Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 7, no. 2/3
Date
2022
DOI
Authors
Ouédraogo, Paul
Stoner-Eby, Anne Marie
Traoré, Kari
Coulibaly, Josué
Kayibanda Nkandi, Michel Ardan
Chimbalanga, Jean Félix
Mubwayele, Abdon Malebe
Mawa Wabala, Jean-Claude Kikweta A
Matsitsa-N’singa, Maurice
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
In 2019, a group of Anabaptist-Mennonite historians from around the world gathered for a symposium under the auspices of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism (ISGA) in Goshen, USA. Unanimously, they affirmed that “[a]s followers of Jesus Christ our history connects us, reminds us of the Spirit’s activity among us, and calls us forward into the future.” Today, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) member churches exist in 25 countries in Africa, and African Mennonites and Brethren in Christ in 2018 made up 36% of the 2.13 million baptized Anabaptist-Mennonites worldwide.1 This special issue of the Journal of African Christian Biography, intentionally released in both English and French just prior to the July 2022 MWC Assembly in Indonesia, offers stories of the Anabaptist/Mennonite church as it took vibrant shape in Africa and became a source of renewal beyond its borders, contributing richly to a global Anabaptist movement.
At the core of this issue are seven biographies and two church histories. The stories come from western, central, eastern, and southern regions of the continent, with stronger representation from Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burkina Faso. The Christians in these stories experienced the power of the gospel as it entered into confrontation with other powers. They took courageous action to demonstrate the authenticity of their own conversion and boldly shared the good news with others both far and near.
Description
License
Copyright 2022 Dictionary of African Christian Biography. All rights reserved. Reproductions, with appropriate citation and credit, may be made for noncommercial educational purposes. Revision or editing of this content, the creation of derivative works, posting on websites containing advertising, and all other commercial uses require the express written consent of the Journal of African Christian Biography.