The Guest of Honor, Sir,

His Grace, the resident Bishop of South Congo/Zambia Episcopal Area, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang Alex, the Chancellor of the United Methodist University in Zambia, and your entourage,
His Worship, the Mayor of Luanshya,
The Honorable Area M.P of Luanshya,
The District Commissioner of Luanshya,
The Commanding officer of Luanshya,
The Officer in charge of Baluba,
All sister universities representatives from within and outside Zambia,
All the Board Members and friends of the United Methodist University in Zambia, All the District Superintends of the Zambia Annual Conference,
All the Members of the Executive Committee of the Zambia Annual Conference,
All the Reverend Pastors present here,
All the Lay Activities of the United Methodist Church Zambia Annual Conference present here,
All the United Methodist missionaries present here,
All the head of agencies of the Zambia Annual Conference,
All our prospective students present here,
All protocol observed, I simply say, ladies and gentlemen.

I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus and welcome you to the Launch of the United Methodist University in Zambia.
Despite your busy schedule, and in a moment like, while we experience the Covid 19 pandemic, you have decided to come and attend to this memorable event.

May God richly bless you!
As you are all aware, the start of anything new is always exciting and ambitious.
It is a journey into the unknown with many challenges and expectations.
First and foremost, allow me to give you a brief historical background of the United Methodist Universitys journey:
1. Historical background
Upon elected as the resident Bishop of the South Congo and Zambia Episcopal Area at the Congo Central Conference held in Kamina, in the Republic Democratic of Congo, on 17th March 2017, His Grace the Bishop, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang Alex invited the Zambia delegation to express his gratitude and at the same time, he opened up his mind by seeing Zambia Conference with a University.
He said, Zambia Annual Conference is the only Conference in our Episcopal area that has no institution for higher learning.

I will do what I can to help Zambia with an institution of higher learning the Bishop concluded.
At the 2017 Zambia Annual Conference held at New Life Centre, in Kitwe, a commission on (Zambia University) was created and tasked for the feasibilities of having a University opened in Zambia according to the Laws and regulations of the Zambia Higher Education Authority.
The report was presented at the executive committee held at New Life Centre in February 2018 and needed more works to be done.
At the 2018 Zambia Annual Conference held in Zambezi, His Grace the Bishop, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang appointed the University staff with the mission to spearhead the process.
The Last ended Zambia Annual Conference held in June 2021 in Lusaka, came with the resolution of launching the University in October this year.

Here we are with a dream which comes true! We are very grateful to His Grace the Bishop, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang Alex for the effort, encouragement, and vision for the United Methodist University in Zambia. We pay tribute to all our members of the Zambia annual conference for their faith and determination.

Being pioneers, we are in some senses making it up as we go along, in response to transform our challenges into opportunities as they arise. Therefore, we expect from you a constructive feedback at any point and this will be valued tremendously.



2. Our Vision

Our Vision is to be among the best Christian Universities of higher learning in Zambia, Africa and worldwide, in equipping and empowering men and women for the glory of God through knowledge and Christian sound doctrine.

3. Our Proposed Value

Our aim is to create and sustain a University in which, for the benefit of both Zambia and Africa, the brightest researchers and the most promising students, regardless of their social or cultural background, can thrive and realize their full potential. Echoing on today’s theme: Reinforcing Africas Intellectual Future, we concur with President Nelson Mandela who once said, An investment in education is an investment into our future.

We hold these beliefs just as strongly today. There is a need to reinforce Africas Intellectual Futures when we are able to achieve excellence in teaching and learning, eager to enhance our research and publication outlook, ready to promote community outreach and beneficial partnerships, and capable to invest in virtual and physical infrastructure and advance financial sustainability. These are the key paths to reinforce Africa’s Intellectual Futures.

4. Our Contribution to National Development

The point at issue here is the need for the United Methodist University in Zambia to respond to the changing needs of the employers of graduates across all sectors as well as enhance the graduates’ entrepreneurial skills so that they can also choose to be self-employed and in the process become employers.
A further point at issue is the development of the individual students, and in the process, achieve the quality improvement of the material conditions of our communities and to contribute to finding solutions through research to the many challenges our society is facing in all areas of human endeavor.
Underlying all this, is the need of the United Methodist University in Zambia to be financially sustainable.



