The church moves south

The church is growing rapidly in the Southern Hemisphere. An African scholar looks at seven reasons for church growth on his continent and the challenges the church must face.

Zebron Masukume Ncube, D.Min., is associate professor of religion, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.

In recent years the Seventh-day Adventist Church, like other churches, has seen a large increase in membership particularly in countries south of the equator. The gospel is even making its way into countries that formerly were closed or difficult to enter.

Missiologist Gerald H. Anderson ob serves that "the center of ecclesiastical gravity in the world is shifting from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere."1 He notes that the old centers of strength and influence in the church are becoming the new peripheries, as the Third World becomes the area of greatest church growth and theological activity.

Anderson believes this growth characterizes a period of ferment and transition. He sees it as a sign of hope and vitality. Sharing the same view is Australian Methodist evangelist Alan Walker, who observes that "now the missionary age is moving into reverse, and the rest of the world must reach out to the West." 2

Looking at the European scene, Marc R. Sprindler asserts that paganism never left Europe, but that it has always been present in history, in the subconscious mind, in ritual, and in literature.3 He makes the point that since atheism, Marxism, Leninism, secularism, and Communism failed to deliver the goods, Europe was led into neopaganism.4 If this observation is correct, then a contrast can be drawn between the world of the apostolic times, which turned to Christianity when the pagan gods and philosophies failed to meet human needs, and Europe, which has resorted anew to paganism.

Sociologists have other ways of looking at and interpreting trends in religious movements. David Moberg suggests that the life cycle of religious movements comprises five stages: 1. The incipient organization, which is characterized by the members' reaction against ritualism and secularism, and the formation of a religious community with a collective excitement. 2. The formal organization, which attempts to develop unity and propagate orthodoxy through creeds. 3. The stage of maximum efficiency, in which statesmen, historians, and apologists emerge. 4. The institutional stage, in which bureaucratic structures dominate, worship deteriorates, creeds are venerated, and intimacy in the group declines. 5. The stage of disintegration, characterized by formalism, absolutism, corruption, halfhearted commitment to teachings, and a lack of responsiveness.5

Eddie Gibbs and other analysts have articulated observations similar to Moberg's regarding ecclesiastical developments and dilemmas.6 In fact, some analysts have concluded that the Christian church, particularly in the West, has gone institutional. Thus in the Adventist Review G. Ralph Thompson warns the Adventist Church against fol lowing the stages most religious movements have gone through. Churches usu ally begin well by evangelizing, but then deteriorate into institutionalism and fossilization.

Persons concerned about the missionary mandate (Matt. 28:18-20) see the church continually gasping for breath in order to survive in a highly technological world. According to statistician David B. Barren, the percentage of the world's population that claims allegiance to Christianity has been staggering around 33 percent since 1900. 8 The population of the world in 1989 was estimated to be 5,200,782,000, and of these, 33.1 per cent are Christians. Barrett projects that by the close of this century the percent age of Christians in the world will in crease slightly to 34 percent. 9

Adventists define their evangelistic mandate differently from the rest of the Christian denominations. While others focus predominantly on the unchurched and the unconverted, Adventists target their evangelism at three groups of people: the unchurched and unconverted who must receive salvation through Jesus Christ, those who are Christians but have not heard the three angels' messages (Revelation 14), and Adventists who must come to a deeper experience of the meaning of discipleship.

Roger L. Dudley, Bruce Wrenn, and Slimen Saliba have studied evangelism in the North American Division and noted that the greatest evangelistic success is among people in the lower socioeconomic levels, ethnic minorities (Blacks and Hispanics), the highly mo bile clusters, persons under 35 years old, and the less educated. The church is not so successful among Caucasians and professional people.10

Those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, Africa in particular, may be tempted to clap our hands as we seem to outshine our ecclesiastical mother to the north in baptismal figures. Perhaps the ecclesiastical parent herself is even petrified by suddenly becoming aware that age has taken its toll and that she can no longer keep pace with the youthful vigor of the church in the Southern Hemisphere. The Annual Councils may thus become forums of pride for the swift and jealousy for the aging. G. Ralph Thompson rightly warns the church against the secular mode of "judging success by figures."11

There is a way in which statistics be come a form of hypnosis that makes us blind to areas of failure. If a study similar to Dudley, Wrenn, and Saliba's were done in the African territory, it too might demonstrate that the Adventist Church is making most of its success among the lower socioeconomic levels.

