Regional Snapshot
 

Wanted: Christ-centered missionaries

Why Africa needs
more mission, not less

 But, some might say, has Africa not been evangelized more than any other continent and is now exporting missionaries to the West? Can the Africans not take care of their own redemptive needs?

Congregation in Angola

Good questions. They include, however, some underlying assumptions—that the gospel has indeed been preached extensively in modern Africa, and that quality indigenous training programs exist for the balanced spiritual formation of pastors and church leaders.

In Africa, many false gospels are preached. This is a growing concern in evangelical circles. The impressive statistics about growth of Christianity in Africa may not reflect the depth of understanding of converts. In fact, many may not be converted to Christ at all, but rather to shadows of the Christian message.

A typical example of what has happened is in Cameroon. Note the words of Anatole Dlordon, a Christian worker who has been there, published in the August edition of the U.K.-based Evangelical Times: “Since the 1960s and ’70s, Pentecostal and Charismatic groups have made great advances in the Cameroon, resulting in a multitude of ‘lively’ churches that lack teaching in the fundamental truths of the Bible.

“Added to the above problems, the churches have absorbed Cameroonian society’s tribalism, paganism and low moral standards. Little wonder that extreme sects abound under the banner of Christianity.”

This has been my own experience of working in Africa—“extreme sects abound.” Sadly, the worst of the Western self-styled evangelists seem to have taken Africa by storm, and have led hundreds of thousands captive into whipped-up emotionalism and false hope.

Men and women, young and old alike, sincere in their beliefs, inexperienced, some fresh from seminaries, their minds often full of badly constructed theologies, have assaulted African spirituality with misinformation and garbled gospels that distort the grace of Christ.

Tite Tienou, a theologian born in Burkina Faso, adds his voice to the increasing number of Christian thinkers who express concern over what is regarded as a deep crisis in African Christianity. He refers to the “Health and Wealth” gospel exponents who feature so heavily on television, radio and through other media.

“Numerous preachers have convinced multitudes of Africans that prosperity awaits them if they join the Christian faith. No wonder there is little by way of serious reflection on suffering.… Telling Africans they deserve to be rich is … the proclamation of a truncated gospel” (from “The State of the Gospel in Africa,” by Tite Tienou, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 2001, page 161).

Some doubt whether sufficient consideration has been given to consistently ground believers in the faith. Perhaps for many who received the missionary messages, it was just an outward transfer of religious allegiance for reasons other than personal conviction of sin, repentance and acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice.

Cultural, economic and safety factors were relevant. In a pluralist society, such as Africa is and also such as is now dominant in the West, it is easy to add fragments of Christianity to one’s personal faith mix.

Rene Daidanso ma Djongwe, a theologian from Chad, writes: “Africa has many problems, but God is working.... One of the problems in Africa is that many church leaders are really pagan at heart…. I’m not afraid to preach this to members, pastors or bishops…. The great commission also says to make disciples.”

He notes the fact that little concerted effort has been made to instruct new believers. This has caused African Christians to become more susceptible to every wind of doctrine that blows in from the North Atlantic (from “Africa: the Hopeless Continent,” by W. Harold Fuller, in Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 2001, page 158).

What can the Worldwide Church of God do about this? Well, we can join in the cry of alarm, and we have done this and continue to do so.

Groups and individuals contact us and ask us to come and preach balanced doctrine to them. Often they have read of us on the main WCG website or on the African site (africa.wcg.org).

For example, some independent churches in northern Rwanda and also in Liberia, intrigued by our stance against the dualistic nonsense preached by most deliverance and spiritual mapping ministries, have asked us to come and address their own assemblies on the subject of sound practical theology.

The Worldwide Church of God finds itself in a seemingly unique position. Few denominations have undergone a transformation from an error-laden sect to a liberated instrument for Christ and lived to tell the tale. This enables us to see clearly other groups trapped in heresy and legalism.

Anatole Dlordan notes that “doctrines of grace are little understood and are ignored by most churches, in spite of such doctrines being in their traditional creeds…. Charismatic practices and Catholic dogma contrary to Scripture remain unchallenged....

“The most urgent need—and the key to the future health of the church—remains in establishing proper theological training for those leading the churches. The task facing us here is enormous” (Evangelical Times, August 2005, page 16).

The WCG conducts major conferences around Africa, such as the one that took place near Johannesburg, South Africa, in June, with Joseph and Tammy Tkach.

Not only do our own people get reminded of the fundamentals of Christian teaching, but pastors and teachers from other groups also receive instruction. We are devoted to training as a means of preserving the flock, which was a priority for Paul, Peter and the other New Testament writers.

The growth in the WCG is modest compared to the published growth of Christianity in general in Africa. However, new churches and new converts do come into our fold, as well as new affiliations. I want to assure you that these new people are not being enticed by some unbiblical promises, but to them we preach an undiluted “Christ crucified,” and our aim is to nurture them and build them in the faith of our Lord and Savior.

Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2005