This rapid urbanization, increased population, and significant increase of younger generations in Africa have great opportunities and significant challenges for the African Church to engage in world evangelization. The African media-savvy youth is a huge human resource that should be leveled on by the global church as a means of evangelizing the rest of the global youth now and into the future.
Additional challenges the African church has to contend with in its hour of opportunity include a leadership crisis revealed through extreme poverty, high unemployment rates, wars, famine, corruption, degradation of living standards, and poor governance structures, among others. In his passionate plea during the African Forum on Religion and Government (AFREG 1), former Nigerian President Obasanjo remarked,
The healing is overdue. We must now pull into the depths of our souls and find a meaningful response to the disorientation that screams at us every day, everywhere. We must find that kind of strengths that only the abused and the victimized can recognize. Is there no balm in Gilead? Has the Lord not spoken that Africa is part of his divine economy? What is holding us back when Jesus himself has already liberated the continent?7
Interestingly, the African Church is uniquely flourishing in the face of confounding challenges. Today’s central question for African evangelicals is what kind of Christianity the African church will bequeath to the world by 2050. The external trends concerning the youth population in Africa, urbanization, and rapid growth will catapult Africa to the center stage of global influence in a matter of one to two generations. These trends are happening regardless of the church’s actions and will place Africa at the center of global influence.8
Against this background, the opportunities for the African Church shine through. African Christians must cease to be spectators in the economic, political, and social scenes. Instead, they must actively participate in the struggle to replace poverty with prosperity, disease with health, ignorance with knowledge, oppression with freedom, war with peace, and injustice with justice. Indeed, they must become leaders in that struggle.9
Lausanne Movement in Africa
Africa is a diverse continent with 54 nations and multiple language groups. The Lausanne Movement has thus developed three regional blocks, namely Francophone Africa (for French-speaking Africa), MENA (for mostly Arabic speaking, covers the Middle East and North Africa), and EPSA (for English, Portuguese, and Spanish-speaking Africa). In 2023, leaders from these regions gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the auspices of Lausanne for the Africa and Middle East Leadership Forum (AMLF)—whose focus was Africa’s evangelization and leadership development. It was the first time the three regions were holding a joint congress.
Out of this forum, there was a commitment to mentor Africa’s next generation of leaders and a commitment to increased collaboration among the regions through the various ministries that partnered to make the forum a success. The vision of AMLF is focused on equipping and networking African leaders to contribute to discussions and growth of perspectives towards the faith challenges of our current times and build sustainable partnerships that will enable Africa to play a role in Global Mission strongly.
Among the emerging discussion areas was the need for collaborative action among the regions toward the advancement of Africa. As Former Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza put it: “The problem of Africa is the problem of humanity. How can we overcome evil? How can we overcome this egocentricity that is tying us down and making things difficult for our people?”10 Indeed, if Africa is to overcome the present crisis and achieve peace and prosperity, African Christians must become more active participants in the economic, political, and social development of their nations. The challenge is for African Christians to become active at every level of the development process.11
Therefore, the African and Middle East Leadership Forum has embarked on a transformative journey with strategic planning, sustained engagement, and a commitment to mentorship. This joint initiative is well poised as a catalyst for positive change in leadership across Africa and, potentially, to the Middle East.
7 Obasanjo, Olusegun. “Africa Arise.” 25 Jul. 2006. Religion & Government in Africa: A Christian Response, edited by Delanyo Adadevoh, ILF Publishers, 2009.
8 Call2All Summit East Africa, One Hope
9 Kinoti, G. & Kimuyu, P. (1997). “Vision for a bright Africa.” IFES.
10 Nkurunziza, Pierre. “Good Governance.” 25 Jul. 2006. Religion & Government in Africa: A Christian Response, edited by Delanyo Adadevoh, ILF Publishers, 2009.
11 Kinoti, G. & Kimuyu, P. (1997). “Vision for a bright Africa.” IFES.
