Category Archives: The Africa Review In Five

A Christian Perspective on Male Circumcision Schools

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Male circumcision schools are as common throughout sub-Saharan Africa as they are dangerous. Recently in Zambia, for example, forty-eight boys were rescued from a circumcision school after parents complained that their children had been abducted. In Malawi among the Yawo people, this rite of passage is called jando, marking a new era of sexual freedom.

Among the Tsongas in South Africa, it is called madlala. I have watched nearly two decades worth of coming home ceremonies, including the days I lived at the chief’s kraal when the boys were met with cheers from the community and dances from hordes of topless women. The father of a strong young Christian in our church tricked his son by capturing him in a vehicle and forcing him to attend the school. 

While differences in this practice vary widely between tribes and countries, I’d like to give a broad biblical perspective on male circumcision schools. 

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How Merry Should Your Christmas Be? A Christian View of Drinking 

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–– David de Bruyn & Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The holiday season is fast approaching, with all of its blessings but also its dangers – of which one of the most notorious and widespread is the abuse of alcohol.  It was more common in my father’s generation for Christians to stand firm and swim upstream as teetotallers who abstained from alcohol.  But in our day, a trendy ‘Young, Restless & Reformed’ generation has arisen and at times foolishly flaunted their liberties in an effort to be more contextualised and hip with the culture.  A hyper-grace (antinomian) mood has fallen on the modern church and calls a “legalist” anyone who makes you uncomfortable in their zeal for holiness.

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Concern Over Christianity’s ‘Growth’ in Africa—5 Common Marks of Rural Churches 

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–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In war, the most important news and updates concern the conflict. The great reality beyond all others in Africa is the spiritual war where gazing angels are dazzled by the grace they see when true believers meet (Eph. 3:10). As we evaluate African churches, in this struggle over the souls of men some would say that Christianity in Africa is growing. But what is the nature of that Christianity? Should all of the growth be celebrated? Should missionaries pack up and be directed to other shores in this great battle? As one foot-soldier in the trenches on the Tsonga and Venda front in the northern part of South Africa, I report today on five marks that I have seen over and over in churches that use an African language. 

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For Richer or Poorer? Thoughts on Formal and Informal Prenuptial Agreements

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In South Africa, as in many countries around the world, there are two kinds of marital regimes: “in community of property” or “out of community of property”, the latter of which usually takes the form of a prenuptial agreement. We’ll argue in this article that both formal and informal prenuptial agreements are inappropriate for Christians.

Two Marriage Regimes

“In community of property” means that all the assets and liabilities collected by either spouse before or during the marriage become jointly owned. This means that if Sally comes to the marriage with six figures of student loan debt, her husband, Steve, will incur this financial obligation. If Joseph blows the family savings at the horse races or increases his financial portfolio by 500%, Mary his wife of 30 years feels the pain or pleasure of his decisions. 

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Busted for Selling A Baby—The Reason These Women Did the Unthinkable

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–– Yamikani Katunga

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The Sale of A Baby

With Black Friday upon us once again, nothing could prepare Zimbabweans for the darkness of the headline detailing the twisted trio of a 16-year-old mother along with her mother and another woman engaging in a sadistic sales agreement. The teen and her mother, Evelyn, appeared in court having been charged with human trafficking for selling her infant for 180 USD. The buyer is a woman named Tore who had apparently been plagued with miscarriages, and upon connecting with Evelyn on Whatsapp opportunism ensued. Rather than abort the seven-month-old pregnancy they conspired with a nurse, induced premature labour, faked a death certificate, and conducted the sale. Only to be ousted by a tip-off nine months after the baby’s birth. 

Upon hearing such a bizarre chain of events, many will rightly ask, what could cause such heinous plots in the hearts of men?

Here are three possible reasons to help understand why this mother would sell her baby. 

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Climate Cults and Cash Cows: Green Policies That Starve Nations While Feeding False Narratives

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–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Rumor has it that carbon emissions have boldly escaped the grip of God, as though the Almighty misplaced His sovereignty. Further whispers suggest that winds and waves now answer to climate scientists and global summits rather than their Creator, while trillions of dollars and human ingenuity scramble to fill the supposed vacuum in divine governance. In this narrative, God is relegated to a footnote: powerless, apathetic, or perhaps altogether absent. The cosmos, once orchestrated by His will, is now a tempest to be both feared and appeased. Humanity, formerly bearing His image, must clean up the mess of its own rebellion, while divine promises are relegated to myth.

