The second decade of the 21st century will be remembered for Jubilees in Africa; marking 50 years of post colonial rule for a majority of the nations in the region. Undoubtedly, the end of colonial rule was also a set up for the emergence of African leadership of Christian missionary establishments and the creation of newer mission organisations and Churches. The Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) marks its 50th anniversary this year, 2016.
The highlight of the celebration was a theological consultation on the theme: ‘The Africa God Wants’, inspired by the Africa Union agenda 2063 and dubbed: ‘The Africa We Want’. The AU itself took time in 2013 to reflect on its 50 years of existence and cast a long range vision for Africa for the next 50 years. AEA’s starting point in their reflections sort to answer the fundamental question of the Church’s relationship with the wider society; whether in fact, the Church’s mission and the aspirations of the society should run tangential or in parallel, with the objective of influencing the society for authentic self actualization- God’s purposes for creation. After all, the Church is the light and salt of the earth. How can the Church light and heal a dark and wounded Africa?
Advent of Christ is of particular significance in this season of Jubilee for the Church in Africa, and especially this year for us in AEA. Christ’s incarnation was inspired by the love of God, our Father, for a dying and lost world. Christ came to be a ransom for all who would believe in him so that they will not perish but have everlasting life. At Christmas, God broke on our world; between Christmas and the eminent second advent, the church in Africa needs to beat the drums of the the gospel message harder that all Africa and beyond would be saved.
Merry Christmas and happy new half a century of gospel work.