One of the most compelling facts about the state of present-day Christianity is that it is growing by leaps and bounds in the third world. A growing number of observers clearly recognize, for example, the fact of the explosion of the church in the poorest continent on earth: Africa. For example, Drs. Mark Shaw and Steve Morad of Africa International University, Nairobi, Kenya, concurred in a slightly dated documentary by the Africa Inland Mission (AIM), that the African Church might be the most dynamic church in the world today (Leadership Development: Africa Inland Mission CD, 2003).
Closer to home, this view was recently emphasized by Joshua Benton, Dallas Morning News’ staff writer when he wrote on the May 21, 2005 issue: “For centuries, Christianity has been primarily a white, European and North American religion. But the explosive growth of Africa and Asia, combined with the success of evangelization there, will change that forever” (Joshua Benton, “Southern Cross,” The Dallas Morning News, Dallas, 2005, 5G). Missiologists have long estimated that there are approximately 20,000 conversions a day in the African continent alone. This conclusion was emphasized in recent Pew Research Center’s own David McClendon, who contends that “If demography is destiny, then Christianity’s future lies in Africa. By 2060, a plurality of Christians—more than four-in-ten—will call sub-Saharan Africa home, up from 26% in 2015, according to a new analysis of demographic data by Pew Research Center. At the same time, the share of Christians living in many other regions—notably Europe—is projected to decline” (David McClendon, “Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to growing shares of the world’s Christians and Muslims,” Pew Research Center, accessed 5/24/2020).
However, encouraging as these figures seem to indicate, that is not the complete picture of the story. When confronted with this data, serious observers must ask themselves whether or not there is a matching percentage of training and discipling of these bulging numbers of converts. In fact, as Dr. Shaw rightly observed in the AIM documentary previously mentioned, “the same rain that brings up flowers brings toads, mushrooms and all those other things,” Which brings us to the question of the real need of the church in Africa. I wish to contend that the real need of the church in Africa today is to teach the Word of God to existing Christians so that they may grow in their spirituality and be able to reach others for Christ. Within the semantic rage of my contention are such concepts as “Leadership Development,” “Discipleship,” “Leadership Training,” etc. The point is the same: Christianity in Africa is now beyond just mere literacy training.
This brings me to the need of theologically-sound Bible Colleges in Africa. Several factors have led to my conclusion. Even though there can be many reasons leading to this conclusion, three seem topmost on the list. These are: first, the reality of syncretism in the church in Africa, and, second, lessons from the history of the church in and theological education in Africa, and, third, the poor state of evangelical scholarship in Africa today. These three will illustrate the need for sound theological education in Africa, which led to the launching of Uganda Bible College by White Fields in August of 2019.
First, there is the issue of the reality of syncretism. Syncretism is understood as the mixing of faiths. In the case of Africa, this usually involves the mixing of Christian beliefs and practices with the beliefs and practices of Africa Traditional Religions (ATR). The Church in Africa has long suffered from this malady. And it is in no better situation today. The same issue of the Dallas Morning News we quoted earlier, proudly, had this as the title of one of its articles: “Moved by the Spirit: Nigerians Blend Catholicism [with] Traditional Beliefs” (Joshua Benton; Staff Writer: Dallas Morning News; May 22, 2005, Page 1 A). True, part of this syncretism has been an honest attempt by Christians in Africa to contextualize Christianity. Of course, nobody objects to the fact that there were some flaws in the early evangelization of Africa in that some missionaries summarily rejected most of the Africa beliefs and practices as heathen. The late Dallas Seminary Missiologist, Larry J. Waters, correctly observes: “Missionaries tended to remain associated with colonization and business efforts. The Missionaries lived among other Europeans and believed that their task was to bring civilization as an integral part of Christianity” (Larry J. Waters, Introduction to World Missions 101 A. Dallas Theological Seminary, [2004–2005], 93, emphasis added).