5. Our Teaching and Learning System

In pursuing the goal to enhance teaching and learning, our objective is clear.

This is the course of ensuring that we have to deliver excellence in the performance of our students and ensure that we review our programs to meet the changing needs of the labor market.

We will be using modern technology, such as online, e-learning, to enhance our teaching and learning systems.

As part of enhancing teaching and learning, we will pay particular attention to improving the quality of student experience.

Our student experience program will be supported by the United Methodist University quality assurance framework. I am pleased to inform you that our University has already introduced the online application and registration system. This system will improve customer experience and will widen the reach for prospective students who can now apply from any part of the world. From a student governance perspective, a student guild constitution will be developed and implemented.
The Constitution will help in providing a framework for leadership development for students through the United Methodist University Student Union. Further, the guild constitution will help to address concerns of the student community in a more amicable manner and will help in our efforts to maintain generally cordial working relationships between management and students.





6. Our Schools

The Enright Campus is where we are now. The beautiful Campus facilities include the chapel, the administrative offices, Lecture Halls, Library, and Computer Lab will offer the faculty of Theology and short courses in English as a Foreign Language to assist students coming from French spoken countries.

The Zambezi Campus is located in the North Western Province of Zambia at the former Lord’s Mountain Orphanage in Zambezi. The Campus will offer the faculty of Agriculture and Computer sciences. Mujila Falls will be our centre of demonstration for our students in Agriculture.



7. Our Efforts towards achieving Financial Sustainability

As a new University, we face significant financial challenges.
So far we will rely upon the fees to be paid by our students to cover all the University expenses, which is not enough. Here we make a sincere appeal to:
(a) His Grace the Bishop, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang Alex to connect the University to external sources,
(b) Board of Governance members to provide an incredible opportunity to meet influential, intelligent and well-connected people to support the University
(c) United Methodist Zambia Conference to seriously organize the University Sundays as decided in our previous conference resolutions
(d) Well-wishers to continue supporting the University in one way or another.
(e) The new down government under the able leadership of His excellency, the president of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilima, and through the ministry of Education to find means to support private universities in Zambia.

CONCLUSION
As I conclude, The Guest of Honor, Sir,
His Grace, the resident Bishop of South Congo/Zambia Episcopal Area, Professor Kasap Owan Tshibang Alex, the Chancellor of the United Methodist University in Zambia, and your entourage, His Worship, the Mayor of Luanshya,

The Honorable Area M.P of Luanshya,

The District Commissioner of Luanshya,

The Commanding officer of Luanshya,

The Officer in charge of Baluba,

All sister universities representatives from within and outside Zambia,

All the Board Members and friends of the United Methodist University in Zambia,

All the District Superintends of the Zambia Annual Conference,

All the Members of the Executive Committee of the Zambia Annual Conference,

All the Reverend Pastors present here,

All the Lay Activities of the United Methodist Church Zambia Annual Conference present here,

All the United Methodist missionaries present here,

All the heads of agencies of the Zambia Annual Conference,

All our prospective students present here,

All protocol observed, I simply say, ladies and gentlemen


I would like to thank all of you for the time and support you have rendered to accept to grace this special occasion of the Launch of the United Methodist University in Zambia. The United Methodist University in Zambia should only get better.
v We need concerted efforts to transform the United Methodist University into a sustainable University.
Without financial support from you, our stakeholders, it will be difficult for the University to achieve fully transformation characterized by financial sustainability. Therefore, we need concerted efforts.

I encourage our parents, the United Methodist Church in general and the Zambia annual conference in particular to think no further, but bring their children to train with the United Methodist University in one of the schools of their choice. They will never go wrong.
Once again thank you and God bless you.

The guest of honor, Sir
The Honorable Area MP,
The Officer Commanding of Luanshya district,
The Officer in Charge, Baluba Police station,
The Dean of Superintendents,
All the District Superintendents,
All the members of the United Methodist Church, Zambia Annual,
conference: both clergies and lay at all levels,
The Board Members of the United Methodist University,
The Representatives from sister Universities,
The representatives of UM Universities in DRC,
Distinguished invited guests
all protocols observed, simply I say
Ladies and Gentlemen
First and foremost, I welcome you all to the Launch of the United Methodist University in Zambia and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prompt response favorably to our invitation despite your busy schedule. May the Lord bless you abundantly.

