The ‘practice’ of Christianity in Africa, is gradually on the verge of a wild goose chase. The more impressive the proliferation of churches (the credibility of which cannot be truly ascertained), the higher the population of indecisive religious tourists, who continuously fall victims of marketing hype!
The second coming of Christ as detailed in the Bible, is bound to happen only “when the Gospel has been preached to the WHOLE earth as a witness”. Why then is the first instinct of an African Pastor focused solely on erecting his core congregational base within the modernized towns and cities where the gospel have, and is still being preached? The other churches are not doing it right? Or perhaps, evangelizing primarily in the rural areas where poverty and idol worship is largely obtainable would not yield much financial patronage..
We just witness a recycling of church members from one denomination to another. The Pentecostal folks, snatching the members of their colleagues next door, while the Methodist and Baptist denominations, ripping-off what they can from the Catholic! (I once attended a church where a major prayer point was for other churches within the town to bow to theirs!).
Christians “winning the souls” of other Christians! Unnecessary and unhealthy competition among churches in Africa. It was never written of Apostle Paul aiming to win over Peter’s congregation, or Matthew prevailing over Luke despite their different scriptural accounts. If each of these Apostles were keen on enforcing their individual philosophies or erecting personal empires with the gospel as opposed to the other, who would have reached the unbelievers?
How many Muslims and Atheists can the average African church claim to have converted, as compared to the number of Christians they’ve won over from other churches? (with their fancy choirs & lavish buildings). How many of the BIG and revered churches (with giant net worth & audacious faith) are spreading to the Middle East and other volatile areas like North Korea for evangelism? Little or None right? With such humongous amount of faith they preach!
[pullquote]Some Pastors surround themselves with bodyguards or substantial amount of protocol teams. For what exactly?[/pullquote]
But why I ask? For fear of persecution? Oh! They’ve got families they love and care for, so it’s practically unwise to die for the gospel at this time. It’s more comfortable to preach about the great exploits of Apostles who died for the sake of the gospel, but when confronted with the same feat in real life, they rather not tread the same path (after all, wisdom is profitable to them that have it!).
Some Pastors surround themselves with bodyguards or substantial amount of protocol teams. For what exactly? To protect themselves from people? Or shield themselves from any impending form of persecution? The target of the gospel in Africa, now reverses from the originally intended evangelical spread of the gospel across borders, to the building of magnificent empires, otherwise nicknamed “building God a house”.
Every church now wants to ‘build God a house!’ (God is everywhere after all, so He’s big enough to live in all of them!). God doesn’t need a house! Even if He needed one, your architectural design doesn’t qualify! He needs you to dust off the materialism, and evangelize around the world!
If African churches can convert the vast resources invested in building and sustaining large congregations, into carrying out evangelical trips across villages (where voodoo is mostly practiced), and to nations that forbids Christianity (without fear of persecution, which is originally the main idea), we would be halfway towards receiving the second coming of Christ!
By Nimi Princewill
Twitter: @princewill_nimi
When are pastors going to start planting churches in boko haram, ISIS, al kada, taliban, etc, etc territories, we need the gospel to touch all corners of the world soonest. It fun even when you tell someone you go to church A, the guy will tell to start going to his church. Worst culprits when it comes to this pentecostals.
Mimi is jealous of those pastor crooks.
Nice article. But according to my understanding the gospel was already preached to the ends of the world and Christ already came in judgement on Israel during the generation of the disciples. Maybe Pastors know this fact , hence no urgency to preach the gospel to the ends of the world.
Mr. Theorist, take your time and study your word of God on this subject. Jesus, is with us in spirit. He however, will come back again,in person.
Nice article. Its a food for thought.
Mwaiche Chipili remove picture, we don’t like honesty people here.
Do you know how much Africans donate to the lauxiouris lifestyles of their pasters ?
Being a pastor or goverment minister in africa is the easiest way to get rich.
poverty, ignorance and poor reading culture are the major factors
Good article and well observed.
Having lived in the village, the old churches commonly known as traditional churches exist there and the word of God is preached.
These churches are well established, however the Pentecostal churches are slowly getting there. The thing to worry most is the speed at which are being introduced. Perhaps the traditional churches had donors and grants from where they originate that helped them to reach out to remote areas.
Something needs to be done to correct the situation especially that we the ministry of religious affairs in place.
But government must check the proliferation of Volvo churches. The pastor shouts whilst preaching in Church I have parked my Volvo outside, every body say Volvo and the church audience shouts back Volvo. You can go to Anglican, Jehovah witness, Roman Catholic, SDA, Methodist, Apostolic, RCZ, Church of Christ and seek God or you can go to the Volvo churches. The choice is yours
Good article. add to the list the Christians for Lungu
We are mandated as believers to make disciples of all nations
You have a point Nimi, the materialistic churches must not be mentioned let alone be seen in the midst of true worshippers. Let those worshipping in spirit and truth flourish and abound and let them go to the extremes of the earth and make disciples. Cursed be the false worshippers who come in the name the true living God
C&21m87;#on man have you read the series? Go back and re-read X-Men #1-#3, then read X-Men Forever #1-#3 and tell me I am wrong. Please I beg you.