In 1894 Henry Buckenham and a party of PM missionaries reached Lozi (then transcribed as Barotse) territory in what was to become Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). After initial opposition four mission posts were established, but the first baptisms did not take place until 1906. WM work began in 1912, with urban missions in Lusaka and Kabwe and later a pioneering girls' school at Chipembi, established by Sidney Gray in 1924. In 1916 a training centre for teacher-evangelists at Kafue was opened jointly by WM, PM and the London Missionary Society. It moved to Livingstone in 1958. After copper-mining began in the 1920s, a United Mission to the Copperbelt was launched in 1936, which in 1945 became the United Church of Central Africa. Elsewhere Methodist work continued independently, reporting a membership of 2,000 in 1956, with a community roll of 3,000. In January 1965, three months after Zambian independence, Methodist, Presbyterian and other evangelical Christians came together as the United Church of Zambia with the Methodist Colin M. Morris as its first President. The Rev. Merfyn Temple served as both missionary and government official during the period that saw Zambia become independent. The United Church anticipated the British Conference by six years when the Rev. Peggy Hiscock was ordained in 1968.

Entry written by: JRP
Category: Place
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