Plays On Word Radio
An in-depth look at the Word of God, the Plays On Word community, and the Plays - with original music - we perform, that are based on the Word of God. New episodes drop Fridays at 7AM EST! To find out how Plays On Word Theater can perform 'LIVE on YOUR STAGE' and to support this missionary & podcast visit: https://playsonword.org/
Plays On Word Radio
Ep 122: Pastor Ackson Kaonga - Spreading the Gospel in Zambia
"Have you ever experienced what sitting under consistent bible teaching can do? Today, Pastor Ackson Kaonga shares his inspiring journey of faith, ministry growth in Zambia, and commitment to biblical truth on Plays on Word Radio."
The faithfulness of God shines brightly across continents as Pastor Fred Kenney, Jr., a.k.a Pastor Teddy, welcomes Pastor Ackson Kaonga from Zambia to Plays on Word Radio. Fresh from the East Coast Pastors Conference in Philadelphia, where their friendship began years earlier, this conversation reveals how God is working powerfully in Southern Africa.
Pastor Ackson shares the remarkable story of Calvary Chapel Ndola, which he's led since 2007. What began with a church full of "noisemakers" - young children who seemed disruptive - has transformed into a congregation where those same youth have grown into devoted followers of Christ, now serving in ministry. "As I look at them, I see future leaders in the church," Ackson reflects, recognizing God's patient work across generations.
Amid a landscape filled with false prophets misleading many Zambians, Pastor Ackson's commitment to consistent, straightforward biblical teaching has become a beacon for truth-seekers. "When you teach God's Word consistently, at some point people begin to follow, because out there, force cannot be sustained," he explains. Without gimmicks or spectacle, the simple power of Scripture attracts those hungering for authentic faith.
The most moving moment comes when Pastor Ackson shares his personal journey to faith. Born Catholic, he attended a Pentecostal service at age 16 out of curiosity, misunderstanding an altar call as an invitation to receive the Eucharist. Weeks later, on January 31, 1979, he finally understood the Caribbean missionary's message clearly, recognized himself as "a sinner, a candidate of hell," and experienced genuine conversion that filled him with God's peace and joy. Yet his path to pastoral ministry took decades, requiring divine persistence to overcome his resistance until he surrendered fully, realizing "I will never be happy in life until I obey God."
Join the worldwide prayer effort for this faithful ministry. Reach out through Plays on Word Radio to connect with Pastor Ackson and discover how you might participate in what God is doing in Zambia through consistent prayer and potential partnership.
Calvary Chapel Ndola Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Calvary-Chapel-of-Ndola/100068029895805/
Does any of today's podcast resonate with you? Let us know here:
https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/podcast-reviews
To Support Plays On Word Radio and Plays On Word Theater, please visit:
Plays On Word website
Plays On Word YouTube
Plays On Word Facebook
Plays On Word Instagram
Email us: team@playsonword.org
Lord, you know you will now listen to Plays on Word Radio.
Speaker 2:It's the best and, as a Catholic, when they said those who would like to receive Jesus for me, receiving Jesus at that time was receiving the Eucharist, I just went out of interest to see how they received Jesus and they prayed, but then, to tell you the truth, I did not receive Christ. Okay okay, because my praying was not based on me having faith or receiving God's Word. Okay, okay, You're the only thing. You're the only thing, you're the only thing.
Speaker 3:Hello and welcome to Plays on Word Radio, where we discuss, analyze, work and play on the Word of God. Thank you for joining us on this excursion. Today let's join Pastor Teddy, also known as Fred David Kenny Jr, the founder of Plays on Word Theater, as he does a deep dive into the Word of God.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen, well. Plays on Word Radio family. We are back, yes, from the East Coast Pastors Conference out in Philadelphia and, yeah, met a bunch of my brothers. It's such a refreshing time to be with a whole bunch of shepherds. Time to be with a whole bunch of shepherds and I mean guys were just lifted up, strengthened, healed, blessed, encouraged.
