Climate Change Now
The Experience of ChristCentral Churches in Zambia
By: John Davy (CreationCall team leader)

January 2023

Introduction
This paper highlights the urgent impact of climate change on ChristCentral churches in Zambia (CCCZ), emphasising it's immediate threat to food security and sustainability of life. The paper aims to provoke churches in the UK into greater engagement with the climate crisis, encourage compassionate support for churches in Zambia and assist CCCZ in planning their ongoing response. 

It details the impact, the measures they are taking to adapt and suggests ways others can respond. The appendices provide background information as well as research findings. 

Executive Summary
1. Climate change in Zambia has brought greater food insecurity for most people.
2. Short-term responses to climate change have sometimes had negative social and environmental effects.
3. ChristCentral Churches in Zambia (CCCZ) have been involved in strategic initiatives to bring greater food security in the face of climate change, including Foundations for Farming, chicken-rearing and drilling boreholes. Most of the funding for this has come from the UK.
4. These initiatives have had some success and are consistent with scientific recommendations, but are on a relatively small scale.
5. Zambia is potentially a hub from which CCCZ can help churches in surrounding nations to adapt to climate change as part of their broader discipleship.
6. In view of the scale of the regional challenges, increased levels of funding, partnership, coordination and capacity are needed.
7. Recognising the impact climate change is having on others, in the interests of justice Christians in the UK can respond by adjusting personal and corporate lifestyles to mitigate the impacts of climate change and release resources to help.
8. Motivated by compassion to our fellow-believers, ChristCentral Churches in the UK can potentially increase their support to CCCZ in prayer, giving and other practical help, making the most of organisational structures that are already in place to support Zambia.

To read the full paper in PDF format please click here.

Photo by Henning Borgersen on Unsplash