From Northern Rhodesia to Zambia: Recollections of a DO/DC 1962-73


Appendix B


Rules of the Lumpa Church
(Appendix to a lengthy, BB-paragraph, report to the Central Intelligence Committee, dated 5 September 1959; translated from ciBemba)

1. The Lumpa Church is a church in which God and His Son Jesus Christ are to be praised. It is an organisation that has no connection with Government.
2. In our congregation there is no citizen or foreigner, black or white, man or woman, but we are all of the same family; therefore we must love each other.
3. A Christian must take no part in: (a) Backbiting, (b) Cursing, (c) Lying, (d) Pride, (e) Selfishness, (f) False evidence, (g) Anger, (h) Harshness, (i) Hatred, U) Harmful words and actions, (k) Disobedience, (I) Cunning, (m) Stealing, etc. Therefore he must be truthful, kind, faithful, happy and obedient.
4. A Christian must avoid covetousness, witchcraft, stealing, adultery, witch-hunting, killing, drunkenness and bawdy songs, dancing and other pagan things.
5. Every Christian must be of good character, whether in private or public, when eating or going to sleep, waking from sleep or when starting or ending his work, while at play or in times of sorrow or trouble. When he is on a journey a Christian must pray to his Father.
6. There must be no beer or pagan dances during a Christian wedding. If they have these things, those who are being wed will be punished by the Commandment of Jesus. They must not be separated from each other until they die.
7. It is the duty of a Christian to go with others to prayers from time to time, and on every appointed day of worship.
B. A widow must not be punished by being prevented from re-marrying. She must only wear a string of white beads. If she wishes to re-marry she must be allowed to do so.
9. A Christian must not be a polygamist.
10. A Christian must not eat food prepared for the dead, and there must be no witch-hunting for the killer of the deceased person after the funeral.
11. At the time of worship no one should smoke cigarettes or a pipe or take snuff. They must not take any of these things into the church.
12. If anyone has taken some beer he must not come to worship in church, though he has taken only a little.

Any person who disobeys these rules is the one whom the Lord Himself came to seek. That is why God the Father says "Give up all things leading to witchcraft, and live in my love." Anyone who is fond of bewitching, when his time comes to an end, will suffer because he will be troubled greatly. These are the Rules of the Lumpa Church.

Lenshina Mulenga

Some Lenshina Hymns

Hymn 1

Nefwe nga tukatulwa lilali?
Fwebatemwa Calo ca mfifi,
Fwebatemwa Calo ca busha.

Natemwa sana nemunenu
Pakumona maluba yandi yasanika;
Nelyo mwaya mubulwani mwisakamana nelyo cimo,
Kabiyeni kalangeni abanenu abashama.

Mwebashuka bonse mwebo Tata fikilila,
Nelyo mulwani aicushe twakula imba,
Fwebapelwa pakameko.

Mulemona kubanenu abashama,
Balemona imilimo ya Mfumu ye ibi,
Abo Satana akulila nganda pa mutwe;
Twiba nga balwani bakale balya
baipeye Katula.

Pakwabukila peshilya kano imitima yasambwa,
When shall we be saved?
We who love the country of darkness,
We who love the country of slavery.

I your friend am very glad
To see my flowers bloom;
Although you go to encounter enmity do
not worry at all,
Go and show your less fortunate brethren.

Blest are all who have received the Father.
Though the enemy troubles us, we shall
still be singing, we who are given pride.

See your unfortunate (unconverted) friends,
Those who set no store by the Lord's work,
On whose heads Satan has built a house;
Let us not be like those enemies of old
who killed the Saviour.

When you cross that river, if your hearts are
cleansed,
Ngo kamona Mwana Lesa nga kafika
na kucinso.

Mwebanandi mwebomfwa ifyo nand a
Moneni kubanenu abashala ku cibolya
Balefwaya babile, kuleni mwandi pakalisha

Hymn 2

Mwe Shikulu tulangeniko inshila
Yakupita palusale pakwabuka iyakufika
Kuli Imwe Bakatula.

Shikulwifwe natulangila, no mulwani
Naseba inshila moneni kubasuminisha
Ebaleya mu cibolya mububi.

Hymn 3

Welupili kamutola wewaimikwa pano calo,
Welupili kamutola wewafilwa ukunina
Kamutola waputulwa pakati waimwena,
Wewafilwa ukunina kamutola.

Mwebanina kamutola sekesheni,
Yauleni mwalishuka, mwebanina kamutola

Hymn 4

Abakengila mu Sion mupya
Tebalwambo tebalubuli iyo.

Nobe we munyima ne nkashi yandi
Tamwakengile mu Sion mupya
Pantu mwasula umupusushi Yesu.

Mwebashasumina, nimwe mwalenga
Yesu Klistu ukukokola ukwisa.
Alisosele ku Basambi bakwe ati
"Naya mumulu, nkabwela kabili."

We cipumbu, butuka lubilo. Umulilo
Naupalama. Noma mwibukishe

Then you will see the Son of God, He will
appear before you.

All my children who understand my words,
Look to your friends who have stayed in a
ruined place; they are near to crying.

Our Heavenly Father, show us the way
To lead us across the other side so that we
Arrive at your Kingdom in Heaven.

Our Lord has shown us the way, but the
Enemy has paved the way too wide. See,
Those that follow him go to the desolation of
deserted homes.

You the highest mountain on earth,
Whoever fails to climb the highest mountain
Will be cut off from the Kingdom of Heaven,
He who fails to climb you.

You who have climbed the highest mountain
Rejoice unto the Lord, you fortunate ones,
Who have climbed the highest mountain.

Those who will enter into the new Zion
Are pure in all ways.

My brothers and Sisters,
You will not enter into the new Zion
Because you despise your Saviour Jesus.

You unbelievers have caused
Jesus Christ not to come soon.
He said to his disciples
"I go to Heaven, I shall return again."

You sinners, hasten (to believe).
The fire of destruction is nigh.

Sodom na Gomorrah.
Yesu aponeshe umulilo. Bapwa bonse.

Hymn 5

Ifyo natemwa Ing'uni shandi ngashaisa,
Ifyo natemwa Ing'uni shandi ngashaisa;
Kabiyeni kashimyeni ifyushi fyafula.

Ndelumba ndetasha ndelumfya kuli Tata
Mwe Ng'uni shandi mwinaka.

6

Tata natantika bulalo bwakwe,
Tata natantika bulalo bwakwe.
Bukabukapo abashuka,
Uwashama akawila mu cilindi ateya.

Cishibo ca balwani,
Cishibo ca balwani,
Ukacula ngafilwa bacushishe Satana.

Hymn 7

Akulatulanga Shikulu, akulatulanga
Pa citamba maluba.

Uluse Iwakwe lusuma elukatutwala
Ukusuma, elukatutwala kuli Tata waluse

Remember Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jesus destroyed them with fire, all died

How I rejoice when my lost sheep return,
How I rejoice when my lost sheep repent.
Go and quench the fire, there is too much
Smoke.
I am praising and rejoicing unto the Father.
You my followers, do not tire.

Our Lord has built a bridge,
Our Lord has built His bridge.
The blessed, they will cross it;
Sinners will fall into a pit and perish.

The sign of the enemies,
The sign of the enemies,
You sinner will suffer as Satan did.

Our Lord will show us, He will show us,
All the signs to His Kingdom in Heaven.

His kindness is very great; it will lead us
To the good life, to our Father of grace.

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