Speaker 1:Yes, pastors get discouraged and it was a fantastic time and it was, oh man, it was just an incredible time of praise. We, we, uh, two thousand guys just going for it, you know, singing these old hymns and the new songs, um, I mean top of your lungs, type praise. It was just amazing. It's always a blessing. Well, one of the guys that I met at this conference many years ago I don't want to say many years ago, I don't know, maybe three years ago, something like that is my dear brother, axan Kaonga from Zambia. Yes, and some of you have heard his voice. He said Merry Christmas to this whole audience group of people in our Christmas clips where we have people say hello. So we interviewed him and I've been wanting to interview him and we are on our way out to Zambia at some point we didn't set a date, but we're gonna go out to Zambia and do a play, or a couple plays.
Speaker 3:So check him out.
Speaker 1:I'm here with Axan Kaunga from Zambia and he is, so check him out. For our listeners that are geographically illiterate, can you explain where Zambia is?
Speaker 2:Okay, zambia is on the continent of Africa. It is located in the southern part of Africa.
Speaker 1:Yes, so there you go. If you know where the continent of Africa is the southern part, not the northern part it's not up near the Mediterranean, it's way down south. Now I ask everyone we've known each other for a few years now. I first met you here in Philadelphia years ago and I was blessed to meet you and meet another brother, and we've stayed in contact throughout the years and you even gave me a greeting to put on the radio broadcast for wishing everybody a Merry Christmas, you and your lovely wife. How is she?
Speaker 2:My wife is doing well. We were together here in America in 2023.
Speaker 1:That must be when we met 2023. 2023, yes, amen, wow, man. So you know, we talked about coming to do a play for you and, god willing, we're going to come do a play for you in Zambia, but tell us about the work God's doing. What's happening, what's going on there? Tell us what's God doing.
Speaker 2:I think what God is doing is an amazing work. And, foremost, I think we have experienced the faithfulness of God in his work among us. Over the years, we have had an experience of going through difficulties, trials to do with acquiring land and also other issues like the COVID, which made us stop meeting for some time, but through it all and many other trials that we have gone through, we have seen that God has been very faithful to us. So then, the other thing that God is doing is that, when we started, we had a lot of young people in our church little young children in our church, and, by the grace of God, most of them have not left us. They are still in the church. And then what has happened is twofold. Among them, they are physically grown. They are young adults now. Some of them are in universities. But then the second thing that has happened to them they are young adults now. Some of them are in universities. But then the second thing that has happened to them is that most of them have given their lives to the Lord. We can certainly see the fruit of salvation in them. They are walking with the Lord, and some of them are beginning to learn to save the Lord in church. So to me that is an amazing work that God has done.
Speaker 2:I remember some years back two pastors from Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, particularly Pastor Brian Weed and Pastor Carlos Kausaki. When we started the relationship with them, they found these kids in the church and they mentioned to me that you have got too many children in this church. Take care of them. They are the future of the church. I think at that time it really didn't dawn to me, because all I was seeing is a bunch of noisemakers in the church. But now they are helping me to save and as I look at them I see future leaders in the church and I also see people who go and plant other Calvary chapels in Zambia through them, amen.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:The other thing that I see God doing in our church is that I think, like many countries in Africa, we have so many false prophets arising and misleading people, so that is a very big problem in my country. And now we have been experiencing in our local church people who are truly born again joining our church. We are thinking that maybe they have just come to visit, but after a couple of weeks they make their intentions clear, that we want to be a part of this fellowship. And as I talk to them, the testimony they give is that there is so much falsehood out there and we are encouraged by what we are seeing here at Calvary Chapel of Undola, because you are focusing on the teaching of God's Word.
Speaker 1:Now here's the thing there's nothing phony or fake about the Word of God. You just stick with that, you're going to be good.
Speaker 2:Here is the thing Sometimes, as Christians, we tend to look at others who are working in the Lord's field and they are using certain means to attract a lot of people, and then we may look down on ourselves and think we are not doing enough. But the truth of the matter is that when you teach God's Word consistently, at some point people begin to follow, people begin to come, because out there, force cannot be sustained. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You don't need gimmicks, you don't need anything spectacular. The Word of God is spectacular enough.
