An Interview With Conrad Mbewe

Welcome to the program, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Justin Peters. I hope that this finds you and your family doing well today, and I want to thank you for joining me. I interviewed Conrad Mbewe a couple of weeks ago.

Conrad is the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia. He is just a really, really fine brother. I was with him in Zambia back in 2019. I had the honor of preaching for him at his church and teaching at the seminary there.

And they are just really doing an outstanding job, some very important work there that is worthy of our support. And I would like you to just hear his heart, and if you would like to help support this work, there will be links down in the description how you can do that.

But Africa is. You may have heard me say before, Africa is saturated with bad theology, and he is definitely one of the bright lights shining in Africa. And the Lord has uniquely gifted and positioned him.

To.

Bring a lot of truth in an otherwise theologically dark area. A lot of Christians, professing Christians, but very little sound doctrine in Africa. And so we're really trying to push back on that. So please do listen to this interview.

You'll hear his heart just immediately. Great guy. I do not often, as you know, ask for support, but this is a ministry that I can definitely get behind doing great work. And if you're able to do so, if you can support Conrad and the Publish for Africa ministry there, that would be greatly appreciated.

Conrad Mbewe and the Publishing for Africa Ministry

So here is my discussion with Conrad Mbewe. Well, Conrad, brother, it's good to have you here. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. We've been friends for several years now.

You've had me to preach at your church in Lusaka, Zambia. You're the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church, correct? How long have you been the pastor there?

37 years this year.

37 years. Wow. You would never say this about yourself, and I've heard more than one person refer to you as the Spurgeon of Africa.

And I always blush when I hear that. Thankfully, you don't see my first staining red.

That's awesome. I love that.

Well, brother, it's an honor to be your friend, and I wanted to talk to you today a little bit about your book publishing project called Publishing for Africa. Now, a couple of years ago, as of this recording, I interviewed Greg Thornburg, who is the American fundraiser for this project that you have, Publishing for Africa.

But it's been a couple years, so we have this opportunity. Tell us a little bit about Publishing for Africa. What are you doing there?

Yeah. Yeah, well, as I said on the last recording, it's an opportunity that we have to get books into the hands of African pastors, church leaders, and just ordinary church folk at the lowest possible price.

Because, yes, books are being published in Europe, in America, and so forth. But by the time you get them shipped over into Africa, and then just the cost itself.

Of.

The production, they are often books that are way out of reach of people back home. But more than that, they are books that are not really targeting the issues that the African church is wrestling with.

In terms of general principles, they are, but in terms of the details, so that there is better help coming to the people there. So we just thought we needed to come up with a project that would enable local pastors to write books, and have them published and circulated.

First of all, of course, in Zambia, but then go as far as we possibly could across Africa. And that's what this project has been all about. Beginning with books that I have written, I've done quite a number that are yet to be published.

They are still on the computer. And then as other pastors are beginning to give us some manuscripts that we would be happy with, that even those get published. So that's really what the project is all about.

And there is a great need on the African continent. It's difficult to exaggerate the need on the ground.

The Prosperity Gospel and Charismatic Abuses in Africa

Yeah, I've been to Africa several times. Of course, once with you in Zambia, I've been to South Africa, I've been to Uganda as well. And as bad as the prosperity gospel and charismatic abuses are here in this country, in the United States, far worse in Africa.

A thousand times worse. A thousand times worse. So there's a tremendous need for good, doctrinally sound.

Resources to equip the Saints in Africa, correct? Yes. Yes, there is. And one of the reasons why the charismatic movement has sort of gone off the cliff in our context is just the ignorance that is there.

People don't have the most basic knowledge that would enable them to see through the pretense that is literally there, with just some level of knowledge of the Bible, you can see through the lies, the deceit, and so forth.

Yeah. Yeah, right.

The Growth and Impact of Publishing for Africa

Well, when I interviewed Greg a couple of years ago, give us an idea. What was the situation with publishing for Africa then? And what were you able, what was the result of that interview? What were you able to do after the interview?

