Missionary Minds

Boti Seth speaks to us about the three traits he would want to see his children embody.

In many African countries, if you were to throw a rock it would be hard-pressed to find the ground before hitting someone who professes to be a Christian. According to the renowned statistical data website, Satista, as of 2023 countries like Zambia, Seychelles, Rwanda, Congo, Namibia, and Lesotho boast over 90% of the population who claim to be Christians. Compare this to their latest available data on the top six states in America; Utah at 79%, North Dakota at 67%, Alabama at 63%, Louisiana at 61%, Oklahoma at 59%, and Mississippi at 59%. The trends of the Western world often act as harbingers for the future of Africa. What can we expect as we look at the landscape?

According to Business Tech in May 2023, South Africa saves at a shockingly low level compared to its market peers.  You can determine savings rates by subtracting the consumption costs from your income and then dividing it again by your income. For example, if you make R10,000 a month and spend R9,000 that month, your savings rate is 10%.  Countries like Brazil, South Korea, the United States, the Eurozone and India all have savings rates above 10%. South Africa’s savings rate is 1%.

Should societies have heroes? Should nations esteem and applaud the greatest men and women within their borders? Reputation Poll International certainly thinks so.  In January of this year, this global reputation firm released its 2023 list of the 100 Most Reputable Africans. The register presents individuals that model integrity, impact, and visibility. These men and women come from a variety of sectors, including governance and leadership, human rights and advocacy, education, entertainment, and business.  The purpose of this essay is not to analyse the winners. The goal is not to determine which selection was worthy and which was not, though it was inspiring to see Zambian pastor Conrad Mbewe make the list—a friend and fellow brother in Christ.

One of the arguments people use to minimize the sinfulness of modern-day polygamy—especially in Africa—is the apparent blind eye God has towards it in the Old Testament. John Reisinger writes: “There is no instance in the Old Testament Scripture that suggests, in any way, that polygamy was a sin. This does not prove that polygamy was not a sin, but it does prove that God never treated it as a sin.” John Mbiti is even more direct: "Christians who uphold monogamy as the only acceptable form of marriage before God, tell us that this is what the Bible teaches. They go on to tell us that polygamy is a sin. I have searched the Bible carefully and one of the staggering things concerning marriage is that the Bible does not treat marriage in terms of either monogamy or polygamy."

This is not the first time Howard-Browne has promoted revival in Africa. For decades he’s been preaching prosperity on the continent, boasting of converts that have come in the tens of thousands and sometimes in hundreds of thousands. For example, in May of 2005 near Durban, South Africa, his ministry claimed that more than 286,000 people gave their lives to Jesus. They even keep a soul-counter on their website. One would think that with such a large portion of the city coming to Christ the society would have been transformed.

This week, two severe natural disasters struck the continent of Africa. In the northern African country of Libya, flooding caused by torrential rainstorms has claimed the lives of at least 150 people. Authorities have called Libyan cities like Derna, with a population of over 100,000 people, to be a “disaster zone”. Mudslides and continuous rainfall have plunged buildings and entire neighbourhoods underwater.

After Micah Colbert decides to leave the mission field on the advice of counsel for the safety of his daughter, he struggles to come to terms with adapting back to normal life. Listen to find out what he learned and how to counsel returning missionaries in similar situations.

The literacy of a nation is strongly correlated with the Gross Domestic Product of that nation. For African nations to have the highest chance of growth and success it is important that they educate both their men and their women.

How should we think about the word 'obey,' being removed from many of the wedding vows in the modern era? Does it matter? Is it antiquated? What does the bible say about a wife's obedience to her husband? Find out all this and more in this episode of Missionary Minds!