Poverty as a Challenge to the Church in Africa

Abstract

Poverty by nature is a universal issue experienced throughout the world, but being challenge to the Church's ministry especially in Africa by virtue of its acuity. Far from being fate or a choice, African poverty is identified by the lack of material possessions insufficiencies which, by its very existence is a human-made creation implying a lot of misery and destruction in all the spheres of life including religion. Unworthy of human dignity, poverty reveals itself a very big challenge to a young Church in the process of being self-governing, self-ministering and self-supporting; this Church has become familiar with poverty and its demands. By all means, poverty is not a value, but rather an evil which undermines God's people from their original dignity. The African poverty, in contrast to other parts of the world's, is a counter-witness of a religion which to penetrate and transform the soul of African people. Thus Africa needs a transforming Christianity able to liberate it from poverty, greed, despair, dependency, idleness oppressing structures. Throughout our reflection we are going to deal mainly with the Church's responsibility and stance for the new social order on account of the oppressive structures that are operating within the continent. Moreover the church has the duty to challenge the complacency of African people who accommodate themselves with the existing and unjust order through education and structural reforms as part of her ministry. Before tackling such a crucial we will define the nature of poverty and determine its origin, respectively in chapter one two. The third and fourth chapters are paradigmatic experiences from both the Old and Testaments as the Jewish prophets and the first century Christians depicts an ideal community based on divine law though their life style and proclamations. Before launching any option for the future in the sixth chapter, it is preferable to examine the prophetic role of the Church today in the fifth chapter as a response to the challenges poor. Finally, if the Church through her social concern, is to remain vital and creative, she be able to speak to, listen to and struggle with African people so that her message may capable of being accepted and interpreted without being compromised.