Reimagining mainline churches that are African

Abstract

From the 17th to the 20th century, missionaries brought the Christian faith to Africa. Any assertion that this was necessarily all positive is, however, contested by several African scholars. The article first examines both positive and negative contributions, in terms of the cultural and socio-economic contributions of the missionaries’ work in Africa. Secondly, the article proposes an argument that the initial Eurocentric culture/theology of the missionaries persists and that it is a barrier to mission. Thirdly, the article explores the challenges faced by Black African members within the mainline churches, with a specific focus on the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa (URCSA) and the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA). Fourthly, the article re-imagines what the mainline African church should be. Fifthly, recommendations and conclusion are presented. To achieve these outcomes, the article uses desktop research methodology, and Edward Hall’s cultural iceberg mode.