Abstract

The African [Initiated] Churches has shown a phenomenal growth in the past century and today as people speak of the ‘Christian South’ or shift of the centre of gravity of christianity from the West to the South they definitely include these churches in their category. Their growth in the Sub-Sahara Africa has increasingly manifested a great challenge to European mission churches. The emergence and expansion of these churches remain a challenge to Western mission and calls for soul-searching (introspection) on those who brought christian message to Africa. This paper investigates the puzzlement as to why African [Initiated] churches exist and continue to grow rapidly in areas or space where Western churches shrink and diminish. Key words: Civilization, christianity, colonisation, commerce, expansionism, messianic, separatist, sectarianism, western christianity, African christianity,liberation, self-determination, African Initiated Churches.

Highlights

  • The expansion of African [Initiated] churches (AIC) in Africa should be seen and understood primarily in terms of the historical cultural and socio-political conflicts between the missionaries and their successors, on the one hand, and blacks on the other hand (Pato 1990:2435)

  • Nosotro (:1) singles out David Livingstone and Robert Moffat missionary motives of three Cs; Christianity, Commerce and Civilization as a major factor that brought about a host of atrocities committed against African people (Nosotro :1, Anderson 1997:1)

  • It is argued in the paper that even the names given to African churches were a form of selfjustification by missionaries that African leaders are always fleeing from western benevolence of wanting to „civilize‟ them and in that way hiding atrocities committed against them

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

The expansion of African [Initiated] churches (AIC) in Africa should be seen and understood primarily in terms of the historical cultural and socio-political conflicts between the missionaries and their successors, on the one hand, and blacks on the other hand (Pato 1990:2435). Particular ills (including colonial and missionary policies and practices) existing between the two cultures are part of explanation of emergence of African churches. Nosotro (:1) singles out David Livingstone and Robert Moffat missionary motives of three Cs; Christianity, Commerce and Civilization as a major factor that brought about a host of atrocities committed against African people (Nosotro :1, Anderson 1997:1)

METHODOLOGY AND OBJECTIVES
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