If God is dead—and the alarmists’ gospel tacitly preaches this—then, by all means, let us fear. Fear that the sky might fall, the poles might melt, or the oceans might consume us. Fear is the natural religion of a world that denies its Creator. Those who do not fear God will inevitably fear everything else.

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Decades of Depravity: What to Learn from Smyth’s Sexual Scandal

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–– Richard Peskett

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

It has been well said that “time and truth go hand in hand.”  The Lord Jesus said, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

John Smyth served as a leader in Christian youth camps in the UK for many years. But he misused his position and violently abused many boys. When his behaviour was brought to light in 1982, he fled to Zimbabwe, where, in 1986, he founded a Christian youth organisation called Zambesi Ministries. Again he subjected boys to appalling abuse. This too eventually came to light, and so he moved with his family to South Africa in 2001. He died in Cape Town in 2018.

What is the relevance of this today? Well, it was this past week that the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, commented on what had happened. He bemoaned the neglect of the church. He said that the Anglican church had failed to protect congregants from abuse. Leaders in the Anglican communion are seeking ways to prevent such grievous events from happening again.

What can we learn from these tragic events? Here are three lessons.

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What Does A Trump Win Mean for Christians in Africa?

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–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Donald Trump is a divisive figure. Reactions to his victory in the U.S. Presidential election are usually polarised: some seem to celebrate it, and others appear to mourn it. But what will a Donald Trump presidency mean for Africa, and for Christians in Africa in general?

Some have pointed out that many American Christians voted for Donald Trump not for what he was, but for what he was not. In the last four years, the Democratic Party has pushed further left, endorsing and promoting aggressively progressive agendas. These include a radically pro-abortion stance, the promotion and protection of transgenderism in sport, public life and even in families, an anti-Israel stance and a tolerance of incipient anti-semitism. The Biden Administration’s attitude towards the border and immigrants revealed a hostility towards national sovereignty and a friendliness towards globalism.

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Whatever Happened To The Lord’s Day

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–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In the Southern African country of Zimbabwe, Harare lies as a rapidly growing capital city that is bursting at the seams. Many years ago the population was officially estimated at 2 million. A few more censuses have been taken since then, but it is hard to come up with the true figure as the Government of the land is inadequately resourced to effectively carry out a successful census of the people of Harare, not to mention Zimbabwe! The population is something to behold, especially on Sundays. Yes, that’s correct, on Sundays! 

Normally, weekdays in big cities are characterised by the hooting of cars and the calling out of touts who are either selling oranges and apples or directing the masses to their ‘ride home’. The CBD sounds like a symphony of migrating bees, there isn’t much space to maneuver and everyone is in a rush to get somewhere. Sadly, this too is the status quo of Harare on a Sunday. When the rest of us are coming from gathering with the Lord’s people, the CBD is busier than ever. I could be accused of making sweeping statements or judging wrongly, but based on what has been happening on the ground, the hoards of Hararians are not coming from church, but are trading! In other words, for many people, the best day to go for any sort of shopping is a Sunday. 

I suggest two possible contributing factors for this: 

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Unequally Yoked in Business

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–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

‘Pastor, should I start a business with an unbeliever?  Would it be wise for me to partner with this person or not?’  I’ve been asked this question many times, and I believe the Bible has answers.  

Right now in South Africa, about 29% of the workforce is self-employed.  Over 80% of South Africans believe entrepreneurship is a good career path, and there is a growing interest in starting new businesses, despite economic hurdles.  But for the believer, the first question must not be, ‘How much money will I make?  Will it succeed or not?’  

Christian decision-making always begins with, ‘What does God’s Word say about this?  What will be most pleasing to my Lord?’  To answer this question in relation to business partnerships, let’s ask three questions:  (1) What does it mean to be unequally yoked?; (2) How does that differ with employment?; (3) Will this partnership compromise my Christian witness?

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11 Wives and a Fiancée Half His Age — What It Means to Hold Marriage in Honor

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–– Gideon Mpeni

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The monarch of Eswatini, King Mswati III, made headlines last month as he engaged Nomcebo Zuma, the 21-year-old daughter of South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma. The engagement was made official at the end of the eight-day reed dance ceremony—a traditional rite of passage for young women and girls held every year.

