Christianity's new centres of power

Holy Post ^ | December 31, 2009 | Ron Nurwisah

[NYer]

It is a vision most mainstream Canadian church leaders can only dream of: Sunday mornings in which parishioners dance and sing through three-hour services. Seminaries overflowing and unable to keep up with demand for pastors as the number of the newly baptized rises.

The dream is a reality in such places as Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, where there is an explosion in Christianity. In the past decade, this demographic surge has started to spill out of Africa, as well as Asia and Latin America, in the form of missionaries to the West, a trend influencing everything from styles of worship to doctrine.

Whereas many Catholic intellectuals and academics in North America have the luxury to worry about, for example, the ordination of women, the Africans entrust that issue to the judgement of the Vatican and concern themselves instead with the practical work of basic survival.

John Allen, in his most recent book, The Future Church, a look at global Catholicism over the next 100 years, wrote that issues such as abortion, condoms and female priests will not even be on the table in part because of the African influence.

Even the woes of the Anglican Church of Canada can be put on the doorstep of surging African Anglicanism. The conservative parishes that deserted their far more liberal national Church in the past decade received their moral support primarily from the conservative bishops of Africa.

The reasons for this growth and subsequent influence are complex, but simple demographics help tell some of the tale: Western birth rates are in sharp decline while African rates are soaring.

[NYer]

In 2008 there were 973 million Africans, up from 767 million in 1999 -- an increase of 27% -- according to UN statistics. By contrast, the population of North America grew from 307 million to 337 million, up 10%, and in Europe from 729 million to 732 million, an increase of just 0.4%.

As populations explode, more people turn away from failing nation states and toward to the relatively stable churches for food, shelter, education and medicine.

snip

With the growing number of Christians has come a surge in vocations. One seminary alone in southeast Nigeria has 1,100 seminarians - one fifth the number of all the seminarians in the United States.

[jagusafr]

Yup, that ol’ “10-40 window” thing coming to pass...let’s hope they’re a positive influence on the believers in the “developed world” for years to come.

Colonel, USAFR

[mel]

There is a real need for missionaries in United States.

[wintertime]

One of my patients was an Episcopal priest. He told me that while the numbers of Episcopalians in the U.S. were declining those of Africa were soaring.

He said that Americans live a materially secure life with rule of law. Africans though plainly see that that they really only have two choices:

1) Christianity
2) Brutal barbarity

It isn't hard for them to see the difference and to make the rational choice.

Christianity frees people from the constant threat of superstition with its spells and cures and fear of the witch doctor and his neighbor's evil eye. With a shared set of values based on the Ten Commandments people can widen their circle of trust beyond that of the clan. Commerce and prosperity is only possible within the framework of rule of law and trust that a client or businessman will keep his word. Also, with Christianity comes the understanding that human life is precious, and if we are equal before a just God we must demand that we are equal before the law and honest judges.

In the U.S. the Marxist-fascists see Christianity as limiting freedom. Those in Africa **know** that Christianity is a liberating and revolutionary idea.

[wintertime]

There is a real need for missionaries in United States.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Absolutely !

By the way....A Christian’s **most** important and urgent mission field is his **own** children. That means getting them out of the atheistic and Marxist government K-12 schools.

The Christian’s next most important mission field is the children of his own congregation. That also means getting these children out of the atheistic and Marxist government K-12 schools!

Unfortunately there are too many government school employees sitting in the pews of our churches, as well as those who benefit indirectly from the government K-12 schools. Few ministers have the courage to bite the hand putting money in the collection plate.

[the invisib1e hand]

I’m sorry. I think “Christianity” and “power” are mutually exclusive, completely incompatible, and shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence, lest any quarter be given to “power.”

[Miss Marple]

We are getting nuns back at our parish this summer. They are Franciscan Sisters from India.

We have a priest from Columbia ministering to the Hispanics.

We have three priests in our deanery from Nigeria and Kenya.

The influence of the third world on the church is already being felt here in Indiana.