On Tuesday morning, Nov. 27, the first Bible study was held in the new church hall in the Kasumpa region of Zambia. Before anyone entered, the congregation held an inauguration ceremony, complete with the cutting of a yellow ribbon.

The members burst into joyful singing in gratitude to God for providing a special place to meet and worship Him. After a hearty meal, the new hall also served as the venue for a Spokesman's Club meeting.

"When I first saw the structure and closely inspected it, I could hardly believe my eyes!" said André van Belkum, chairman of UCG–Southern Africa, who was present for the opening of the new building. He praised Kambani Banda, pastor in Zambia, who was the "main driving force" in completing a building that was "above my expectations."

Member Involvement

The building began in March 2006, and progress was excellent, Mr. van Belkum said. "This is especially so since our members who assisted with the construction have their own farms to manage and care for at the same time. It is interesting that the local school started a similar sized hall six months earlier, and to date has not completed the project," he said.

A Second Hall in Nalabanda

Because of the members' involvement in the building, costs were kept down. "As a result, we have sufficient funds sent from the Good Works Program to build a second hall for our brethren in the Nalabanda region," said Mr. van Belkum.

"Our brethren are grateful to those who contributed to the Good Works Program in order to make the construction of these halls possible," he said. UN