“The 56-year-old monarch is currently in a polygamous arrangement with 11 wives – and has been married 15 times in total.” What we see here is an entire kingdom whose cultures and traditions violate God’s Word, here we see how they have fine ways of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish their traditions, just as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day (Mark 7:9). 

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The Breakdown of the Family in Africa: A Christian Perspective on Migration, Marriage, and Parenting 

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–– Jonathan Klimek

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The African continent is grappling with a significant challenge: the breakdown of the family unit. Economic necessity is a key driver of this issue, which compels many individuals to leave their home countries in search of work, particularly in South Africa, now a major destination for migrant workers. Although the financial support sent back home offers some relief, the long-term absence of parents and spouses creates deep and lasting fractures within families. This article explores the roots of this crisis, its devastating consequences, and how the Bible can inform our response.

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The Africanisation of Theology: Rightly Handling the Word within the African Context  

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–– Warrick Jubber

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Earlier this year, the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa launched a new academic journal titled “African Christian Theology.” According to the website, the journal promotes Christian perspectives “through deep engagement with African contextual realities.” This is but the latest in a great effort to “Africanise” Christianity. Various books and journals promote so-called African Christian theology, African Christian ethics, African expository preaching, African pastoral care, and African hermeneutics. 

This raises the critical issue that confronts the African theologian of how to interpret and apply the Word of God within the African context. Some may assume this to be an issue that is limited to the academicians, but since “everyone’s a theologian” as R.C. Sproul rightly reminds us, it is an issue relevant to every believer on the African continent. 

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Africa’s Love Affair with Tyranny: How the Civil Government Became Africa’s Favorite Idol

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–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Africa is a continent intimately acquainted with tyrannical regimes. For much of the last century, several African nations have hosted dictatorships like ill-mannered houseguests who refuse to leave—resulting in over 220 military coups, with 109 successful ones. Political chaos is as much a staple in African governance as bureaucratic red tape is in Western democracies. The results? Violence, censorship, corruption, towering national debt, and economic collapse. It’s the kind of grim reality that would make even a dystopian novelist throw in the towel. Yet, remarkably, many of the continent’s citizens, though crushed under the tyrant’s boot, seem to have taken this abuse as a badge of honor, treating it almost like a national pastime. In many ways, their oppression is self-inflicted.

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On Parenting: Are You Bribing Your Way Through?

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–– Malamulo Chindongo

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Not long ago, I was sitting in an airport when a family of four appeared. The little boy, who seemed about five, was having a meltdown I’d heard many times before. His mother was doing all she could to calm him down, but nothing worked. In just a few minutes, I witnessed a parade of bribes being offered to the child, all of which he flatly ignored. First, an iPad with his favourite cartoon was tossed in his direction, but to the surprise of his parents, he refused it. His screams echoed through the terminal. Next, his favourite candy was suggested, but that didn’t work either. I couldn’t help but notice the father—though very present—had mentally checked out, preferring to watch the chaos unfold rather than intervene.

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Capitalism and Christ-like Competition

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Here’s a bit of good news from the southern region of Africa. Visa applications in South Africa that had previously moved at a snail’s pace have recently picked up to breakneck speed. For decades applicants for visas have endured the dawdling movements of the Department of Home Affairs, sometimes waiting years for simple paperwork to return. 

Not anymore. The phones of visa applicants are ding-ding-dinging, informing them their papers are ready for pickup. What changed? What’s been the secret? The answer is good old-fashioned competition. 

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Do African Churches Send Missionaries? 

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–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Mission boards

A mission board is an organization that gathers together numerous missionaries and helps them with technical details like visas, finances, and networks of like-minded churches. Churches in the USA have started numerous mission boards sending out hundreds and even thousands of missionaries from America to different nations of the world. 

Roughly 64% of Americans claim to be Christian today which represents about 200 million adults. It is difficult to get precise numbers, but an estimated 60,000 Bible-believing, full-time missionaries are currently living and serving in other countries having been sent from the US. 

200 million people sending 60,000 missionaries. 