Yeah, well, one of the reasons why I really appreciate this opportunity was because prior to that interview, yeah, we must have had probably like three, maybe four nice books, you know, 100, 150 pages long, that we had managed to print, and it had taken years.

I think we must have been doing like one title a year, maybe two at the most. It was difficult to gain traction in terms of raising the funds. But yes, having come onto your podcast, there was a greater level of response from those that listened it, for which we are very grateful.

We raised a little more than $30 ,000. Wow. And that was a great help because we're then able to employ somebody full-time who's still working there. His name is Francis, and he's very committed to ensuring that books are edited and typeset and printed and circulated and just making sure that all that is in place.

We were able to get him a small vehicle that would then enable him to do all the going to printers and going to booksellers and so forth. Oh, wow. Yeah, and then we managed to do at least four or five titles since then.

So there's been a definite shift since two years ago when we were on your podcast, and we really thank God for the generosity of the breathing that have enabled us to do that. Right. Wonderful. Wonderful.

That does my heart good.

It certainly does, because there's such a need there in Africa. But since then, that money that came in was a huge help, but it's largely kind of been used now, and so there's still a need.

Correct? Yes. Yes, we've got a number of books that are lined up for printing. A number of them have even reached the point where we even have quotations from printers. So we're basically just waiting.

I can give you at least two examples. One is on the subject of motives for evangelism. We're seeking to just make sure that people have biblical motives for what they are doing. Another one is on, it's entitled, A Case for Inter-Church Associations.

Again, just trying to make sure that churches can see the basis upon which we should be working together, the various areas in which we should be working together, and so forth. So those are at least two examples of books that are awaiting printing, and a number of others that are in the pipeline.

And yes, the funds began to dry up, largely because, again, we try to keep the books at as low a price as possible, so that we are not disadvantaging the very people that we're getting the books to. Yes, and so yes, we are at that stage now, again, where an injection of funds would be a great help.

Yes, indeed. Indeed. So you have several projects. You have those two. You have some more books as well that are in the hopper, so to speak, but need to be printed and disseminated.

Missions, Biographies, and the Need for Sound Doctrine

Yes, yes. We also have a number of basic biographies that we hope will enable Christians in our own country and on the continent to see what price has been paid by a previous generation to get them to have the gospel.

And our prayer is that out of that, there will be a growing desire for them to answer God's call for missions, so that the spread of the true gospel can reach further afield in Africa and even beyond.

I mean, the Middle East desperately needs missionaries, and a lot of the diaspora that's going there, they're not thinking missions, and yet it's an open field. We also have places in Europe where the churches are being closed down.

Again, we have the African diaspora there, but what they're basically doing is forming churches that are just for themselves. So you've got like the Nigerian church or the Ghanaian church or the South African church.

We're wanting that these books will challenge them to reach the environment, the people that are there, so that they are missionaries to such places. So we've got books like that as well that are really waiting for the funding for us to see them getting out.

Yes, amen, amen. So it's not just the charismatic issue that you're engaging. It's sound ecclesiology, it's sound doctrine, evangelism, missions, getting the true gospel out. And so that's a tremendous need.

And you know, here in the United States, we take books for granted because we've got so many of them. They're easily accessible. But it's, as you mentioned, it's different in Africa because the books that we take for granted here have to be imported to Africa, which raises the cost.

And in Africa, most of the people are pretty poor in Africa. So it's a different situation in Africa.

The Cost of Books and How to Support Publishing for Africa

Yeah, and we try to keep our books there, for instance, at a price that would be like, at the most, it might be $5. Okay. Yeah, now try and compare that. There's a book that I've just written, well, it's just been published by Reformation Heritage Books, and I was just seeing that the price there is $30.

So when I sort of went into a bit of mathematics, I knew that unless someone pays for 50%, maybe even 75 for those books, they'll be far out of reach for most of the people back home. So we try to keep them low, and that's one reason why the funds that we receive soon begin to go down.

Yeah, and for us, it's not a loss. It's, we are investing. We want to get those books into the hands of as many people as possible so that we can enrich the church in Africa, and in that process enrich Africa itself.

