Missionary Minds

Christmas is a month away, and already the range of emotions, sentiments, and opinions about celebrating Christmas are filling the conversations and plans of some Christians across Africa. A few months later, the Easter celebrations will re-ignite these discussions all over again. Then, forty days later, an Ascension Day Church service will be kept in some scattered Churches across our continent. How should Christians in Africa think about celebrating Christian holidays?

Is there a correlation between broken homes and poverty? Do the two go hand in hand? Can the strengthening of the home decrease poverty in a society? The answer to all of these questions is yes. In 2014, the Institute for Family Studies ranked countries by how likely children are to live with two parents, from 94 percent of children in Jordan to just 36 percent in South Africa. None of the top 20 countries with the highest percentages of two parent homes are found in the top 50 of nations with the highest percentage of their population below the poverty line. In other words, it is nealry impossible to find poor countries with a high percentage of two-parent homes.

It is true that husbands must teach their wives. It is also true that husbands mustn’t use the Bible as a crowbar to force his wife to comply, as Amnon forced Tamar to follow his plan. The time for a man to persuade his wife about the virtues of missions is not when they’re ready to sail. The time begins after that missionary’s sermon.

When we consider a question like this, our first question should be: “Is this union honoring to God?” This is not the same question as: “Is this union honoring to my parents?” The two are often the same, but not always.

Should Christians use dating apps?  One study claims that 1 in 3 South Africans uses online dating and that only 11% do it to find a marriage partner, while 48% do it for fun, 41% to find friends, and 13% for sex.  Our Police Minister Bheke Cele has recently warned of the increasing use of dating apps for kidnapping.  Yet global revenue from dating apps for 2023 will add up to US$8.7 billion, from 441 million users – a colossal industry indeed!  What does God’s Word say about this massive trend in our society?

Proverbs 22:7 declares the following truism: “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” This truism extends to individuals and governments alike. Last week’s mid-term budget speech on November 1st by the minister of finance was a good reminder of the peril of falling prey to the pernicious consequences of the debt cycle whereby more is spent than one has money for.

If you think the transgender debate hasn’t reached Africa, think again. Trans ideology has been gaining ground in Africa for decades. Take, for example, Caster Semenya, a South African middle-distance runner and two-time women’s Olympic gold medal winner in the 800 meters. Semenya doesn’t just win races. Semenya dominates, the media describing the races as “coasting to victory” and “winning easily”. The problem is that Semenya is not a woman. Semenya is a man who identifies as a woman. He has all the biological marks that only males possess: XY chromosomes, male genitalia, and high testosterone levels. He’s married to a woman with whom he has a child. Even his rare genetic condition can by definition only affect males. How then can Semenya call himself a woman?

Missionary newsletters (sometimes called Updates or Prayer Letters) help missionaries communicate with their sending churches and individuals supporters back home. The purpose of these letters is to inform Christians about the details of the ministry so that they can pray for and support the missionary responsibly.

The thinking goes, since my child is suffering, his sin is less severe. Sickness. Divorce. Poverty. Learning disabilities. Let us be patient with them. But challenges like these can shield a child from biblical discipline from his parents, which is a recipe for disaster. Listen to this episode to learn six key excuses to why parents don't discipline children.

Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning separation. It refers to a system of segregation based on race, popularized by the white South African government from 1948 to 1994. Though South Africa officially abolished apartheid nearly 30 years ago, many outside the country may be surprised to know that the word “apartheid” is still plastered on countless billboards throughout the largest cities in the land. But these billboards are not opposing old national grievances. How could they? Today’s blacks dominate South Africa’s population, Parliament, and police. These signs refer to the supposed Israeli apartheid against Palestinians. Sample signs in South Africa read: “Do the Right Thing. Boycott Apartheid Israel.” Or, “Churches Against Israeli Annexation of Palestinian Land.” Or, “End Israeli Apartheid Now.”