Why Africa?
Africa is the second largest continent in land area and the third largest in population. While Africa has an abundance of natural resources, it remains the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent due to the impact of corrupt governments, corporate exploitation, lack of adequate infrastructure, war, tribal conflict, international trade policies, neo-colonialism, human rights violations, and disease. While the state of Africa is, according to Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, "a scar on the conscience of the world," there are many promising signs when one considers the potential of the African continent.
African Renaissance
African Renaissance is a movement across all of Africa for a "rebirth" of the African continent and, more importantly, the African psyche, which embraces elements of culture, politics, economics, social order, the arts, and religion. The concept and its far-reaching ideals are certainly ones that cannot be ignored by the Christian theologians, scholars, educators, and leaders of Christian ministries working in Africa.
Youthfulness
Africa has the youngest population of any continent in the world, with 41% of the population under the age of 15, according to the Population Reference Bureau 2007 World Population Data Sheet. This places Africa ahead of any other region of the developing world in its youthfulness. The youth of Africa will be the driving force behind the future economic prosperity, social transformation, and growth of the church if children and youth become the focus of church leaders and educational programs that are redemptive.
Explosive Church Growth
In 1900, 82% of the world’s Christians were in Europe or North America. By 2050, that percentage is expected to drop to below 30%. Nigeria alone had 50 million Christians in 2000; it is estimated to have 123 million by the year 2050. The Christian community in the Congo is expected to triple to 121 million. Philip Jenkins’ book, The Next Christendom, is the central text of those projecting the demographic future of the church. In it, Jenkins writes "that while many believe that Christianity is a Western religion that has been on loan to other parts of the world, in fact it is a Near-Eastern and North African religion that has been traveling for the past 2000 years."
While Africa is experiencing explosive church growth, many would contend that the church in Africa is a mile wide and only an inch deep. Discipleship has not followed evangelism. In addition, the church is dealing with the beginnings of post-modern philosophy at the leadership level, where they lack competent leadership skills and are poorly qualified to lead the church to the next level through in-depth teaching and discipleship.
To maintain the momentum and preserve the fruit of current evangelistic efforts, the church must take seriously the need to invest in the next generation who are largely being ignored in the current frenzy to multiply the numbers. Children and youth are easily influenced for the Gospel when given the opportunity. A recent nationwide survey by the Barna Research Group of California, determined that if a person has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior before the age of 14, the likelihood that they ever will is extremely small. The data shows that people from ages five through thirteen have a 32% probability of accepting Christ; ages 14 through 18 have a 4% likelihood; adults (ages 19 through death) have only a 6% probability of making that choice.
Human Development
Human development is one of the major challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) today. Human capital is a critical factor in the fight to reduce poverty. While there is great hope for an African renaissance, no country or continent has succeeded with the levels of human development as low as that found in the majority of African countries today (The World Bank).
Education
If Africa is to move forward, there will need to be a massive development of quality educational programs in every country. The need for effective educational programs is overwhelming all across the subcontinent. The improvements must include, at a minimum, a focus on quality primary education, additional secondary educational opportunities, vocational and technical training programs, education for orphans, addressing the shortage of teachers, and the reduction of the impact of HIV/AIDS on education.
Health/Nutrition
Africa is racked with disease that impacts every level of society. Disease will need to be reduced, adequate health care will need to be provided for illnesses that are easily curable, and people must be educated to the cause and effect relationship of uncontrolled sexual behavior and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Social Protection
The care and protection of children is paramount to solving many of the issues in Africa. The elimination of child labor, child soldiers, sexual exploitation, and the improvement of orphan care are all issues that continue to plague the continent. Without attention to the children and youth of the next generation of laborers and leaders; teachers and technicians; developers and doctors; and engineers and entrepreneurs, the dream of an African renaissance will be lost and will die with them.
While all of this is true of Africa, those of us in the West need to "change the conversation" with our African brothers and sisters. Young African professionals are calling for a change in the conversation. They are saying, "We are not a continent of down-and-outs." We are reminded by African leaders, such as Andrew Rugasira of Uganda and George Ayittey of Ghana, that no country in the world has developed through handouts. Africans are saying, “Don’t have pity on us, but come and partner with us. Our land is filled with opportunity and promise. We are resourceful people, and we want to engage with the family of nations in genuine relationships that will move our continent forward economically, socially, and spiritually.”
African leaders are prepared to accept responsibility for their future and are prepared to chart a new course. They are looking for opportunities to engage in dialog with organizations that are ready to consider them as equal partners.
African Leadership is well-positioned to enter into the conversation with African leaders and to partner for the purpose of God-breathed social and spiritual transformation by investing into the creation of a generation of servant leaders. In the words of Larry Warren, founder and president of African Leadership, "We believe there will be no lasting change in Africa until there is a change in leadership – until there is Godly leadership."