Speaker 2:What Jesus Christ himself told Peter prior to his ascension. He told him three times Peter, do you love me Three times? Peter kept answering that I love you Three times. The Lord Jesus told him feed my sheep, take care of my sheep. That is what Jesus Christ expects of us as under shepherds of this flock. He wants us to teach to feed the flock, because the flock grows by feeding. He wants us to teach to feed the flock, because the flock grows by feeding.
Speaker 1:So I have a question If somebody listening right here wanted to find out more about Ndola or the work you're doing, or wanted to find out how they could support or how they can pray for what's going on the work you're doing there, when would they go?
Speaker 2:Okay, if you want to find out about what we are doing, we are on Facebook, although the Facebook page is not very active, and what we are now doing is that we really want to make it active so that people can be informed.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we can pray for that. Get the Facebook page. The Lord would raise up technicians or whatever you need to make it happen.
Speaker 2:Pastor Fred, we are working on that. It's going to be very active. Then the other thing is that we are also doing a newsletter, which is actually produced every quarterly, and I was here, we were having a missions conference and at our desk we had people who were writing those who would like to be receiving newsletters. They did that and I think, through you, pastor Fred, those who would like to know what is going on you can help them actually get in contact with us.
Speaker 1:Yes, if anybody's interested, you can reach out to me through the podcast here. We'll put a link to the Facebook page on there, but you can reach out to me directly through the podcast and I am in direct contact with this brother the work that you're doing and you're seeing fruit in a whole generation of people there as far as what are the biggest needs that you find. Like, if somebody came up to you and said what do you need to do the work you're doing, what would you say?
Speaker 2:Thank you, Pastor Fred, for that question. I must be very honest here. The biggest need that we have is that we need your prayer support. That is the biggest need that we have. The Lord has given us grace. We are able to teach. I've got an assistant pastor who is also gifted in teaching and I think what we need most from other Christians is to pray for us.
Speaker 1:We're at a pastor's conference right now, and years ago one of my buddies from here at Calvary, philly, he told me that there are dedicated people that are praying throughout the entire time of this conference. While this conference is going on, there is prayer going on, and that's one of the reasons why this conference is always amazing. Every year there's spiritual healing that happens here. Guys are being set free, guys are being encouraged and lifted up, and prayer is essential to that and that's something that every one of you Christians listening right now, and everybody listening if you're in Christ, you can pray for accent over in Zambia, and the Lord knows who you're talking about. You can, you know, lift up the work that's going on there. You can intercede, let the Spirit guide you and lift up the work them up. Lift up the work that's going on. Is there any specific prayer that you need? Anything specific?
Speaker 2:Okay, I said we need your prayer support, but if I have to unfold it specifically, pray that souls will continue being saved in our community, where we are. Pray for us to be very good representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ in our community. Pray also that as we teach God's word, that God's word will be fruitful, that people will be able to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Pray that those who are already saved will experience a deeper sanctification to become more like Jesus. So those are the specific prayer items that I can give. Who experience a deeper sanctification to become more like Jesus. So those are the specific prayer items that I can give, and personally, on my behalf as the senior pastor, pray that God's anointing will continue to increase upon my life.
Speaker 1:Amen, and I will pray that as well, and we're going to get at least two or more. Just one last question. If I was to ask you and I ask this of people sometimes it might require some thought, you might have to think about it. But is there any ministry experience that really impacted you? Can you maybe share something where you saw the Lord work in a magnificent way, or something that really impacted you, something that really impacted me?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the first thing that really impacted me is my salvation.
Speaker 1:Yes, I think that is the starting point.
Speaker 2:Tell me about how did you meet this Jesus? Yeah, the first thing is my salvation. I was born in a Catholic family and I was Catholic from childhood, and I came to the saving knowledge of Jesus at the age of 16. At the age of 16, yes, before then, the only church I ever went to was the Catholic church, and here is how I met the Lord. I happened to find myself in an evangelistic meeting that was going on in my compound and it was being undertaken by the Pentecostal Church. Now, I'd never been in a Pentecostal meeting.
