser who, from time to time, came to the Eastern part of Zambia to preach and conduct Holy Communion. He refers to an instance from Fraser’s experiences: “more pathetic is a record made in April 1908, by the Rev. Donald Fraser of trouble experienced from lions when visiting some of the stations belonging to the Loudon Mission stations” (Johnston, 1908:94).
The work of the Livingstonia Mission (CCAP) in Zambia also does not feature clearly in the book by Fergus McPherson (1998) entitled, North of the Zambezi: “A Modern Missionary
Memoir”. The only time a reader with prior understanding could imagine the CCAP in
Zambia is when the author writes about the “effective African Leadership” in the church at Mufulira in the Copperbelt. He writes: “Yet in the vibrant life of the young Church that came to birth in those compounds and locations, specially notable leadership was provided by Malawians and Eastern Zambians whose mother tongues were chi-Tumbuka or chi-Chewa” (McPherson, 1998:21). It is supposed that these people came for employment to the mines in the Copperbelt. However, what is very important to mention is that they came to the Copperbelt as full members of the CCAP. Some came from the CCAP congregations founded in Eastern Zambia, while others came from the CCAP Synods: Livingstonia, Nkhoma, Blantyre in Malawi and Harare in Zimbabwe (Oral interview: Lungu, 11-09-03; Oral interview: Nkunika, 26-10-03).
In her much-cited book, Donald Fraser of Livingstonia, Agnes R. Fraser (1934:57, 63) has listed a number of journeys taken by Rev. Dr. Donald Fraser to the Eastern part of Zambia to
places such as Chikwa and Tembwe, Senga chiefs, to mention but a few. Rev. Dr. Donald Fraser and Rev. Robert Laws were the pioneer missionaries in the Eastern part of Zambia for the Livingstonia Mission which became the CCAP Mission Stations (congregations), under the following names: Usenga South, Usenga North, Chasefu, Lundazi, Kazembe, Tamanda and Uyombe in North-Eastern Zambia (Oral interview: Nyirenda, 11-11-02; Oral interview: Chavura 16-11-02). In view of this, the CCAP Synod of Zambia’s history must be linked to the Rvds. Dr. Donald Fraser, Dr. Robert Laws, A.G. MacAlpine and W.G. Elmslie, Scottish Missionaries, committed to evangelising North-Eastern Zambia. These missionaries not only brought education and health to the Tumbuka, Ngoni and the Chewa of Eastern Zambia, but also Christianity (Oral interview: Ndhlazi, 26-10-02). By reading this book of Agnes R. Fraser, one gets some impression of the historical roots of the CCAP in Zambia: that it is a Church born out of the missionary activities of the Free Church of Scotland, and who, from the 1880s, extended their missionary work from Northern Malawi (Nyasaland) to Eastern and North-Eastern Zambia.
Ipenburg (1984), writing about the history of Lubwa, The Presbyterian Mission and the
Eastern Bemba, guides the reader who is interested in the work of the Livingstonia Mission
in North-Eastern Zambia. In this book, the author points out that a 1908 map, depicting the United Free Church missionary sphere of influence, shows that a vast area was covered. A straight line from Fort Jameson (Chipata) to the West marks the Southern border, the Western border being a straight line from Lake Bangweulu to the South. Mpika district is outside the sphere of influence, because of the activities of the Missionaries in Africa (the White Fathers) from Chilonga that had begun in 1899. To the North, the sphere of influence followed the Chambeshi River up to Mwenzo (Ipenburg, 1984:4). Ipenburg (1984:21) mentions that Lubwa could also be reached from Chasefu. His main concern in this book is, of course, the Lubwa Mission.
In his book entitled ‘All Good Men.’ The Development of Lubwa Mission, Chinsali, Zambia,
1905 – 1967 (1992) Ipenburg offers a very comprehensive history of the Lubwa Mission of
the Church of Scotland. He updates the reader with all the missionary activities of the Church of Scotland and contributions by both foreign and local people. When one reads his book critically especially from pages 174, 175 and 176 some information of church union is misleading. It is true that the union of the London Missionary Society and congregations of the Livingstonia Presbytery took place on 1st December 1945 at Chitambo. Ipenburg
(1992:175, 176) states that ‘the union Church of the Copperbelt, the North Eastern, Presbytery of the CCAP (i.e. the congregations of Lubwa, Mwenzo, Chitambo and Chasefu) and the Congregational Church originating from the London Missionary Society. This information is misleading because according to the Minutes of the fifth Synod of the CCAP, 22nd to 26th August 1945 the Presbytery of North – Eastern Rhodesia included only the three Kirk sessions of Mwenzo, Lubwa and Chitambo and not Chasefu.
Snelson (1974), in his book Education Development in Northern Rhodesia 1883-1945, points out the contribution of the Livingstonia Mission to the educational system of Northern Rhodesia. In addition, he mentions the first white missionary to Kazembe (in the Lundazi district), the Rev. Dr. Ernest Boxer. It was not until 1922 that the Free Church of Scotland made another attempt to establish a station in the Lundazi district; this was Chasefu, opened in 1922 by the Rev. Donald Fraser and Alexander MacDonald, Scottish missionaries (Snelson, 1974:63; Oral interview: Nkunika, 26-10-02). They were both from the Livingstonia Mission. Rev. Donald Fraser was the missionary in charge of Loudon/Chasefu mission stations in Malawi/Lundazi district, in the Eastern part of Zambia (Correspondence: Laws Robert, Rev. Dr. 1923, 25th July). In 1910, the mission station was moved from Kazembe to Emusa. By 1913, the mission station was established at Emusa and the evangelist, Mr. Jeremiah Nq’umayo, supervised it. Due to lack of water at Emusa, Rev. Donald Fraser asked Mr. Nq’umayo to look for a better site. In 1919, Nq’umayo found a suitable place with enough water at Chasefu, about six kilometres from Emusa. Chasefu is located north central of Emusa. The first white Scottish missionary to stay at Chasefu was Mr. James Smith, who was succeeded by Alexander MacDonald in 1922 (Chilenje, 1989: 29, 30; Correspondence: Laws, Robert, Rev. Dr. 1923, 25 November, 1). Snelson, however, does not intend to give a comprehensive history of the church in this area.
Taylor, J.V. and Dorothea Lehmann (1961) in: The growth of the Church in Northern
Rhodesia (Christians of the Copperbelt), mention only a little about the mission work of the
Free Church of Scotland. The title of the book may suggest to the reader that the authors did a detailed research of the Christian Church in Zambia. Although the authors mention that there had been a continuous trickle of Nyasaland ministers from the four Livingstonia Mission districts to the Copperbelt one would have difficulty to deduce that Chasefu was a mission field of the Church of Scotland (Taylor and Lehmann, 1961:60, 61, 174). When one seriously considers the maps indicating the mission fields of various churches in Northern Rhodesia,
one finds that, unfortunately, it mentions Chasefu only in passing, and it disregards its historical significance to the CCAP in Zambia completely.
From this overview, it is clear that a history of this vast mission area of the Church of Scotland, Chasefu, is not included in historical books. This omission, as well as the lack of a well-documented history of the CCAP Christians in urban areas makes it imperative to research the historical sources of the CCAP in Zambia.