Pastor Conrad Mbewe clocked 30 years of faithful ministry at Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka. And as you would expect many are giving praise and thanks to God for using this servant to His glory. 30 years of ministry in one church is indeed a remarkable achievement in light of the high ministerial turnover at the present time. Rather than simply add my small voice of appreciation to the considerable many that have flowed, I instead, asked myself, what can a young pastor like me learn from a seasoned Pastor like Conrad Mbewe?
Consistency
Having had the opportunity to interview a number of people who have known him for decades, one thing became rather apparent—this man’s life screams consistency. He has been consistent in his beliefs, consistent in his principles and philosophy, consistent in his passions, consistent in his manner of preaching and consistent in his love and passion for Christ and making Him known. The only changes that have taken place in these areas have been as a result of growth and maturity.
Centrality of preaching in the local church
Pastor Mbewe has been many things and worn many hats, but he is first and foremost a preacher. This is because he is convinced that people can only be changed by the Spirit through the Word. Three things particularly stand out about his preaching: 1) It is simple and uncomplicated. You do not go away wondering “what on earth was he saying?” You do not go away with your head spinning from theological jargon, and yet it is richly doctrinal. 2) It is clear. You know what he is saying and what he is saying about what he is saying! It has a clear logical flow. 3) It is Christ centered. He has taken the Apostle Paul’s plea, to preach nothing but Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). You hear the man preach, and you go away exalting Jesus Christ. 4) It is applicational. He doesn’t just give you the facts like a lecturer, he applies the truth to your life. This I believe is his biggest strength in his preaching, the ability to bring the truth to everyday life (scratching where it is itching as it were).
Organization
Many people have big visions and great intentions, but few people have the discipline and organization required to carry them out. Pastor Mbewe is one of the most organized and orderly people I have ever worked with. He plans ahead and puts clear action steps to fulfilling the plans. And most importantly, he gets things done. As a result of his orderliness, he can be quite a hard task master!
Writing
Though writing is not necessarily our primary calling as pastors, there is no doubt that one way a pastor can serve his congregation is through writing. It provides an opportunity to clearly, and in some sense permanently, put thoughts and teachings into people’s hands. Pastor Mbewe’s love for writing developed in his secondary school days, and he has taken advantage of that ability to teach his church and beyond through his writing. I think this is an area we can really develop in as African Christians; let’s put thoughts and concepts onto paper!
Christlikeness
This is where the rubber meets the road! If anyone is to be used of the Lord, Christlikeness is an absolute essential. Pastor Mbewe is a godly man who loves God. It is easy to look at the successes, hear the appreciations and admire the reputation, and yet miss the fact that all we see is born in private, it comes as a result of daily fighting sin in his life and applying himself to spiritual disciplines.
John Piper’s warning when he gave a lecture about the life and ministry of C.H Spurgeon is equally instructive for us even as we celebrate Pastor Mbewe’s life and ministry.
“What shall we make of such a man? Neither a god nor a goal. He should not be worshiped or envied. He is too small for the one and too big for the other. If we worship such men, we are idolaters. If we envy them, we are fools. Mountains are not meant to be envied. They are meant to be marveled at for the sake of their maker. They are mountains of God… we are to benefit from them without craving to be like them. When we learn this, we can relax and enjoy them… let us be, by the grace of God, all that we can be for the glory of God. In our smallness, let’s not become smaller by envy, but rather larger by humble admiration and gratitude for the gifts of others.”
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