This study investigated the environmental mission and public role of Nigerian Pentecostal megachurch leaders, explicitly focusing on Redemption City of God within the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria. Since the 1980s, these megachurches have sought to sanctify social, economic, and agricultural spheres, thereby altering Nigeria’s religious landscape. This transformation, however, has resulted in the commercialisation of nature through spiritual activities, campgrounds, and large congregations, a phenomenon scholars term ‘ecological sin’. Despite apparent environmental degradation, leaders and members frequently show indifference to ecological concerns. The research explored the disparity between the considerable religious influence of churches and their ecological responsibilities, identifying internal and external challenges to environmental stewardship. Using a descriptive method that integrated secondary literature review with primary data from discussions and interviews with church leaders, the study found that while creation care is occasionally mentioned in teachings, actual ecological stewardship is minimal. The emphasis on rapid growth, economic development, and spiritual empowerment often eclipses environmental responsibility. Campgrounds and religious sites, intended as sacred spaces, frequently contribute to deforestation, waste accumulation, and ecological imbalance. The research contributes to the discourse on religion and ecology in Africa by highlighting the contradiction of Nigerian Pentecostal megachurches: powerful social and religious actors with significant potential for positive ecological impact yet remaining largely disengaged from environmental responsibility.

This study investigates the conflict between the biblical idea of the five-fold ministry and the rise of honorary qualifications among South African Pentecostal church leaders. Based on Ephesians 4:11-12, the study investigates how the pursuit of academic titles and honorary degrees may jeopardise the service-oriented nature of biblical ministry duties. This study demonstrates a disturbing tendency towards status accumulation that may weaken real spiritual authority by analysing qualitative documents from scholarly literature, church publications, and media reporting from 2015 to 2024. The findings indicate that, while academic excellence should be rewarded, the monetisation of religious credentials poses major challenges to church integrity and biblical ministry practices. This study helps to understand contemporary Pentecostal leadership dynamics and provides guidelines for retaining biblical authenticity in ministry practice. This study fills a significant gap in understanding modern Pentecostal leadership dynamics in South Africa. As Pentecostalism spreads worldwide, questions about true spiritual authority become increasingly essential for church integrity and missional effectiveness. The study’s findings will help church leaders, theological educators, and academics better grasp the relationship between academic credentials and spiritual authority in contemporary Christianity.

For the first time since the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) failed to obtain a majority vote to govern (50% plus 1 seat) in the outcome of the 2024 elections. Consequently, the ANC had to form a government of national unity (GNU) and, to some extent, a government of provincial unity (GPU) in highly contested provinces such as Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. However, a historical contextualisation of GNU and a literature review in qualitative research demonstrate that this was not the first time the ANC governed through this model, as it was also used in 1994. The contribution of this article is the theological reflections on the GNU through the unity paradigms of Nicholas Bhengu. The purpose is to demonstrate that the theological principles of unity, using a theological analysis, are applicable in the context of the GNU in South Africa. The finding is that Bhengu’s principles of unity, such as preaching the gospel of love and forgiveness, unity beyond the names of churches and denominations, nation-building, support for leaders, and modelling peace, unity, and prosperity, are relevant for the success of the 2024 GNU.

Pastoral psychology is an interdisciplinary field of study that attempts to bridge Christian theological principles and traditional psychology theories, focusing on how psychological principles and practices can be applied in pastoral care ministry for human flourishing. Unlike how other branches of Christian Theology have been contextualized to resonate with the African perspectives, Pastoral Psychology has gained little attention in that regard. The purpose of this study is to explore how an Afrocentric pastoral psychology can provide a holistic and contextually relevant framework for practical ministry that integrates indigenous cultural wisdom, theological insight, and psychological principles to enhance pastoral care in African contexts. This study employs a conceptual-theological methodology using narrative review and interdisciplinary synthesis to integrate theological, psychological, and African cultural perspectives in developing a holistic framework for contextual pastoral ministry. It was observed in the study that the psychological and theological frameworks underlying traditional pastoral psychology frequently reflect Western epistemologies that are often individualistic, rationalistic, and secular, contrasting with the communal, spiritual, and relational nature of African spirituality. This article argues that the Eurocentric models of pastoral psychology often fail to resonate with the dimensions of African life, which are central to pastoral care on the African continent. This study provides a platform for scholarly engagements, and recommends a decolonized epistemological and paradigm shift, to affirm African worldviews and relational cosmologies, moving beyond Eurocentric dichotomies that artificially dislocate the spiritual and psychological realms, offering a transformative vision of ministry that is theoretically grounded, culturally sensitive, contextually relevant and theologically appropriate.

