In Zambia, most bibles and hymnals are written in English, which can make it difficult for CCAP congregation members to have access to religious texts and materials. For Zambians who live in rural areas and don’t have easy access to education, learning English as a second language can be difficult, especially if they use one of Zambia’s traditional languages in their everyday life. Therefore, in order to better accommodate the church’s congregation members who speak traditional languages, the CCAP Synod of Zambia established the Literature Department.

The aim of the Literature Department is to print and distribute bibles, hymnals, Sunday school curriculum, and other Christian education materials that can be used by anyone in the CCAP congregation. The department focuses on writing and re-printing Christian learning materials in the primary traditional languages in Zambia, including Chewa, Bemba, and Tumbuka. One of the CCAP Synod of Zambia’s priorities is to make sure that the Christian faith and its literature is easily accessible to as many people as possible. So far, the department has produced synod calendars, booklets on stewardship and accountability in the church, and Sunday school curriculum. They have also distributed Christian learning materials such as bibles and hymnals.

The Literature Department hopes to one day expand their operation to consistently print literature and sell them in order to establish an income generation activity. They would also like to train and equip more personnel in order to expand the capacity of the department. In the future, the department plans on producing Chitenge fabric for the synod’s 50th anniversary as well as produce badges for the Men’s Guild, Women’s Guild, and Christian Youth Fellowship.

Status: The Literature Department and the department coordinator, Rev. Moses Chilembo, are currently seeking financial support to expand their operations.