Featured African Christianity surges

The question would have on this would be is the growth surge among pentacosts/Charasmatrics, or among more regular rank and file Christians? Just curious, as those groups are growing big, but much of what the saved are getting theology wise by those group are HIGHLY suspect and dubious!

 

I'm sure there are wheat and tares on every continent. The harvest will reveal what is genuine.

 

that is very good news, as my concern is that much of what is passing as Christianity today in say Africa and South America is really an offshoot of Charasmatic Chaos, so good to hear sole solid teaching/traing also in there! Best way to combat that false theology is with sold bilical one!

 

Having been to Uganda a few times, and knowing personally several missionaries in Africa, and doing a lot of studying of the world's people groups, most of the "Christians" in Africa are just Christian in name. There is a ton of Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism in Africa, as well as a lot of prosperity type preachers that don't even preach the Gospel.

One of my missionary friends to Congo told me when he was in Congo he went to some "churches", they called themselves Christians, but he said their practices and beliefs did not resemble Christianity at all, I think he may have even made the comment that it didn't even look like nominal American "Christianity".

There is a lot of syncretism in Africa of "Christianity" and ethnic religion (spirit worship, ancestor worship, witch doctors, etc).
I know of several groups in Uganda that are "Christian" but do not have Scripture in the language they speak...

 

That is the real tragedy of Africa--literally hundreds of people groups do not have the Scriptures in their heart language, and can be deceived. We are not fulfilling the Great Commission until every group has its own Scriptures. That is why our church, which supports a church planting movement in Africa, has now instituted an M.A. in Bible Translation in our seminary.

 

That is why we have to define and know what Christianity is being taught in those areas!

 

Absolutely.

When I was in Africa, the city I was in was filled with Christian references: buildings, signs, taxis, etc., etc. But getting to know the area and listening to the missionaries, we questioned the brand of Christianity usually displayed.

More in the sticks, there is still much left of superstitious spiritism. If the city Christianity does not reach out to the jungle people groups, they are a failure. But to be fair, many of the jungle people come into the cities quite often.

 

I recently listened to a Dr. Voddie Baucham sermon. He is dean of a seminary in Africa, so he has first hand knowledge. He said we have prosperity gospel, jr., here, whereas it’s sr. over there. He said that they have even deceived men into giving them their wives for intercourse. They said by them doing that, it would open their wombs to birth babies. Sickening, just pure unadulterated evil.

 

To think of standing before God the righteous judge with such awful sins in one's past is horrible. The leaders of even the American Charismatic movement have much to answer for.

 

I know there are many commited Christians for jesus out in the field, as knew one who was missionary to Japan for Campus Crusade 4 years, and had 7 converts toi Christ in that time. Just concerned that the bad so called Christianity is one is getting out there many times...

 

Sounds like not of jesus, but of satan!

 

The real problem is that I have friends from my AOG days, who are just as saved as i am, agree on much doctrines, and yet theri blindness to some fringe Charasmatic chaos messes up the water!

 

I hear you brother, I just began working on ThM in Biblical Languages through Andersonville Theological Seminary. I am hoping in the future to perhaps do some translation work, or at least train some nationals to do it. I'd do love to chat with you sometime about the philosophy of the foreign missionary doing translation work vs nationals doing the translation work themselves.

 

I trust that will go well for you. You'll have to work hard, but I'm sure you're up to it.

By all means. If you want to start a conversation about this through the personal message function of the BB, I'd be happy to converse. Or, start a thread in the Bible translations forum here--though the kibitzers would be on us like syrup on a pancake.

 

Thought I'd change my avatar to reflect this thread. I'm with a Fulani Muslim in this photo. The guy likes the missionary pilot and often gets rides in his airplane.

 

The obvious question is, “Why are there so many new Christians in Africa?”There is, at least in part, a threefold answer.

I am very much in touch w Christianity in Africa. Here are a couple of observations. The majority of what is spoken of revolves around the Properity Gospel and another great percentage around Pentecostalism.

I have worked w pastors in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and Ghana. All have the same story.

According to them, the PG is killing true Christianity afterall they are all very poor. They say that nationalist pastors are given mopeds, laptops and small stipends which inherently serves to strengthen the claims eventhough they are false claims. It also undermines true Church work.

Pentecostalism appeals to their native pagaism

 

A century+ ago, Africa was a savage place, devoid of civilization. Africa was a vacuum. So, it was super easy for English and French to become the standard languages of Africa, and for Christianity and Islam to become the standard religions. Africa even beat America to widespread cell phones, given they didn't have wired phones to compete with cell phones.

Unfortunately, Christianity is Africa is very much Pentecostalism. It's bad enough to get an email from a Nigerian prince needing your money, who'll repay you with great wealth, let alone having the same scammers with you in person.