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The African Supreme Being: How Syncretism Sullies Christianity

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–– Brino Kumwenda

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Syncretism is when elements of different religions are combined, mixed, or blended. In sub-Saharan Africa, the devil has used syncretism to weaken the faith of many professing Christians. Most Africans are born into the African Traditional Religion (ATR), believing in the Supreme Being. ATR is so pervasive and yet many Africans are unaware of its impact on them, even after embracing another religion. As Ndemanu writes, “Africans are first and foremost members of traditional religions before any other religion”. When a foreign religion comes into African communities, most people don’t abandon their ATR. Instead, they simply combine their respective beliefs.

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Calvinism: The Cure for Racism, Not the Cause 

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–– Adapted by Tim Cantrell from Dr. Flip Buys

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Historian Rodney Stark describes how the early church was the first institution in the history of the world that brought people together across ethnic barriers. They were inclusive because they believed that there is one God who gathers His new people from every tribe tongue and nation.  Longtime GK pastor and professor, Dr. Flip Buys, was a white Afrikaans pastor in a black church in the 1980s in Sharpeville township, home of the infamous Sharpeville massacre of 1961 (commemorated every 21 March on Human Rights Day in South Africa).  He often had to drive to church services through burning tyres on the streets and police barricades.   

Yet Dr. Buys powerfully testifies to the gospel’s impact in seeing black and white young people converted and learning to reconcile.  He tells of how, in those tumultuous times, their church truly experienced how Christ has torn down the wall of racial division and created the “one new man” (Eph. 2:14-16).  Nothing is more potent for racial harmony than a biblical vision of God as absolutely free, gracious and sovereign – a God who truly saves sinners!  Whether we wear the Calvinist label or not, every Bible-believing child of God says ‘Amen’ to that testimony. 

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When Are Two People Really Married?

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–– Andrew Zekveld

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

A legal marriage certificate, or a traditional marriage based on the customs of a particular people group, has historically provided the criteria for when two single individuals become a married couple.

Of late though, there seems to be an increase of critical thought about the legal or traditional requirements of the marriage moment. This concern is certainly justified in light of the world’s increasing hostility towards Biblical marriage. The world is tenaciously holding onto the concept of marriage, but using it to describe the unions between homosexuals, transgender individuals, and even, as in the 2006 Sudanese case, between a human and an animal.

The question that demands some clarity is: “What makes a person married?” Or, as Christians sometimes phrase it, “When is a couple married in God’s eyes?”

Are the legal definitions the only criteria for getting married?

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Xenophobia and the Christian

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–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Recently, a contestant in the Miss South Africa pageant withdrew because of widespread hostility to her parentage. Chidimma Adetshina, who was born in Johannesburg began receiving widespread criticism and hostility because her father is Nigerian and her mother is Mozambican.

Hostility to foreign African workers and migrants has long been a South African problem. Widespread unemployment has made South Africans resentful of the millions of Africans who have made South Africa their home, often beginning businesses or occupying paid positions. So-called xenophobia (fear of foreigners) is often touted as a problem in South Africa. 

How should Christians view those who leave their nation and settle elsewhere?

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The Pitfalls of Paternalism: Why Foreign Funds Kill African Churches

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

What would happen if foreign funds to African churches suddenly stopped? Suppose that tomorrow God shut off the massive monetary pipeline flowing from the West to the pastors and Christian workers on the Dark Continent? Would the church sink or swim?

The immediate consequences would be severe because wealthy nations have pumped billions of dollars into Africa for decades. It has become a way of life. None of the top 30 foreign aid contributors come from Africa, though six of the top fifteen recipients of foreign aid are African nations. In 2017, the United States gave $34 billion in foreign aid, including $1 billion to Ethiopia, $887 million to South Sudan and $600 million to South Africa. 

Wealthy foreign nations have failed to learn that foreign aid will never help a country if the conditions for economic growth do not exist. This is why the cycle of giving never ends. Sadly, wealthy churches have not learned this lesson either. Though the numbers are not as high as foreign aid, churches from the West drive millions of dollars into African churches to support their pastors and ministries. 

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The Redeeming Value of Rugby – How Strenuous Sport Helps Boys Become Men

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–– Titus Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

On September 7, South Africa’s rugby team, The Springboks, beat the New Zealand All Blacks by 18 points to 12 in another thrilling contest between rugby’s fiercest rivals. Saturday’s victory positions the Springboks as the strong favorites to win this year’s Rugby Championship, building on the winning streak of the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions. The impact of rugby in post-apartheid South Africa is a testament to the unifying power of sport on a national level, but there is another way in which Christians can see the redeeming value of rugby on an individual level: rugby is a tool to help boys become men. 

