African Christianity

Christianity in Africa entered a new phase last week: for the first time in the two centuries that missionaries have been sowing the Gospel seed among the continent's jungles, veldts and hills, the Protestant churches of Africa met together. Some 200 leaders gathered for a ten-day All-Africa Church Conference at St. Anne's Anglican Girls' School at Ibadan, Nigeria.

The delegates came from 21 African countries, from French, English, Belgian and Portuguese colonies, from such independent states as Ghana, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and the Union of South Africa. They included Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed and "soldiers" of the Salvation Army. The ten days they spent together aired out many a mind that had been shut up in tribal parochialism. Said Anglican Archdeacon Erisa K. Masaba: "We in Uganda don't accept the Christians from our neighboring territory of Kenya as real Christians. For me it is a surprise to see members of different churches worshiping together here, and from now on I'm going to look at the Kenya Christians as just the same as ourselves."

Two Roman Catholic priests were present as observers. Also on hand were Dr. W. A. Visser 't Hooft, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Dr. John Mackay, honorary chairman of the International Missionary Council. South African Novelist Alan (Cry the Beloved Country) Paton was named one of a five-man committee to explore ways and means of developing the Ibadan conference into a continuing association.

Major problems discussed centered around African sex and marriage customs such as the importance of the "bride-price" and the practice of female circumcision Some delegates advised against moving too fast in eliminating either, on grounds that to most Africans the bride price is the most tangible token of a marriage and that uncircumcised girls under present circumstances find it almost impossible to get anyone within their own tribes to marry them. "Hasty action," said one delegate, "will only create new problems--problems of husbandless women roaming the streets."

Delegates reported that Islam is making strong strides among Africans in competition with Christianity. Warned Anglican Bishop Solomon Odutola of Eastern Nigeria: "The spirit behind Islam is 'What shall I do to be saved?" The average person prefers Islam's simple answer of what to do. It appeals to him more than Christianity's deeper and more complicated method of what to be, to be saved."

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