journeys-page

My name is Kalaba Kapundu and I am Zambian by nationality, but I have lived in different African Countries: D.R. Congo and Zambia in my formative years, Zimbabwe for my high education, South Africa country of my first career, country where I became husband and father for the first time. I come from a family of  eleven children, seven  girls and  four boys and I am the 8thchild of the family. My Dad, the late Pierre Kalaba N’Kangalesa Kapundu, was the Lay Leader of the Zambia-South Congo Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. I hold a bachelor’s degree of Science in Economics from Africa University, postgraduate degree in Economics from the University of South Africa, and master’s degree in Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. I have been fortunate to work with people of different backgrounds and origins and as a result I can speak few African languages, French, and English … I am married to Anny Kalinowski Kapundu who comes from a family of five children, three girls and two boys. She is a daughter of a United Methodist pastor. She holds bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Religious Studies, master’s degree in Social Development and master’s degree in Theological Studies. We have three boys, Ian Kalaba Kapundu, Dan Kongolo Kapundu, and Tim N’Kangalesa Kapundu. I grew up in a Christian home where the foundation of our faith is the love of God and the love of our neighbors. And that has influenced my understanding of who God is. My understanding of God is more related to the “Ubuntu  (connectedness that exists or should exist between people) theology.” This is because my journey of faith is meaningless without people around me, my faith in God comes from my interconnectedness with people of different backgrounds, it comes from the respect I have for those who do not think, speak, look like me, it comes from my carrying of both strangers and friends. As far as I am concerned, Ubuntu is not just an ideology  or philosophy, but it is the foundation of my spiritual life. I do not see myself relating to God if I cannot connect with those created to the image of God. Thus, as a Christian and a pastor, I work to connect with “others” through their day to day life experiences. It is in that same way that I do not see the church as an institution which is based on material and rules/ principles but the church to me is something organic, it is something flexible and can adjust to new life experiences. The Church which is the body of Christ is more spiritual than material. I believe that human experience  is tied to both the new and old covenants through the Holy Spirit and not through material, and it is the Holy Spirit that inspires us to love the same way God loves us. And as John Wesley, I will say my heart is enlarged towards all humankind, to those I know and those I do not know… We say blood is thicker than water but for me the Spirit is thicker than blood. We are blessed to be part of the Trinity family and thank you all for your warmth welcome. —Rev. Kalaba Kapundu