From Prison to Proclamation: How Mulenga Chela’s Journey Led Him from Zambia to Truett Seminary and Back Again

In 2006, Mulenga Chela from Zambia, was wrongfully imprisoned in a neighboring African country — but he refused to let that break him. During his time there, he shared the gospel with thousands of fellow prisoners. After two years he was released, and a few years later, a miraculous encounter in Zambia with a former interim president of Baylor University led him to Texas and to attend Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary. 

Nearly 20 years after his imprisonment — and after earning not one but two Baylor degrees, developing friendships and partnerships along the way at Truett — Chela has returned to the poverty-stricken streets of Zambia. Today, he helps to feed and educate hundreds of children each day, preaches every Sunday and Wednesday, trains local pastors in theological education, and shares the transformative, loving gospel of Jesus Christ with people in his home country.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. 

I am from Zambia, an African country with a population of approximately 25 million people. Zambia is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, and I live in the capital city, Lusaka. In 2018, after completing my Master of Divinity at Truett Seminary, my family and I returned to Zambia. We started Christ Life Ministry (CLM), a vibrant, gospel-proclaiming church that overflows with multiple dynamic ministries, interrupts generational cycles of poverty, and transforms lives for Jesus Christ. CLM has a non-profit board based in the United States that supports the work in Zambia. 

2. Please share your journey and how you got to Truett Seminary and then the start of Christ Life Ministries?

My journey from Zambia to Baylor is a miracle. In short, in 2006 I was wrongfully imprisoned in the neighboring country of Tanzania during what I thought was a missional opportunity. The person I was with presented himself as a minister of the gospel, but he was actually a criminal. Since I was with him, I was arrested, and I spent the next two years and three months in prison. God used this time of imprisonment to teach me. He gave me the opportunity to share His Word to thousands of prisoners. By Divine intervention, I was released from prison in 2008. In 2012, a former interim president of Baylor, came on a mission trip to Zambia. After hearing my story, he invited me to Baylor and gave me a scholarship. This opportunity allowed me and my wife to come to the Waco, Texas where I received my Master of Divinity (May 2016) and later, my Doctor of Ministry (May 2020) with an emphasis in Church Planting. 

3. How did your time at Truett prepare you for living and working in your context?

My time at Truett helped prepare me for ministry in two key areas. First, Truett taught me sound biblical doctrine and theology. Second, Truett taught me the importance of servant leadership dually focused on teaching the gospel and meeting the physical needs of the poor. I also developed numerous meaningful friendships and ministry partnerships. These connections continue to enrich my life on a personal level as well as contribute to the work God is doing in Zambia. 

4. What do you most look forward to in your day-to-day ministry.

What I am truly driven by and look forward every single day is the opportunity to transform lives for Jesus Christ. All CLM ministries are accomplished through three primary focuses: making disciples (church conferences, spiritual formation, online certified ministry training, and a television station);  serving communities (Chainda Center located in the slum area, school, home for rescued girls, a health clinic, a drug/alcohol rehabilitation center, vocational training, farm land to develop crops as a source of food); and multiplying churches (planting churches across all provinces of Zambia and beyond). 

5. Tell us about some recent praises and/or struggles you have in your ministry.

We recently encountered struggles around feeding children who attend school at the Chainda Center. We budgeted to feed roughly 650 children. However, after we started the feeding program earlier this year, 900+ children showed up. We are committed to doing the hard work of stretching the available budget to feed all 900+ children. However, there are still 800 more children on the waiting list who want to come to the Chainda Center. We pray God will bless us with more resources to feed and educate these children.

A praise we experienced on my most recent trip to the United States is our new partnership with a church in San Angelo, TX. We are excited about this enriching opportunity to further God’s Kingdom. 

6. In your experiences, what does it mean to be a part of the global Church, and how has your experience in Zambia and in the United States shaped your view of Christianity worldwide?

To me, being part of the global Church means although there are thousands of people all over the world who are Christians - people who live in different types of homes, people from different race/ethnic groups, people who speak different languages - we all serve the same one true God. I know God loves each person equally. This truth has empowered me and given me a deeper appreciation for God. From my friendships and ministry partnerships in the United States, I get to see how God is moving and learn from what God is doing in other parts of the world. When I share these experiences in Zambia, it encourages the people. 

7. What advice would you give to current Truett students or alumni considering international work or ministry back in their home countries?

I would like to encourage students who go to the United States for education to consider returning to their home countries. I believe if these students take back the high-quality training and education they receive along with a willingness to serve the people, the ways in which God can and will use them is limitless. I know on a personal level that the temptation to remain in America was real. However, since returning to my home in Zambia, I’ve had the opportunity to use the knowledge and education I received to bear more fruit for the Kingdom of God in areas with the greatest need. There is no greater impact I would have anywhere else.