Comment la tiédeur freine l'évangile en Afrique depuis le 1e siècle

The Gospel arrived in Africa from its earliest days; some claim that the Evangelist Mark introduced Christianity to Alexandria in the first century. Cyrenaeans were present on the day of Pentecost; one of their number, Simon, had carried the cross of Christ. The Ethiopian eunuch received the Gospel and baptism through divine intervention. Subsequently, North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia received the light of the Gospel.

From the continent emerged Church Fathers such as Tertullian, Athanasius, Augustine, Origen, Clement, Cyprian, and Cyril, some of whom, like Athanasius and Augustine, are among the greatest defenders of Christian orthodoxy. However, it took eighteen centuries for the Gospel to take root in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the unfortunate consequences, still experienced today, is the persistent identification of Christianity with the West and colonization.

If successive generations of Christians had the same fire as the generation of the Apostle Paul, the conversion of Africa would have been completed even before the birth of Islam, some radical elements of which continue to set the continent ablaze. If Christians had retained their fire and the power of the Holy Spirit manifested by the apostles, could the de-Christianization of the Middle East and North Africa have succeeded so completely, despite the Islamic conquest? Perhaps not.

Very early on, the Church in Africa was beset by internal crises, finding itself preoccupied with defending theological positions and perhaps failing in its duty to evangelize. Are we not still dealing with our theological divisions today? Social media and other networks have become the scene of more or less bloody theological disputes, of violent slander between Christians, with the unconverted as bewildered spectators.

However, the work of evangelization is struggling as the West has become de-Christianized, and certain elements are on a mission to mentally de-Christianize Christians and empty Christianity, if not of its texts, at least of the faith in its texts. On the other hand, radical Islamists are determined to Islamize the entire world, through violence when they can, as they have done for centuries, and through seduction.

We need a visceral attachment to the Scriptures and also fiery encounters with His Spirit. Otherwise, we sink into ritual, and the desire and power to reach the lost are lacking. The Paris cathedral will not be razed, the churches of London will continue to exist, but by whom will they be populated? Will we be able to withstand the onslaught and intimidation of the media and society without a continual experience of God and His greatness in His Word and through the Holy Spirit?

And sometimes, in places where we see the Church continuing to exist in lands conquered by Islam, it is more cultural than spiritual. This is the real danger. The political disappearance of the Christian kingdoms of Sudan (Nubia) did not automatically presuppose the disappearance of the faith. Brother Andrew, in his book on Christians in the Middle East, discusses this phenomenon of lukewarmness in the historic churches. A priest of a church that is proud to have been there for two thousand years is saddened to see some of his parishioners join the Pentecostal church in town. They wanted to study the Word of God and did not necessarily like the formal liturgy.

And others are only culturally Christian and attend services only on holidays. But Muslims who convert to Christ have the fire and meet in secret, putting their lives in danger. And their numbers are multiplying despite the ban on Muslims changing their religion. It's striking to see the difference between native Christians who are afraid to evangelize a Muslim and Muslims converted on fire for Christ who take incredible risks to proclaim the Gospel. They have the fire.

This article is an excerpt from the book The Fire of God. Read the second part HERE.

Every generation must ask itself whether it is fulfilling Christ's mandate. Our lack of fire and zeal for evangelism has greater societal and historical consequences than we realize. Read the following.