Zambia Hunt

The ministry of Kakolo Faith Baptist Church was born out of a partnership between Faith Baptist Church Riverside and Faith Baptist Church Chipata Compound.

The church plant at Kakolo had its roots in 1999, when Riverside Faith Baptist Church began a vernacular church plant at Chipata Compound, a community neighbouring Riverside. Several young men were attached to that work as part of the core team, and it was through their involvement there that the need for a church plant at Kakolo became apparent.

During the outreach at Chipata Compound, people were walking nearly two hours to attend services in Chipata — crossing the crocodile-infested Kafue River — a journey made even more treacherous during the rainy season when the river would flood. Moved by this need, the young men began evangelising in the Kakolo area and assessing it as a possible site for a future church plant.

Two years later, on 4th February 2001, a Bible study was launched at the farm plot of one of the men who had been making that long walk to Faith Baptist Church Chipata Compound. Riverside Faith Baptist Church supported the work with bicycles and other logistical resources. The Bible study met every Sunday afternoon before being moved to Sunday morning a few months later. That same year, Riverside Faith Baptist Church purchased a piece of land to which the Bible study relocated — the same land on which the church continues to meet today. The Lord saved souls, believers obeyed in baptism, and a local body of believers began to take shape.

Towards the end of 2002, Edward Mwanisa was commissioned by Riverside Faith Baptist Church to lead the church-planting work at Kakolo. He graduated from Central Africa Baptist University as part of the first graduating class in 2009.

A church building was constructed in 2002. The church was funded by Riverside FBC missions in cooperation with the people of Kakolo, who manufactured and burnt the bricks used in constructing the church building. Faith Children’s Village donated to the construction of a parsonage in 2004. At the beginning of 2005, Pastor Edward Mwanisa and his family relocated to Kakolo to serve as the resident missionary pastor sent by Riverside Faith Baptist Church.

In 2006, the Kakolo congregation identified a need to plant a church at Chantente, where people were walking nearly two hours to attend services. That church-planting work is ongoing. Encouragingly, Michael Mulayi, converted through the Chantente outreach, has since completed his theological training at Central Africa Baptist University and returned to work alongside Royce Bwalya, the church planter there.

In 2011, Kakolo Faith Baptist Church became an independent congregation. In 2019, the church identified yet another planting opportunity, this time at Kamilili. Emmanuel Mfula was saved and discipled through the Kakolo Church and raised up as a leader through the church. He now serves as the missionary pastor sent to Kamilili and has also completed his theological studies at Central Africa Baptist University.

Today, Kakolo Faith Baptist Church has three pastors and six deacons, with a membership of approximately 150 and an average Sunday attendance of around 270.