For the Love of Africa

August 3, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Here’s a question with an important answer: In what part of the world is Christianity growing the fastest?

Your first instinct might be to guess an industrialized country in Europe or North America. Or it might be to guess countries with the largest populations, like China or India. But what if I were to tell you that by 2050, Christians in Africa will outnumber Christians in Europe by more than two to one?

Those are among the compelling demographic trends offered by Philip Jenkins, in a recent article in The Christian Century. Jenkins attributes this forecast to the fact that the populations of African countries are skyrocketing, compared to the stagnant and declining populations of Europe and North America. For example:

· In 1900, the countries of east Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania), had 7 million people. In 2000: 90 million. By 2050: 260 million.

· In 1900, Nigeria had 16 million people. In 2000: 160 million. By 2050: 300 million.

· Overall, the continent of Africa had 100 million people in 1900. In 2005: 1 billion. By 2050: 2.5 billion.

· In contrast, Europeans outnumbered Africans four-to-one in 1900. By 2050, Africans will have a three-to-one advantage over Europeans.

Jenkins concludes: “As recently as 1900, Europe accounted for over two-thirds of the ‘Christian world,’ with North America a distant second and Africa barely on the map. By 2050, by far the largest share of the world’s Christians will be found in Africa, which should have a billion or more believers. By that time about a third of the world’s Christians will be African, and those African Christians will outnumber Europe’s by more than two to one. The Christian world will have turned upside down.” [1]

The implications for the American church are vast and varied. First, this ought to remind us of the global nature of the church, and that the kingdom of God observes no political boundaries. It is not the sole propriety of any one country, despite the jingoistic tendencies of American civil religion. We have not, and never will, corner the market on the Christian faith, and we would be foolish to believe that God favors Americans over any other people in the world.

As a result, we should remember our common connections and responsibilities to Christians throughout the world, regardless of their country of origin. The advancement of the church in Africa should be a concern of Christians here in this country, just as the Great Commission calls us to make disciples locally, regionally, and all throughout the world.

To this end, United Methodists in Iowa have developed a long-standing relationship with those in Nigeria, called the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership. Over the years, Iowa Methodists have provided funding for a variety of projects, including: literacy programs, student tuition grants, teacher stipends, agricultural programs, malaria relief, and school construction, just to name a few. [2]

And, of course, there are the numerous health kits provided by churches like St. Paul’s during our annual InGathering. When Bishop Julius Trimble called me the weekend after the flash floods in Cherokee to express his concern and support, he had just returned from a trip to Nigeria. He told me that he had the privilege of seeing the very health kits provided by Iowans directly distributed to Nigerians in need. It was a visible reminder of God’s love put into action in a tangible way.

All of this leads us to this Sunday, when we will be placing a direct emphasis on the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership for the first time as a St. Paul’s congregation. We are delighted to welcome the Rev. Kathy Martin, director of campus ministries at Morningside College, as our guest preacher for the morning. She has recently returned from a trip to Nigeria, and has much to share with us about the work of God through the United Methodist Church. She will be preaching on 2 Corinthians 8: 9-16, 23-24 with a sermon titled, “What We Know of Love.”

At the very least, you will want to welcome her and thank her and the crew from Morningside College for the tremendous work they offered during our flood recovery efforts from a few weeks ago. Kathy is a gift to Morningside College and the Iowa Conference, a compelling preacher, and a devoted servant of the church. This will be a sermon you will not want to miss, and I’m deeply grateful for her willingness to preach.

As part of the service, you will be invited to contribute to the Iowa-Nigerian Partnership, all of which will count toward our Rainbow Covenant Missions effort for this year. And if you are interested, you may want to put in a silent bid on the beautiful dress in our narthex made by Nigerian women. All of the proceeds will support the special offering.

Let us join with our brothers and sisters in Africa, and put God’s love into action.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org

[1] Jenkins, Philip. “Religion by the Numbers.” The Christian Century. July 13, 2010
[2] for more information about the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership, visit iaumc.org.