Each year, Black History Month invites us to reflect not only on the struggles and achievements of Black communities but also wrestle with the deeper spiritual questions that shape our identity and faith.
One recurring challenge is the misconception that Christianity is merely a “white man’s religion.”
So, let’s unpack this.
A Painful History
This view often stems from a very real and painful past. It is true that Christianity was at times distorted and weaponised to uphold slavery and colonialism. Passages of Scripture were torn from their context to excuse cruelty, while systems of exploitation were cloaked in the language of religion.
Additionally, many colonial missionaries dismissed African traditions wholesale, branding them as “pagan” or “uncivilised.” Names were changed, music and rituals were suppressed, and ancestral wisdom was often silenced. The message, though unintended by some, was often seen as: to be Christian was to deny one’s Africanness.
God’s Love for the Whole World
Yet, this distortion does not reflect the heart of the Gospel, which is a God whose love knows no borders: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were never for one race alone. The Gospel is radically inclusive.
The Bible consistently affirms this vision. Galatians 3:28 declares that in Christ “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Revelation 7:9 paints a glorious picture of heaven filled with people from “every nation, tribe, people and language” worshipping before God’s throne.
From the beginning to the end of Scripture, the message is clear: the Kingdom of God is beautifully multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural.
The True Origins of Christianity
In fact, Christianity was not born in London, Rome, or Washington—it was born in the Middle East. Jesus was a Jewish man from Nazareth, rooted in the traditions of Israel (John 1:45; Luke 4:16; Romans 9:4-5). The first followers were Jewish men and women, and the earliest churches spread throughout the Near East and North Africa long before Europe embraced the Gospel (Acts 1:13-14; Acts 2:5; Acts 11:19-20; Acts 13:1; Acts 18:24).
Even in the New Testament, we see Africa woven into the Christian story. In Acts 8 (27-39), the Ethiopian eunuch becomes one of the first non-Jewish converts, carrying the Gospel home to Africa. Simon of Cyrene, a man from North Africa, carried Jesus’ cross on the way to Calvary (Mark 15:21). Church fathers like Augustine of Hippo, Athanasius, and Tertullian - all Africans - shaped the foundations of Christian theology that we still stand on today.
Furthermore, countless enslaved Africans discovered in Christ a God who saw their suffering, heard their cries, and promised freedom. They clung to the story of the Exodus, where God liberated His people from Egypt. They sang spirituals that carried hidden hope, sometimes even hidden maps to freedom. Their faith was not borrowed—it was their own.
The same Bible used by some to justify oppression was the very book that inspired movements for abolition, civil rights, and justice. Figures like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Martin Luther King Jr. drew their strength not from man-made religion but from the God of justice and mercy.
A Diverse Church
Today, the global Church is enriched by the distinct gifts of Black Christians given by the Holy Spirit.
The God of the Bible does not erase culture—He redeems it. The Creator who fashioned every nation also treasures the beauty of African expression.
Worship that is vibrant, embodied, and rooted in community is one of the great treasures the Black Church brings to the world. From the call-and-response of gospel preaching to the soul-stirring songs of praise, from heartfelt testimonies to the dance of joy in worship, Black Christians have infused the Church with resilience and creativity that point back to God’s greatness.
This is the beauty of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 12:4-5). Each culture brings its own “flavour” of worship, yet all lift up the same Saviour. We do not lose our identity in Christ; rather, we find it redeemed and woven into God’s great tapestry of grace.
Conclusion: One Family, One Saviour
Christianity is not, and has never been, the possession of one race or culture. It is not a “white man’s religion.” It did not originate in Europe, nor was it crafted as a tool for oppression. The misuse of faith by some for that purpose should not erase the truth of the Gospel itself.
Christianity is a global faith, rooted in a Saviour, Jesus Christ, born into Judaism. The Christian faith was spread by the power of the Holy Spirit, embraced by people across continents and centuries.
Black History Month reminds us that the story of Christianity is also the story of Africa and the African diaspora. It is a story of struggle, yes, but also of endurance, creativity, and unshakable faith. And it is a story that points us forward to the day when every nation and people will stand before the throne of God in unity (Psalm 86:9).
The Gospel is the good news for all people, everywhere.
