The massive Christian growth in Ghana and some Africa countries has not reflected in the socio, economic and political life of the continent. The center of gravity of World Christianity has shifted to the southern hemisphere, with Africa becoming one of the beneficiary continents. Ironically, Africa remained the continent with unacceptable and unconscionable high rates of inherently endemic poverty, economic dependence, unemployment, corruption, fraud, violence, civil strife and wars, human rights abuses, injustice, illiteracy, disease etc. on one hand and very low quality of health care, education, economic development, self-reliance, etc. on the other. As a result, the able-bodied young people of Africa, who do not see hope and opportunities for their future in the continent, are forced to illegally migrate to Europe, USA, etc. through very unsafe or risky avenues with many of them ending up dying in the Mediterranean Sea while others are being openly auctioned in some northern African countries. There is a disconnect and huge gulf between the tremendous growth and deepening of Christianity and the social transformation in Africa as a whole and in individual African nations, such as Ghana. A vacuum that must be deliberately and strategically filled.
The challenge confronting the contemporary African Christianity or the Christian community in Africa is translating the massive growth of Christianity into sustainable relevant social transformation. The church must influence public policies, the very domain where decisions that affect Christian communities all over Africa are made and implemented. Moreover, with sound Christian faith, values, and perspectives, the Christian church and communities must contribute to the shaping of worldviews of the people in the Christian churches towards social transformation in Africa. The relevance of the contemporary African Christianity is closely related to the roles of the Christian Churches in matters of good governance, peace, sustainable development, accountability, integrity of elections, human rights, equal opportunities, justice, and social transformation.
The center of influence of the Christian church remains with its leadership. The ability of the Christian leaders and leadership (both lay and ordained) who are well equipped and passionate to bring faith values and perspectives into and to drive public life is what is needed to pursue the Christian church’s civic responsibility, commitment, stewardship, and advocacy ministry towards influencing social transformation of the larger African Christian community.
Christian Churches have played significant roles in governance and social life in Africa over the centuries. However, the efforts over the years have been more of official Christian church leadership representatives on Ecumenical bodies without the commitment of Christian professionals and individual Christians in various leadership positions in the larger society in Africa.
The Christian church’s social impact contributions have merely been more of intercessory and service than proactive social advocacy and sustainable transformational actions that would directly touch and impact the life of society on earth.
In essence, the current explosion or massive growth of the Christian church and faith presents the larger African Christian community and family with distinctly new opportunities, challenges, and avenues for ministry. With the massive growth in the Christian family, in Africa, comes the time and opportunity for serious attention to be paid to the capacity development of Christian church and the individual Christians in leadership positions. This will require and create room for effective Christian advocacy ministry, a challenge that the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa wants to vigorously pursue and champion in the entire Africa. We intend to do this through constructive collaborations with members of the larger Christian community i.e. Christian leaders, Christian Professionals, National and International Ecumenical Bodies, Theological Seminaries, Academic Institutions, Department of Religious Studies in Public Universities, Research Institutions etc. in Africa. The advocacy would enable a concerted and coordinated common goal and focus for us all.
You are warmly welcome to Alliance of Christian Advocacy Africa.