Generally, the majority of converts in Africa are from the lower levels of society. Of course, as Dudley, Wrenn, and Saliba cautioned, we should not despise our success among the lower levels. The point is that those who are shaping the direction of the world are hard or seemingly impossible to reach. Higher classes in society continue to be a great challenge for Christian missions.

Why churches grow

The delicate balance between what God does and what we do makes it difficult to enumerate the factors contributing to growth. But it is possible to interpret that which our perceptions seem to grasp. Accordingly, I would like to suggest some reasons why the Adventist churches in Africa achieve numerical growth. Since Africa is a diverse continent, it is impossible to speak for every body, everywhere. My purpose here is to share general observations and impressions.

1. Members of growing churches demonstrate a public commitment to God by regularly attending religious activities. A sense of fellowship usually accompanies this commitment. This is especially true of African churches because of their rich cultural sense of community.

Africans are culturally gregarious and respond naturally to religious gatherings. It is often easy to gather an audience at short notice. The Sabbath morning service does not mark the end of the day's activities. Church members usually have a variety of religious activities during the afternoon. They meet for discussion groups, Bible studies, choir practices, visits in homes, hospitals, and prisons.

This participation in religious activities fosters healthy religious experience. Faith needs to be nurtured in the context of fellowship, otherwise it dies. An African proverb suggests that it takes more than one stick to make a fire and cook a meal. In the same way, it takes more than one person to accomplish a task.

2. Growing churches put emphasis on their young people. The church in Africa is growing because the young people are vibrant. They have a strong sense of be longing despite insufficient building facilities and a lack of trained youth personnel. They often conduct their meetings under the trees and run successful open-air evangelistic campaigns. The elderly play a supportive role, but the youth are the ones who get things done.

3. Growing churches have a strong sense of ownership when it comes to church goals and objectives. Many of the believers own very little in terms of worldly possessions, and the church is the only institution they have whose future they can determine. As a result of a severe shortage of pastors, many churches in Africa are self-governing and self-propagating. Hence the members are willing to give their lives for the church.

4. Churches that grow have pastors who believe strongly that Christ is coming soon. The pastors in Africa do not preach what some have termed "atheistic Christianity" a Christianity without a religious experience. They do not preach the "God is dead" theology. Instead, they identify strongly with primitive Adventism. Belonging to the remnant church and believing in the imminent return of Christ motivate their preaching and their mission.

In an interview published in Christianity Today F. F. Bruce, one of the most outstanding biblical scholars today, was asked if he believed we are now living in the last days. Bruce declared: "I have no idea."12 Contrary to Bruce, the apostles were clear on this question. They believed theirs were the last days. Certainly Seventh-day Adventist preachers must plug into the spirit of the apostles if they are to minister effectively. This is what marks the difference between a growing church and a dying one.

5. Churches that grow do not allow themselves to become the political arm of the state. Adventist churches in Africa avoid spearheading political ideologies. Churches that have mixed motives neutralize their impact on society and suffer evangelistic paralysis.

6. Churches that grow take public evangelism seriously, not just as some thing to be done by professionals or trained male pastors. The fascinating feature in African church life is that women and youth do public evangelism. Evangelism in Africa is a combined effort by pastors and laity.

7. Finally, growing churches take ad vantage of the direction the Holy Spirit is moving. We in Africa believe that the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully on the African continent a land once known as the "dark continent." The Holy Spirit has turned things around, and Africa has become the land of the rising sun. The church that follows the direction of the Holy Spirit will definitely experience growth.

