WARC: Africa is an Inspiration to the Church and the World

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches' (WARC) 24th General Council “Life in Fullness” is now underway in Ghana, Africa. The venue of the Council has provided a good opportunity for worldwide reformed church leaders to rethink how to transform the continent and save its people.

After the vivid worship on the Sunday morning session, in the afternoon, a special Africa Plenary was commenced. Speaking to 400 leaders representing 200 Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational and United churches in over 100 nations, the speech of General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, Mvume Dandala, has revealed his absolute faith towards the power of the Gospel, allowing people to get a glimpse of the continent that differed sharply from the stereotypical portrait of a hopeless continent.

“Our prayer is that the suffering and struggles of Africa borne out of the vestiges of colonial oppression and negative experiences of internal oppression, will inspire your own resolve to constantly urge the entire church of Christ never to surrender to the forces of tyranny, especially in the face of callous dimensions of globalisation,” said Dandala.

Despite the heart-breaking history of Africa due to the slave trade, is “one of the greatest manifestations of human misery of all times”, Dandala said he was continually amazed that Africans have created a legacy of inclusion out of that experience. He commented this is the power of the gospel.

“Liberated Africa has not chosen to make the bitterness of these experiences the basis for a new world,” Dandala said. “Indeed, both directly and indirectly, the encounter with the living Christ has contributed to this African choice.”

Dandala emphasised the work of the African Church, especially on the tense situations in Liberia, the Ivory Coast and Sudan, as well as the HIV/Aids pandemic. He urged churches to speak with courage for justice and peace on the continent.

“The time is now for the church’s concerted efforts to ensure realisation of this renewed vision of Africa. The nightmares of injustice, war and tyranny that still reign over our motherlands have to be dealt with courageously by the church.”

“The Church,” he added, “must play a role in Africa’s future as well. This is the heart of the challenge to the churches in Africa today - to support, strengthen and help entrench this awakening. It is to vigorously defend this awakening from those who will continue to benefit from a process of Africa’s self-destruction.”

“Africa shall overcome...Africa will embrace the abundant gifts that God has bestowed upon her path to a new destiny of peace, justice and prosperity,” Dandala continued.

Concerning the greatest threat to Africa - HIV/ Aids, there is great development in the education programme for HIV/Aids in Uganda. Clergy in Uganda have volunteered to take the HIV/Aids test, showing the way for many others in the country.

Mercy Oduyoye, Director of the Institute of African Women in Religion and Culture in Ghana, commented, “it’s no longer just our problem. It is a global problem and we are in the global picture working on this.”

“Hope in Africa is also found in the voices of women, heard now more than ever before in theological, human rights and economic issues. The churches too are playing their part, doing more than just talking. They are doing practical things,” she said.