Today is a great, a memorable and a historic day in the United Methodist Church, Zambia Conference as we witness the launch of the first United Methodist University in the Republic of Zambia.

Allow we to give glory and honor to our God and pray in Latin like the early Churh Father: “Misericordias Domini Aeternum Cantabo” which is translates as, “we will sing forever the mercy of God!” These Latin words are the expression of happiness today.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Hakainde C. Hichilema, for his brilliant election as President of the Republic of Zambia and the Head of State.

We thank Zambia for the democracy. There is no freedom without democracy.

We acknowledge the mighty Hand of God in this peaceful transition of power and we are praying God to enable the new down government to deliver to the expectation of the Zambian people.

The Guest of Honor sir,

The vision of the United Methodist Church is “to make the disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” by proclaiming the

good news and being examples of Jesus command to love God and our neighbor.

When I was elected as the resident Bishop of the South Congo and Zambia Episcopal Area in 2017, my vision was focused on the following sectors:
(a) Evangelism,
(b) Health,
(c) Social work,
(d) Agriculture and
(e) Education.
Therefore, as a Bishop, I am delighted to witness in the history of the church, the establishment of the United Methodist Universities in all the five annual conferences, under my supervision. This indeed demonstrates the major role the United Church plays in promoting High Education.

On the academic background in the United Methodist Church worldwide, I had an opportunity to serve in various capacities:
(1) As member of the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) in Nashville for 8 years.
(2) Being the first African and as a university senate member for 5 good years.
(3) Being the President of the African Association of Theological Methodist Institutions (AATMI), where we have now the association of Methodist Universities in Africa.
It is from this experience of working with the United Methodist Institutions of Higher Education that prompted me to promote the setting of the Universities in all our five annual conferences in our episcopal area.
Hence, I am happy to reiterate that the main aim of opening a university in Zambia is to train men and women in various fields such as: Theology, Education, Agriculture and Information Technology, just to mention a few.

The guest of Honor sir, Distinguished invited guests; When I chaired my first Annual Conference Session in Zambia in 2017 held at New Life Center in Kitwe, I was saddened to learn that there was no Institution of Higher learning .

As a professor of the New Testament Theology and one of the Chair of the United Methodist Book of discipline, I had the opportunity to train a good number of pastors and I wish to do the same in Zambia. This will be my contribution to Zambia Theological training at large.

Let me take this opportunity to thank the Kafakumba Training Center for giving some of facilities in order to start the university and a portion of land to build the University.

Dear Guest of Honor, Sir Distinguished invited guest, My speech will be incomplete if I do not address the issue of the source of income for the University we are launching today.

As a former Methodist University Senate member, below are some of the avenues we recommend to any university to explore:
1. Study Fees
2. University projects
3. Alumni or former students
4. Endowment
5. The friends of the University
6. United Methodist agencies
7. Annual Conference
8. Local contribution
Billy Graham said: “The measure of life is not its duration but bits donation”.

Therefore I encourage our church members to donate fund for the University we are launching today.

No one will come and do the work for us, it is through our donation that people will measure our life and our commitment to God.

As Zambians first, and thenAfrican, we are the first source of fund and potential for this University.

However, we will involve some of our friends, the United Methodist agencies to partner with the university, such as:
- The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM),
- The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM)
- The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD)
- The Connexio from Switzerland
- The Central Conference Theological Education Fund (CCTEF) grant

We have already initiated a project on student’s scholarships and library. A link for the Student’s scholarship for the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate program will be available in December 2021. Each student will be required to fill the form and I will recommend for the approval.
Our friend ALFIADO ZUNGUZE from Mozambique is the one in charge for this project; and he is willing to assist us.
The Guest of Honor, Sir Invited Guest, it is my hope and prayer that the establishment of this University will bring necessary skills needed to raise the standard to the country for both men and women, in order to serve in various capacities.


We rely on the support of each one of you as a country, we rely alsoi on the support from the government of the day.

Now it is my honor and privilege to officially launch the opening of the United Methodist University of Zambia.

As a Christian University, our Motto is : “Scienstia et fides” meaning “Science and Faith”.

May God Bless Zambia May God Bless the United Methodist Church May God Bless the United Methodist University in Zambia May God bless all of you.

BISHOP KASAP’ OWAN TSHIBANG ALEX.
The Chancellor of the United Methodist University in Zambia