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Evangelistic Practice – Africa. Jan. 12, 2011. Emmanuel Ayodeji Okegbile. African evangelism. African evangelism in this context is the spread and response to Christianity in African continent.
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Evangelistic Practice – Africa. Jan. 12, 2011. Emmanuel AyodejiOkegbile
African evangelism. • African evangelism in this context is the spread and response to Christianity in African continent.
Christianity and Africa – The Christian Church entered Africa in the apostolic age. The two popular centres were Alexandria and Carthage.
God in African belief/Spirituality – Unique in heaven, on earth, and supreme over all. Obedience to God forms the foundation and all-governing principle of community and life for Africans.
. Knowledge of a God (force) – The Creator, King, Omnipotent, all-wise, all-knowing, all-seeing, Judge, Immortal, and Holy.
Representation of God through ATR – (Traditional resources of supernatural succour). Africans are bound together as a community through language, traditions, religious beliefs and practices – sacrifice and issue of deity, festival and harvest celebrations, naming, marriage, and burial ceremonies.
Introduction and revival of western Christianity in Africa: Three historical streams constitute African evangelism and evangelistic practices:
Missionary: Roman Catholic and Protestant evangelism – catechism, school, medical evangelism, and other social actions. • Impact of Enlightenment and Africans response.
African Instituted Church evangelism – • Re-awakening of African spirituality and prophetic campaign through the vitality of the presence of Holy Spirit with emphasis on holiness, worship, vision, prophecy, healing, miracle, prayer and fasting. • The practice and spirituality of the Christian calendar year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost).
Classical African Pentecostal evangelism – Apostolic movements, Aladura churches- Apostle Babalola, Ositelu, Harris.
Pentecostal evangelism – Full blow evangelism based on apostolic teachings and practices (Traditionalism and institutionalism to spiritual warfare).
Modern African Pentecostal/Charismatic evangelism (Born-again preachers and impacts of the students’ Evangelical movements of the 1960s and 1970s) – Idahosa, Kumuyi, and Adeboye in Nigeria, Mensa Otabil in Ghana, Moi in Kenya, Simeon Kayiwa in Uganda, Ezekiel Kuti and Andrew Wutawanashe in Zimbabwe.
Impact of International evangelists/and use of electronics: T.L Osborn, Billy Graham, Benny Hinn, Bonnke, Morris Cerullo.
Common theological patterns and evangelistic practices in Africa. • Christ as the Saviour. • Christ as the Baptizer. • Christ as the Healer. • Christ as the soon coming King. • Priesthood of all believers – Apostle, Pastor, Teacher, Evangelist and Prophet. • Spirituality of the community life and Christian calendar year.
Common evangelistic practices/ teachings. • Holiness – repentance from sin (through the Holy Spirit). • Preaching God’s laws and stirring the consciences of the hearers with God’s demands (Acts. 3:19). • Apostolic teachings and practices – fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers and fasting, signs and wonders, praise, Holy Ghost service (Acts 2:42 – 3:1). • Meal sharing, hymns, word, revelation, speaking in tongue, interpretation and prophecy (1Cor. 11:14). • Others – Laying of hands, use of anointing oil, water, deliverance, prosperity etc.
African evangelism and its impacts in the western world – • UK: Ashimolowo. • Ukraine: Adelaja. • USA: Adeboye.
African evangelism and the next Christendom – evangelising the North (African Bishops and Lambeth Conference). • Consecration of gay bishop and African bishops opposition.