This study investigated Muslim-Christian relations in Ghana through the dual lenses of historical inquiry and practical theology, proposing a contextual model of activated Convivencia, a framework of intentional and dialogical coexistence rooted in Ghana’s indigenous values and interfaith practices. Drawing from qualitative methods, including historical-critical analysis and practical theological reflection, the research engaged both secondary data and the lived experiences of the authors to assess interreligious dynamics across educational, political, and communal domains. The findings revealed that, while episodic tensions occur, Ghana exhibits a robust culture of peaceful interfaith engagement, supported by traditional values such as abusua (kinship), nkonim (communal achievement), and ahobrɛase (humility). Significant findings include the integrative role of religious education, the political practice of religious ticket-balancing, and grassroots interfaith collaborations, all of which sustain a functional pluralism. The study critiques theological exclusivism while proposing practical theology as a tool for deepening inclusive and transformative interfaith encounters. Ultimately, this research contributes to global discourses on interreligious dialogue by presenting Ghana as a viable model for pluralistic societies seeking peace through theological and civic coexistence. It recommends the institutionalization of interfaith education and the development of indigenous theologies of dialogue grounded in everyday Ghanaian realities.

This paper redresses Church leadership and national healing in Zimbabwe. Although numerous studies have been published on managing conflict and healing the nation, contextualized publications on healing healers in Zimbabwe are scarce. Using a qualitative literature review and Henri Nouwen’s concept of “wounded healers” as a theoretical foundation, this paper fills the gap. It finds that church leaders battle with multifaceted national political, ethnic, and socio-economic conflicts. As God’s holistic word bearers, church leaders in Zimbabwe have been engaging with the State and Society to foster reconciliation and healing. Instead of addressing the root causes of national conflicts, the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front victimized and persecuted dissenting voices, silencing some church leaders who facilitated prophetic engagements. Besides suffering from State oppression, ecclesial leaders who dedicated themselves to serving as national healers ultimately faced painful family, ecclesial, and community conflicts. Authoritarianism persists, and the majority of citizens continue to suffer. Consequently, this paper concludes that the painful experiences of church leaders can be powerful sources of collective healing. Instead of abandoning their prophetic mandate, wounded church leaders must reflect on, share, and use their stories to comfort, encourage, and facilitate healing for themselves and others in Zimbabwe.

This article explores West African neo-Pentecostal perspectives on God’s immutability and changeability by analysing the perspectives of leading indigenous neo-Pentecostals in Ghana and Nigeria. The paper’s importance stems from its neo-Pentecostal delineation of God’s immutable nature and its proposition of God’s relational receptiveness to his creation. Using a literature approach, the study reveals how West African Pentecostals understand God’s immutability and changeability. The paper reveals that some neo-Pentecostals embrace the doctrine of changeability, believing that God may alter His decisions in response to prayer and fasting. It underscores African Pentecostal teachings that suggest that God can be influenced by human prayer, decisions and actions. However, the paper argues that not every claim of God responding to human fulfillment of divinely ordained conditions should be seen as rejecting divine immutability. Within neo-Pentecostalism, the doctrine of God’s immutability remains fundamental, even amid the movement’s innovative tendencies. Framed as conflicting doctrines within traditional Christianity, the debate over God’s immutability and changeability among West African Pentecostals enriches global Pentecostal theology by showing how these teachings deepen believers’ understanding of God.

