Conrad Mbewe (pronounced as em-be-way) is the current pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church, a Reformed Church in Lusaka, Zambia. He is widely regarded as the African Spurgeon. KBC is presently overseeing the establishment of ten new Reformed churches in Zambia and Botswana. Conrad is the editor of Reformation Zambia magazine and writes three columns in two weekly national newspapers. His most recent contribution to a book is found in Dear Timothy—Letters on Pastoral Ministry, published by Founders Press. He is also the principal of the Reformed Baptist Preachers College in Zambia. He blogs at A Letter from Kabwata.
Mr. Mbewe isn't sure why listeners compare him to the British "Prince of Preachers." Perhaps it is because Mr. Spurgeon too toiled to the point of collapse, ministering to a congregation of 4,000, delivering sermons 10 times a week, managing an orphanage, and running a preachers' college - all of which culminated in exhaustion and gout. Or perhaps it is because Mr. Mbewe shares Spurgeon's love for writing. Spurgeon edited and wrote for his monthly magazine, The Sword and Trowel; Mr. Mbewe has been writing two columns a week for the last 10 years in the country's Daily Chronicle newspaper. One is a sermon, while the other examines popular social questions and is tailored for the ordinary man, similar to Spurgeon's selection of parables, John Ploughman's Talk. But where the Zambian pastor most resembles Spurgeon is in his challenge to the "mile wide and inch deep" church in Zambia. In 2003 he declined to participate in Operation Sunrise Africa - an evangelical crusade meant to dispense gospel teaching to 50 million people in 50 cities in 50 days in southern and eastern Africa. The cost to sponsor a city for the July and August campaign and three years of follow-up ministry is $160,000. Most of the funding has come from the United States. In Zambia, hundreds of pastors are taking part. "They were so excited about this. My question is, what are they doing that I don't already do? You can't win the world in 50 days. Every generation has to be re-evangelized." This outspokenness in the pulpit and on national television panel discussions has put the spotlight on Mr. Mbewe and his ministry. "People think that he's always serious - a sort of cold-blooded theologian," said Charles Bota, a 29-year friend of Mr. Mbewe, "He's warm. He's funny. He knows a lot about the world."[1]
The comparison to Spurgeon is mainly due to Mbewe's eloquent speech and depth of understanding of the text, combined with the fact that his English (and accent) is closer to that of 1875 England than 21st century American.
The comparison to Spurgeon is mainly due to Mbewe's eloquent speech and depth of understanding of the text, combined with the fact that his English (and accent) is closer to that of 1875 England than 21st century American.
What aspects of Mbewe’s style you would appreciate?
a) Expository preaching: Like all good Reformed preachers, he employs expository preaching alone and is doctrinally rich in all his sermons.
b)Interaction with the congregation: His excellent use of questioning. Surely this is one way to press the soul of the hearer! A good explainer of the text must know how to question his text and his hearer. He sometimes preaches as if he is in dialogue with an imaginary objector.
c) Flat out earnestness.
d) Use of questions in application: Rarely would one hear a preacher so relentlessly question his congregation, and to such effect. [2]
Praise God for at least one African nation hearing the true Gospel. One often hears from Africa, nothing but the popularity of prosperity 'gospel' and charismatic excesses. May the Lord raise such mighty men of Scripture in other nations too, a preacher who uses the pulpit to preach the word alone.
Romans 7:25: Thanks be to God Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Download
Footnotes
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[2] Unashamed Workman, Conrad Mbewe – 1 John 5:13-15
