The Discipleship Challenge

Revd. Dr. Peggy Kabonde

One of the keynote speakers at the recent conference for United Reformed Church ministers held at the Yarnfield Conference Centre (Stone) was the Revd. Dr. Peggy Kabonde. Dr. Kabonde is the General Secretary of the United Church of Zambia. In three inspiring, and powerful, addresses she explored the challenge to discipleship that lies before the church. She reminded us that we face the very same challenge as that with which Jesus confronted four fishermen (Andrew, Simon, James and John) on the beach beside Lake Galilee – ‘come with me and fish for people’. We are called to go with Jesus and to tell the story.

She began by asking us to consider some basic, but important, questions concerning the church. These were:

What is Church?

Why is Church?

Who runs the Church?

Where is Church?

Why is there Church?

We live in a fast-changing world, especially in terms of technology and social media, and need to consider how we can engage effectively and appropriately with the context in which we are set. Importantly, she reminded us that “the starting point of the early church on discipleship was practical rather than theoretical.” That was a timely reminder for a church that is so good at the planning stage, but somehow seems to be so much less expert at moving beyond that. She encouraged us to look at ourselves as “people of presence”, rather than agonising over how to make plans. Being contextual is critical, but not at the expense of the message.