Speaker 2:So, they were in this building and then we heard people singing and we went by the door to just check what is going on and we found an usher there who ushered us inside. He was very friendly, so we sat there, they were singing, and then the singing the way they were singing it was so lively. I was used to the Latin kind of singing. That was way back in 1979. 78 December to be specific. So the way they were singing it was so different from what I was accustomed to. And then, after singing, there was the preaching of God's word. The person who was preaching happened to be an American and he was a black American from one of the Caribbean islands. Okay, when he preached, I did not understand what he was talking about because his accent was very different from what I'm used to.
Speaker 2:But, to fast forward, they had those meetings for many weeks. They were happening once a week. So the first meeting that happened is they made an altar call and I was in the company of three other friends. We all went in front to be prayed for. But the altar call was those who would like to receive Jesus, let them come in front. And, as a Catholic, when they said those who would like to receive Jesus. For me, receiving Jesus at that time was receiving the Eucharist.
Speaker 2:So I just went out of interest to see how they received Jesus and they prayed. But then, to tell you the truth, I did not receive Christ Because my praying was not based on me having faith or receiving God's Word. But then I kept attending every week because they kept inviting us. They were so friendly. I attended into the second month, wow Okay. And at that time I had answered a number of outer calls. But then, on January 31st 1979, I was able to understand this Caribbean pastor clearly.
Speaker 1:Oh, he was there the whole time doing H1? He was actually working as a missionary there.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, so I started to get him you started understanding him a little bit. Yes. So when January 31st came, 1979, he preached God's word. During the preaching, I came to understand that I was a sinner, a candidate of hell. When he made the altar call, I voluntarily went in front. I was prayed for and I cried. I was prayed for and I cried. The days that followed were characterized by God's peace just overflowing and the joy of the Lord.
Speaker 2:They didn't ask me to start reading the Bible, the New Testament Bible, which my school donated to me. I started reading the Bible, and that was the beginning of my transformation. So that was the first change that took place I became a child of God. Amen.
Speaker 1:Wow, I love it. So how did you end up in the ministry, though? How do you go from being like, okay, wow, now I understand this message, this gospel message. Then how do you say, okay, I think I need to go either start a church or pastor a church, or whatever.
Speaker 2:That took many years. If you heard what I said, I gave my life to the Lord in 1979. I became a pastor in 2007. Okay, so he worked a long time with you he worked a long time because after finishing school, after doing my training, I worked for many years. I got married, but then, somewhere towards the end of the 90s, I began to have a hunger to preach. Okay, good, okay, I had a hunger to preach.
Speaker 1:That's kind of around when the Lord started working, I believe. But that's when he started changing everything up on me, Almost like he put a light switch on and was like, okay, we have to get to work now and he started putting in my heart.
Speaker 2:But here's the thing I had a. I loved to preach, but then when the Lord started planting on my heart to say I want you to go into pastoral, I resisted, I didn't want. I saided I didn't want. I said, lord, I can work as a lay preacher, but not to become a pastor.
Speaker 1:I'm not trying to be a pastor.
Speaker 2:So it took a long time for the Lord to break me down. The Lord actually broke me down. I surrendered. I realized that I will never be happy in life until I obey God. The moment I obeyed God, I shared this with my wife. My wife began to resist the call Again. It took some more prayer until the Lord convicted my wife. She also understood that this man has been called so somewhere by 2006,. We were all in agreement that this is the way the Lord wants us to go.
Speaker 1:It's similar to me and Katie is because I was like, well, okay, I felt like he was doing something, but there's no way Katie's going for this. And I remember saying, lord, if it's of you, you'll make Katie cool with this. And in many, in all the cases of going into whatever, whether it's plays on word or if it's planning the church that we planted uh, the lord went to her and she came to me and she said I think, I think the lord wants us to do this, and I was like, oh, okay, there's, I'm gonna take that as my confirmation, lord. So, yeah, I, I completely, I completely, I appreciate that. So now you guys are all in, the church is there and the surrounding community is aware of you guys and they're growing. How long has the church been there?