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The Pandemic That Is Still With Us

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–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Human beings are prone to amnesia, and the famous former German monk, Martin Luther, summarized our condition well by saying the following words, “We need to hear the Gospel every day because we forget it every day.”  This is true especially when it comes to the aggressive growth of the pandemic that is still with us – The charismatic movement. The true Church of Christ, for many reasons, seems to forget that we are in a holy war, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is at stake. Presently, Africa is believed to be the centre of missions in the world. Whilst the US is fast abandoning its Christian heritage for liberalism, Europe is equally on a similar path with churches closing down. 

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Marriage Procrastination: Eight Excuses for Staying Single

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–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Currently, in South Africa, we have some 24 million singles, well over half of our adult population, and marriage statistics continue their rapid decline with more and more youth waiting longer and longer to get married, if ever. Top reasons South African singles give for delaying marriage are: “Desire for independence; self-esteem and relationship reluctance; economic and social reasons; past relationships and fear of commitment”. All four of these reasons have one thing in common: they are usually selfish excuses. It is no minor offence to reject God’s good institution of marriage, His wise creation ordinance that is the cornerstone of civilisation and the primary building block for all of society. As the view of marriage rises or falls, so does an entire nation. 

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Dissecting Democracy: Is the ‘Right’ to Choose Right?

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–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Reflecting on South Africa’s elections three months ago, I am reminded of how much we hear the word “democracy” in South Africa. The preamble of the South African Constitution includes the clause that says South Africa will be “a society based on democratic values.” The real question for Christians is, how biblical is democracy? Winston Churchill famously said, “Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” 

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What Bill Gates, Spurgeon and Muslims Teach Us About Bible Memory

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The religion of Islam produces learners capable of quoting the entire Quran, their holy book about 10% the size of the Bible and about 80% of the New Testament.  

A town in Nigeria has yielded at least 10,000 students who have memorized the entire Quran from the same parchment. Hour after hour they pour over the book, reciting it before their teacher, many of them between 12-15 years old. Since paper can sometimes be a luxury in Africa, these hafiz (Quran memorisers) learn it by ear or on wooden tablets.  

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Sanctified Ubuntu: Loving One Another 

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–– Jonathan Klimek

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In our world, where individualism often overshadows community, the African philosophy of Ubuntu offers profound wisdom. Rooted in the Nguni Bantu languages, Ubuntu translates to “I am because we are,” capturing the essence of interconnectedness and shared humanity.

Ubuntu teaches us that our humanity is intertwined with that of others. It calls us to a depth of care and concern for one another that goes beyond surface-level interactions. Paul echoes this sentiment in Romans 12:15–16, where he calls us to empathy, unity, and humility that demand not just mere presence but full emotional, spiritual, and sacrificial involvement in each other’s lives.

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The Dark Truth Behind Feminism’s War on Womanhood

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–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

As shrill chants echo through the air and half-naked bodies move with faces twisted in fervor, an outsider might wonder what kind of place they’ve stumbled into and who these people are. But as cries of “my body, my choice” and “smash the patriarchy” resound, the scene begins to make sense—this is a Women’s March, a feminist rally where propaganda is wielded to incite mass disruption. The Women’s March, now a global phenomenon, has taken root on the African continent. Though African feminism carries its own distinct emphasis and pedagogy, it remains deeply entwined with the radical principles that birthed the movement.

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Feminism and Valuing Women as Stained Glass Windows

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

What do the following three worldwide occurrences have in common? 

First, daycare centres across the globe have experienced explosive growth. In the Netherlands, for example, 85% of children under age four attend formal daycare. Every day in South Africa, more pre-schools and creches are being added to the already existing 43,000 early childhood development centres, with one company calling daycare the strongest target for business entrepreneurs. 

Second, as of 1 June 2024, 27 countries have women serve as Heads of State, a significant rise from years past. Worldwide, over a quarter of all parliamentarians in lower houses are women, up from 11% in 1995, the highest percentage being Rwanda at 61%. Currently, the world boasts well over a dozen female defence ministers, including four in Africa—Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Togo, and South Africa. 

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