The Presbyterian churches in Zambia and New Zealand have a relationship which often sees ministers move between the two countries for short visits.
Reverend Henry Mbambo was the first to take up a long-term position and fill the role of minister for the South Dunedin parish.
Rev Mbambo described his move to Dunedin as "a pure plan of God".
After being a minister in Zambia for eight years, living in the capital Lusaka, he moved to America, without his family, for two years, to complete a masters degree. Now he has been reunited with his family in Dunedin and he looked forward to starting his work in the community.
"My passion for mission work, the church reaching out to the community, is one gift I will be bringing," he said.
He also wanted to allow his parish to see the church as not only local, but global. His arrival itself had showed how true that was.
While he could not pin-point any specific differences between Zambia and New Zealand, he said his services would be different here. In Zambia 400 people would attend church for up to three hours. Here his sermons would be one hour long and his roll 150.
He and his young family arrived last Friday and had been busy settling in before his induction ceremony at the church last night. His wife, Chileya, is an early childhood teacher who would look for work next year. His son Taonga (7) had started at his new primary school on Monday, and his daughter Lusungu (4) would start kindergarten next week, he said.