Yes, indeed. Spiritually speaking, yeah. Yes, indeed. Absolutely.

It's a tremendous need, and as I said, there's so much false doctrine in Africa, and so we want to do everything we can to promote the good teaching, the sound doctrine, to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

Conrad, how can people help? There's probably people want, and dear friends, let me say this, too. Those of you who watch my YouTube channel with any regularity, you probably notice I don't do a lot of this.

I'm very, very careful about the ministries that I endorse and promote and ask you to support. In fact, I think, except for like some individuals, I think this is the only ministry thus far that have done like a concerted effort and overture to you to help support.

So I don't do this lightly. This is a huge need, and it's very near and dear to my heart because I love the people in Africa. I grieve over how much false doctrine and false teaching there is out there.

So anything I can do, and Conrad, for those who may not be familiar with Conrad, you and I, you've got sound doctrine. Conrad has a high view of God's sovereignty and salvation. You're a cessationist.

We're both...

This is being recorded at the cessationist conference, and Conrad was a speaker, spoke yesterday as of this recording. So I don't give my endorsement to just anyone. This is a worthwhile project, dear ones, so if you can support, please do.

And Conrad, how can they do that? What's the best way? Yes, well,.

Donating to Publish for Africa

First of all, there is a website.

It's.

Www .publishforafrica .com. Okay. If they go there, and there's a section for donate, and so they can make a donation there. The other is to write out a check in the name of Kabwata Baptist Church. Okay.

And send it to our American fundraiser. He is... His details are again on the on the website under contact us. So they can just then send the check there. He compiles the checks and sends them to the Kabwata Baptist Church bank account and so forth.

So that then ensures that the funds in due season get to Zambia. So those would be the two main ways, and it's primarily getting on to the website and everything flows from there.

Okay, great. And I would imagine one-time donations are greatly appreciated, but also even a like a monthly, you know, kind of regular support. That's a huge help as well when they have a more of a kind of a steady.

Stream of support coming in. So yeah. Yeah, and we would really appreciate. I want to repeat. It's. You know, missiologists say that in the second half of this century one-third of the Christians on the planet will be in Africa.

One-third. Wow. Now the way in which the charismatic movement is wreaking havoc, surely we need to do much more. Those of us that God has been pleased to reveal himself to. Yes. In a very clear biblical way.

We need to do more, and we need to be practical in doing so. Yes, let's pray, but if we can do more than praying then let's do it. So that when we are gathered with our fathers and we have left the sin, we will know that we have left a better situation by which God will be able to spiritually bless not only Africa, but the world through the multiplication of souls that are getting saved at the moment.

Yes, indeed, indeed.

Fruit in Africa and French-Language Publishing

Praise the Lord, brother. And I would imagine you've already seen some good fruit coming from the.

Publishing Africa project. Yes. Yes, and that's one reason why we are encouraged by this and think that if we can do more, we will see even better fruit. Yes. Yes, the books are being spread to different countries.

There is a publishing work in West Africa that is being financed again from the US who are translating those books into French. Okay. Yes, and therefore spreading them into French speaking Africa. Right.

And that way we're now having English and French.

Being.

Targeted in this way.

Yeah, a lot of people may not think of French as one of the languages spoken in Africa, but it is. Yes.

Yes, it's second only to English. Yeah. Wow. All right.

Well, Conrad, thank you, brother. Thank you for your work. First and foremost, thank you for your work as being a faithful pastor there at Kibwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia. I appreciate all of our faithful shepherds out there and honored to call you a friend and.

Compatriot in gospel work. Amen. Well, thank you, brother. I appreciate this opportunity. I really do. You bet. All right.

Thank you so much, dear ones. I appreciate you watching. And if you can be of support to Publishing for Africa, I would greatly appreciate it. Conrad, of course, would too. It's a worthwhile project. Bearing good fruit for the glory of God in Christ, our Savior and King.

Thank you so much. Conrad is a good brother. Good work. Thank you so much for watching, dear ones. Until our next time together, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all.