Mr Chisebwe said the Council of Churches in Zambia and its members are involved in so many activities across the country aimed at alleviating poverty in Zambia in addition to encouraging people to turn to God.

He said CCZ is looking forward to a moment where churches in Zambia will be able to fund their own projects by 100 per cent.

And speaking at the same function, Council of Churches in Zambia General Secretary Fr Emmanuel Chikoya said gone are the days when the Church could always manipulate people through so many calls to give to a point where the people could not give any more.

Fr Chikoya said CCZ wants to be a Church that is self-empowered and sustainable by building ultra-modern office buildings, apartments and potentially a hotel.

He said the Church cannot preach its own theology when it is dependent on someone else for all its missions and activities.

Fr Chikoya has since lured potential developers to partner with the Council of Churches in Zambia in developing its pieces of land currently being under-utilized and those lying idle within Lusaka.

Meanwhile, Pylos Zambia representative Maarten Pauwelyn said his company is privileged to have been given the contract to develop the Council of Churches in Zambia Ecumenical Centre into a modern multi-purpose facility whose first phase will be completed and handed over to CCZ by July 2019.