Challenges ahead

The apparent success in Africa needs to be closely monitored lest we miscalculate the trends on the battlefield. I suggest that the momentum of growth will not be maintained indefinitely because there is always a relationship between socioeconomic trends and church growth.

Already Africa is becoming more urban than rural. This means that the church is going to face an uphill journey in its soul-winning task. Should the church slow down to chew the cud of its past victories, it will awaken too late to have a significant impact on society.

Satan always works to counteract what the church does. For that reason he should not be taken for granted. Jesus Himself never underestimated the activities of the devil. Ellen G. White points out that "Christ was constantly con fronted with apparent failure."13 In deed, this is the state in which the Adventist Church in Africa finds itself.

Of course, we must understand that church growth refers to more than just accessions in membership. Church growth is primarily a stewardship. It takes into consideration everything in the life of the church numerical gains and losses, theological and doctrinal reflections, financial and structural stability, and discipleship. On the one hand, the task of mission is to gather new converts; on the other, it is to make disciples of those who already believe.

John S. Mbiti, a pioneer in the study of African religions and theology, states that "wherever the African is, there is his religion."14 How much we wish that such could be said of every Adventist in Africa! Until we can say "Wherever Adventists are, there is their Christianity," church growth will not have been fully achieved. This is the acid test of a successful church.

There are issues the church in Africa must still face. Foremost is the continuing need for the authentic expression of the gospel within the African context. C. Rene Padilla once remarked that the church in Latin America was a church without theological reflection of its own.15 Similarly, for many years the churches in Africa have been dependent on the West not only financially but also theologically.

In recent years Seventh-day Adventist churches in Africa have gradually assumed their responsibility. However, there is still a lot to be done, particularly in the areas of music, theology, and liturgy.

Many of the church hymnals need thorough revision to bring them into harmony with the tastes of the new generation church. It can be observed that most of the church hymns in Africa are translations of old Western hymns. Naturally, the grandeur of meaning and expression of those poetic hymns is difficult to translate into the vernacular. Some times the meaning is distorted because of the inadequacy of human language. And many of the hymns are never sung.

Theologically, Africans are beginning to address issues that pertain to their motherland. But this theological dialogue needs coordination and a forum. The harnessing of theological minds on the continent is important especially when we consider the regional diversity represented here.

In terms of developing a meaningful liturgy for African churches, little has been done. I remember listening to a church elder's Sabbath morning announcements. He said that at a meeting attended by some pastors it had been decided that the benediction song that fol lowed the closing prayer should be dis continued simply because it did not appear in the church manual.

Numerical growth is a blessing. But it also exposes the Adventist Church in Africa to a host of problems and challenges. We must remain humble in our success and ever allow the Holy Spirit to show us the way to go.

1. Cited in Gerald H. Anderson, "American Protestants in Pursuit of Mission: 1886-1986," International Bulletin of Missionary Research (IBMR), July 1988, p. 114.

2. Ibid., p. 115.

3. IBMR, January 1987, p. 8.

4. Ibid., p. 9.

5. David O. Moberg, The Church as a Social Institution (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), pp. 118-124.

6. See Derek Tidball, The Social Context of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1984), pp. 123-136.

7. Myron Widmer, "Interview With G. Ralph Thompson," Adventist Review, June 4, 1987, p. 10.

8. IBMR, January 1988, p. 17; see also IBMR, January 1987, p. 25.

9. IBMR, January 1989, p. 21.

10. See "Who Are(n't) We Baptizing?" Ministry, April 1989, pp. 4-8. See also their earlier study and summary, "Marketing Our Church," Ministry, February 1987, pp. 4-8.

11. Widmer, p. 10.

12. "F. F. Bruce: A Mind for What Matters," Christianity Today, Apr. 7, 1989, p. 25.

13. Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1940), p. 678.

14. John S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (New York Doubleday and Co., 1969), p. 2.

15. C. Rene Padilla, "A Church Without Theology," Christianity Today, Feb. 1, 1974, p. 49.


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Zebron Masukume Ncube, D.Min., is associate professor of religion, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.

August 1990

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