A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS – A Tribute to Baba Stephen Lungu
“Preach the word;
be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.”
2 Timothy 4:2
This directive from the apostle Paul was lived out in the ministry and witness of our dear brother Stephen Lungu who was called home to higher service on the 18th of January 2021, after succumbing to his battle against COVID-19.
Stephen’s first encounter with African Enterprise (AE) was in 1982 when Stephen was tasked with being the interpreter for AE Founder Michael Cassidy at the Malawi Keswick Convention. At the time Stephen was serving as an evangelist for the Dorothea Mission in Malawi (an organisation through which he himself had come to Christ). This chance encounter of humble beginnings was the start of an enduring friendship and brotherhood between these powerful servants of the Lord. Such was Stephen’s immediate impact on
Michael that Michael says he “felt constrained to invite him into African Enterprise.”
He joined AE shortly thereafter and, with fiery passion for the preaching of the gospel, served the AE team in Zimbabwe before moving on to pioneer and lead AE Malawi. He was zealous in his ministry which earned him an appointment as one of four Deputy Team Leaders for AE International (AEI); a position he occupied concurrently with his role as AE Malawi Team Leader until 2006.
His dedication and commitment to the work of AE steered his path to become the obvious successor to Michael as International Team Leader (ITL) and CEO of AEI upon the latter’s retirement in 2006. Stephen held this office until 2013 when he handed the baton over to his namesake and successor, the current ITL & CEO of AEI, Dr Stephen Mbogo.
One never retires from the work of the Lord and certainly not for an impassioned servant as Stephen. He joined the AESA Team thereafter serving until June 2018 in the capacities of Head of Missions; Deputy Team Leader and Frontline Evangelist. He then returned to Malawi where he maintained his long-standing relationship with AE as an Associate Evangelist and continued to serve the Dorothea Mission, where his faith journey began, as its International Chairman until his demise.
It was on an extra-ordinary night in Harare, Zimbabwe, 1962 that a down and out street-urchin cum gangster, who was on the brink of committing the most heinous of crimes at an evangelistic gathering, met the Lord God almighty and was convicted and transformed to become a mighty man of God who has since preached the gospel in those very streets of his past thuggery and indeed gone way beyond its confines to countries across the globe and into such astonishing places as the Oxford Union and the Pentagon would you believe!
Stephen’s incredible testimony is captured in his autobiography ‘Out of the Black Shadows’.
The book is available on ‘pre-order’from our AESA office at a cost of R120.00 (exclusive of delivery) or for R180.00 (with delivery of 7-9 working days).
The shipment is expected in March 2021 so kindly contact Stuart Hindon shind@ae.org.za to place your order now and avoid disappointment.
In his tribute to Stephen, Michael says,
“I have known many preachers over the years in African Enterprise, and beyond it, but I don’t think I have ever known a more passionate and endlessly energetic preacher of the Gospel than Stephen. None of us could ever match his energy or his day and night sharing of the gospel, whether from public platforms or in shops and restaurants. To be sure there will be thousands and thousands of people in heaven because of Stephen Lungu. These will range from ordinary citizens and common people to leaders in high places and to teenagers and little children. Young people, and of course older ones, were always heart-warmed by his infectious smile, rollicking laughter, all with his sparkling white teeth shining through!”
We celebrate your life, ministry and witness dear brother. Your legacy lives on in the lives of the multitudes that you helped to come to Christ; the ministry of those whom you trained and mentored; and through the social outreach projects that you helped pioneer.
‘Well done thou good and faithful servant’.
Stephen is survived by his beloved wife Rachel (who, through the grace of God, is making steady progress in her fight against COVID infection); their daughters Agnes, Faith & Ebenezer; and sons James & Samuel.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to this dear family and pray that the Comforter will be their strength at this time of bereavement; and we continue to hold Mama Rachel in prayer for God’s healing.
http://acicanada.blogspot.com/2009/?m=1
You are all invited to the October Sunday 18th 7pm (2009) service with Stephen Lungu, the International Director of African Enterprise, founded by Michael Cassidy.
It will be held at All Saints Community Church, ACiC at 12268 Beecher St in Crescent Beach, BC.
He wrote a powerful book ‘Out of the Black Shadows‘
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