Speaker 2:Calvary Chapel of Ndola was started in 2007.
Speaker 1:Okay, up to now, wow, okay. Up to now Wow, yeah, that is fantastic. Now, did you start that, or did you take over for somebody?
Speaker 2:I took over from somebody. It was originally started by an American pastor from one of the Calvary Chapels here. Okay, and basically just came to start. The church Started and then he handed it over to me and he was with us for just about six months, okay, and then he handed it over to me. Praise God, and that's how it began.
Speaker 1:Praise God. Yeah, this is fantastic. This is like the book of Acts type stuff. You know, I just absolutely love it.
Speaker 1:If anybody wants to know anything more about our dear brother, axe and Cowl and Go or the church there, or maybe you even want to go visit, can anybody come visit you? You're most welcome. See, he said you're most welcome, just reach out to me. You can reach out to me on the podcast link there or the email, whatever, and we can put you in contact with this guy. If you want to help out, however you might want to help out, you want to pray? Please pray. And I would ask the whole Plays on Word family to be lifting you guys up, our family over there in Zambia. We would be able to lift you guys up in prayer and the work that the Lord's doing, and the Lord would allow us to be part of what he's doing over there. That's fantastic. So a lot he's doing over there. That's fantastic. So a lot of false teaching over there, you've seen. Is there any besides false teaching? Is there anything else threatening you guys don't have like a big Muslim population or anything like that Islamic population.
Speaker 2:I think the Islamic population is a problem that is affecting the entire continent of.
Speaker 3:Africa.
Speaker 1:It's everywhere, it's everywhere. Yes, the United States, texas is being taken over. It's everywhere, it's everywhere.
Speaker 2:Yes, the United States, texas is being taken over. It's everywhere. So we have that problem that is threatening the Christian movement. So we just need to work hard, we need to be prayerful, we need to actually reach out to the people. Yes, we need to reach out. I think over the years we, as Christians, we've been content in staying within our walls and just letting people follow us. I think we need to be more proactive, reaching out to people with the gospel. What we need to realize is that the gospel is God's power for salvation.
Speaker 1:God's power, that's it, man, it's power.
Speaker 2:So it's powerful. We are not just releasing it out. We need to share it, and then God himself will be able to use the gospel to break the hearts of people Right.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen to that. Okay. Well, there you go. You guys have your marching orders. And Axon Kaunga, thank you for being on Plays on Word Radio no-transcript.
Speaker 1:My dear brother, Axan Kaunga, from Zambia, holding it down, yes, holding down the whole continent there, man on the southern part, you know what I mean. So he's doing his thing and you guys can absolutely, from the comfort of your own home, be involved in what the Lord is doing there. By lifting him up in that congregation, he gave us some things that need prayer right there, you know. So, yeah, man, I mean my dear mom. She used to pray for areas and pray for places that seemed like they would never allow the gospel to come in, but she prayed anyway and she was hard-headed about praying and got other people praying with her and she the Lord, has allowed her to live long enough to see much of the things that she was involved in when it looked absolutely ridiculous, looked impossible, but the Lord allowed her to be involved in his eternal work. That has glory implications. People in eternity are going to go up to my mom when she gets the glory and say, hey, thank you for praying, hallelujah, thank you. I know it looked bleak, but thank you for praying, so I want to encourage everybody else here to follow Norma Kenny's example and pray, pray.
Speaker 1:Pray for my brother, axon Kowonga in Zambia. Pray for our families over there in Albania and all around the world. You know my man, isaac over in Uganda. Pray for us in Southport, north Carolina. Yeah, that pastor there needs prayer and his wife, oh. Pray for us. Hallelujah, all right, please be encouraged to pray and expect the enemy to try to distract you when you set your mind to go do it. Can I get an amen? I'm not going to continue preaching up in here, because you know that's what we do until we hey. Next week we're going to continue with this pastor's conference because I got some more interviews for you. You're going to love them. Till next week, though, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Speaker 3:This program was made possible by the Plays on Word family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at playsonwordorg.
