Amahoro Summer Institutes were born out of our first Amahoro Gathering when Dr. Mabiala Kenzo, an African theologian, prophetically stated: “The church in Africa is at a crossroads, poised to become a major force in the world. But we will only be successful in this if we have the courage to differ; to innovate…there is a need for Africa to move from intuitive or secondhand faith and theology to a critical first hand faith and theology.”
The move from secondhand to first hand theology means Africans must articulate their experiences and understanding of God in their own voice and vernacular. With this in mind, we are in the process of creating a training tool: “Towards The Gospel of Transformation”. This tool will bring together creative, imaginative leaders from emerging and established churches in peer-based learning communities committed to seeking fresh ways of being God’s people in our own missionary contexts of Africa.This tool focuses on 3 elements of the Bible text: “Theology – Context – Praxis.”
Theology: One of our challenges is that Christianity has presented itself as a system of dogmatic and disjointed belief instead of the unified story that God intended. Speaking generally, as Africans we understand stories but we have a harder time with systems; we understand conversation but we have a harder time with lectures; we understand community well-being but we have a harder time with church denominational lines. We need to understand the comprehensive story of God, from creation to culmination, for all other details to make sense. A solid theological framework is a necessary prerequisite for thoughtful praxis.
Context: In the West, we are familiar with the term “post-modern”, indicating the end of modern ways of thinking. In Africa, it is more appropriate to speak of “post-colonial”, the era after colonial power and influence. How do we understand the Gospel apart from colonial and modernist missionary-era constraints? A Gospel not of coercion, power and evacuation strategies, but a Gospel that cares for the poor, the marginalized and those suffering under unjust systems. Leaders need to explore the gospel imperatives in light of their cultural context. What will the Church in the post-colonial Africa look like?
Praxis: How does your story and your life in your community serve the purpose of the big story, the story of God? With an improving theological framework and more astute cultural understanding, leaders will have greater resources - spiritual, intellectual, and theological - to address thoughtful praxis. Our hope is that a foundation will be laid for African leaders to begin to sketch out praxis for their unique communities. Africans are people of action; we hope to equip them with tools to marry reflection and action for stronger outcomes.
In partnership with some major African seminaries, denominations and international organizations, we have scheduled several summer institutes for summer 2008. For more information, please e-mail Sarah Gonski at sarah@amahoro-africa.org.
