Traditionally, religion is at the heart of the African people’s life. In the words of Professor Mbiti, Africans are ‘notoriously religious’. However, with the introduction of Christianity and Islam, many of us have developed a limited view of religion. Religion is seen largely as a vehicle plying the rough road from this world to the heavenly residence. It is regarded as a spiritual matter in spite of its overwhelming contribution towards economics and colossal amounts of money that change hands in its name. The Global South (Africa, Asia and Latin America) is now the undisputed faith superpower which the rest of the world cannot afford to ignore. The Christian faith in particular is slowly but surely taking on the African face wherever it may be found.

Several issues have inadvertently had a catalytic effect necessitating the shift of the centre of Christianity from the Global North to the Global South. First and foremost is the nature of Christianity itself. History shows that Christianity is not a preserve of one culture. As its originator purposed, the centre of Christianity has moved from the land of the Jews to Rome and Constantinople and to all peoples of the world. It is this motivation that moved missionaries to Africa in partial fulfilment of the Great Commission. Having been a part of Northern African culture during its early beginnings, Christianity was re-introduced to Africa by missionaries mostly from Europe. By the time of its reintroduction, Christianity had acquired the mores and draping of its immediate recipients.

Secondly and perhaps most importantly, the faith decay in the immediate heartland of Christianity (Europe) meant that centre shift was inevitable. Africa having taken up Christianity as its own, was in God’s providence, the obvious new centre. African Christianity is at the moment the representative Christianity. It is on this basis of being representatives of Christ that the Church in Africa has become a faith superpower. Europe and America can no longer ignore the African continent in matters of faith.

The challenge for Africa now is to appropriate the Christian faith and ‘sell it’ to new generations as well as ‘resell’ it to its former custodians in the Global North. It is with this newfound responsibility that the Church in Africa has in the recent past stood against presumed cultural decay in the West that is seen to work against Christianity as represented in the Bible.

Scholarship has also hastened the winding up of faith business in the West. Over the years, the world has witnessed brilliant authors who have labelled the Christian faith ‘a delusion’ and spent their lifetimes debating the meaning of words. The impact of these crusaders’ literature has been enormous. In Africa, faith is largely oral; an issue of the heart. Faith is held so that God’s name is glorified and His purposes accomplished by the Spirit working to clarify truth and avoid error. This is the repackaging that is making faith in Africa sell.

It is perhaps the issue of homosexuality that has really distinguished Africa as the new undisputed centre of the Christian Faith in recent history. The Church in Africa has taken a clear stand against same-sex unions and the appointing to ecclesiastical office persons living in such unions as the West seeks to “respond with love and understanding to people of all sexual orientation” and “hope to be able to draw upon the benefits of [the churches] listening process”. The Church in Africa holds that such “listening” has to rest on biblical teaching. The result of this stand-off has been a sharp split in Christianity leaving the Church in Africa to provide the sway of the Christian faith. This enormous task cannot be achieved if the African Church does not change the way it engages in the faith business.

The need for trained personnel in the African Church in order to serve the local and international demand cannot be gainsaid. The new Christian brand that is increasingly African must not just be loud but sound; wide but deep. The Church in Africa must improve its image. It must neither be a habitat of those who have failed in life nor a place for ‘free’ things. In a recent seminar I organised for pastors, many failed to turn up because they were required to buy or bring their own lunch even though the facilitation costs had been paid for! This ‘free things’ mentality causes stunted growth and basically kills the African sense of pride. Church leaders have also contributed to this by being the worst employers - poorly remunerating those working for the churches. Thousands upon thousands of dollars donated to the Church in Africa have seemingly dropped into a bottomless pit. There is very little to show for it. The African church workers’ welfare remains pathetic. Their training is not taken as an important priority area. This ought to change for the better if Africa is to put her faith to action.

The position of authority that Africa finds itself in may be squandered as long as the continent continues to wallow in disease, poverty, political instability and low literacy levels among other challenges. The Church in Africa must take conscious steps towards bearing the Gospel to the entire world, a task that will be jeopardized if it depends on funding from the West to preach against the decay in the West! If you accept the skunk you must be prepared for the stink.

The Church in Africa must build up resources analogous to the enormous task. It can no longer depend on ‘generous’ donors, any of whom live in America and Europe. As the new centre of Christianity, it must consciously invest in wealth creation if it is to remain relevant.