But this overstep by the earlier missionaries does not, in any way, warrant an attempt to do contextualization that is not critically based on the unchanging truth of the Word of God. Contextualization must never be an uncritical amalgamation of the elements of culture deemed good and an intentional overlooking or even incorporating the evil in the culture. The other seeming reason for this unending syncretism in the church in Africa seems is a continued feeling that “Christ alone” is not enough to deal with the woes continually afflicting the people of Africa, Christians included. Otherwise, how does one explain a situation whereby church elders (sometimes even pastors) who have led the church for a considerable amount of time end up in a witchdoctors hut in the event of a severe problem in the family such as death or serious illness? Is it that they have not met the Christ of the Bible? Do they really understand that we are in this world only temporarily, and as such, we must suffer? Do they really understand that Christ alone is enough, whether in times of trouble or in times of wellbeing? My answer to these questions is that it is highly likely that these people have met with Christ. The real problem is that they have not been thoroughly taught what it means to declare Christ alone to be the sole master of our lives no matter what. Gregg Okesson, formerly a Lecturer at Scott Christian University, Machakos, Kenya, contends that these elders are well-meaning people who are completely handicapped by lack of theological training, which inevitably leads to syncretism. (Leadership Development: Africa Inland Mission, CD, 2003). Thus, if one is to seriously think about dealing with the problem of syncretism in the Church in Africa, he/she must begin by seriously thinking about how these vast masses of leaders should be trained.
Second, there are some historical reasons. A key myth concerning the history of African Christianity states that Christianity was only introduced in the continent of Africa by eighteenth and nineteenth century-missionaries for the first time. History, however, tells a different story. For example, Eusebius wrote, “Mark, they also say, being the first that was sent to Egypt, proclaimed the gospel there which he had written, and first established churches at the city of Alexandria,” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 16). Further, Eusebius dates the arrival of Mark in Egypt at “the third year of Claudius” (i.e., A.D. 43). There have been some controversies concerning Eusebius’ timeline here. According to The Acts of Mark, Mark ministered in Boukolou (Alexandria), where visitors can still see his tomb as tradition states that he was martyred in Alexandria in A. D. 66 during a pogrom against the Jews by the Roman government. As Mark Shaw notes, “Until more evidence is produced, we should neither rule out St. Mark’s role in Egyptian Christianity nor endorse the tradition as it stands,” (Mark Shaw, The Kingdom of God in Africa, 26). What is beyond doubt, however, is the fact of the presence of Christianity firmly in Egypt, North Africa the very century it was born. By the second century, Christianity was beginning to mature in Africa in terms of its doctrinal controversies and practices.
If this was the case, the question remains, what really happened to the thriving Church in Africa to the extent whereby, at least for sub-Saharan Africa, the Gospel had to be once-again reintroduced by the Missionaries in the eighteenth century? What about those Christian centers that were thriving in Nubia in the Middle Ages? Can we learn some lessons from the collapse of such Christianity once described in terms of “roomy houses, churches with much gold and …gardens?” (Shaw, 94). Mark Shaw has identified four important reasons for the collapse of the thriving Christianity in Nubia: one, sheer lack of evangelism; two, Isolation from the mother church in Egypt due to hostile forces; three; lack of leaders and four, clerical monopoly of worship (Shaw, 97–98). Without a doubt, these reasons, and especially the issue of lack of trained leaders, continue to serve as warning signs to the thriving Church in Africa today. Thus, as the ancient Chinese proverb warns, “he who dwells on the past loses an eye but he who forgets the past loses both eyes.”
Finally, there is the question of the state of theological and Bible Colleges in Africa today. According to my personal observation (as an African theologian who has taught theology in African and the United States), there is a noticeable curricula shift in several theological and Bible Colleges from the focus on the more foundational courses such as Biblical Languages, O.T., NT, Theology and Church History to more “professional” and “practical courses” such as Pastoral Theology, Counseling as well as extremely contextualized approaches (like “African Theology”). While the shift s done under the guise of “contextualization,” it results in producing church leaders whose primary focus is “application.” Without the proper foundation upon which to found one’s application, it is clear that faith will end up being built on “sand” rather than “solid rock.” I am convinced that Uganda Bible College, whose biblical and theological foundations are sound and solid, provides the best kind of training for leaders of the Church, particularly in East and Central Africa. The graduates will be ready to provide sound leadership to believers in Africa as the continent continues to experience exponential growth in Christianity and moves steadily towards becoming the center of Christianity in the coming decades.
Written by Dr. Jeremiah Mutie
Board Member of White Fields
Professor of Theology and Church History, Southern California Seminary
Originally from Kenya, Dr. Mutie received his Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree from Scott Theological College in Kenya where he majored in Bible and Theology. After moving to the United States in 2003, Mutie earned his Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, majoring in Historical Theology and Academic Ministries. Mutie graduated from Dallas Seminary with his Ph.D. in Historical Theology in 2013.
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