This article examines the Trinitarian theology of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Karl Barth, and Herman Bavinck, and how it supplies underlying theological material in the construction of an African Christian theology which is biblically informed and contextually engaged. The aim of this article is to show how a recovery of Reformed Trinitarian theology can provide a theological underpinning for African theology which is robustly orthodox and societally transformative. The article, therefore, sides with Isaac Boaheng’s position by affirming that Trinitarian theology provides the needed balance in terms of a theological and methodological approach to contextualization, public theology, and ethics in Africa while subscribing to his “non-negotiable essentials” for doing African theology, namely biblical, glocal, oral-symbolic-written theologies, and societal relevance. The study employs a historical retrieval and reappropriation method by drawing insights from these theologians for purposes of conversation with African theological voices and communal philosophies. The conversation shows how Calvin’s covenantal order, Edwards’s theology of beauty and love, Barth’s Christocentric justice and Bavinck’s organic ontology are theological resources available to constructively address African concerns of justice, reconciliation, governance and public life. Among the recommendations are the need to develop African theology with a more highly integrated balance of doctrinal fidelity and contextual relevance; to retrieve both oral and symbolic forms of theological expression as well as written. This article adds to the scholarship by showing that classical Reformed Trinitarian theology, when reclaimed, can not only strengthen African Christianity but also furnishes global theology with contextual resources that are doxological, ethical and missional.

This presentation explores the theological foundations for addressing the complex issues of digitalization, social media, and misinformation in Zimbabwe. As the country grapples with the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age, this paper seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the role of theology in promoting media literacy, critical thinking, and responsible communication. This exploratory study utilized a thorough online search strategy to collect pertinent literature on navigating Zimbabwe’s digital terrain, social media, and misinformation. Leveraging Google Chrome, the study employed targeted keywords, such as “Social media and digitalization in Zimbabwe” and “Misinformation in Zimbabwe,” to identify relevant sources. The search results yielded a corpus of articles and documents published between 2013 and 2024, providing valuable insights into the complex issues surrounding digital media and misinformation in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, using a critical discourse analysis approach, this presentation examines the intersection of faith, technology, and media in Zimbabwe, with a particular focus on the impact of social media on the dissemination of information and the spread of misinformation. The presentation draws on biblical principles and values, as well as insights from Zimbabwean theologians and church leaders. It further provides recommendations for theological education, faith-based content creation, and online community building that contribute to a more informed and discerning public in Zimbabwe. This study provides a unique contribution to the understanding of the complex issues of digitalization, social media, and misinformation in Zimbabwe, and offers practical recommendations for promoting media literacy, critical thinking, and responsible communication.

There is a gap in understanding how beliefs in demonic forces affect perceptions and therapeutic methodologies. This study, therefore, examined the tensions that exist in dealing with mental health matters in African Pentecostal churches. This paper used social constructionism as a theoretical framework. Data for this study were collected through qualitative desktop analysis. The research revealed a prevalent tendency among African Pentecostal pastors to attribute mental disorders primarily to supernatural influences, including demonic possession and spiritual attacks. This perspective significantly influences mental health care approaches within these churches, often leading to excessive reliance on spiritual practices such as prayer, anointing with oil, and exorcisms. The key findings suggest that excessive spiritualization may lead to the stigmatisation of individuals with mental illness and could obstruct access to professional mental health services. This paper concludes that there is tension between neurophysiological interpretations and Pentecostal faith-based perspectives on mental health concerns. The paper recommends collaboration between the spiritual support provided by Pentecostal churches and mental health practitioners to deliver more comprehensive and culturally sensitive mental health care practices in African communities. The paper enhances scholarship by elucidating evolving African Pentecostal perspectives on mental health, underscoring the necessity for collaboration between clergy and professionals to create culturally attuned, comprehensive mental health therapies. Keywords: Mental Health, African Pentecostalism, Psychiatry, Over-Spiritualisation, Spirituality, Religion.