Here’s an article by an atheist pointing out that, in his opinion, Africa would be made better by missionaries. Would you take a moment to read the article and comment on it? What’s your opinion about this atheist’s conclusions? (Thanks for the tip about this article, Shibu!)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece
To add your comment, just click “Comment” below:
As a veteran missionary with 38 years of experience (the last 18 in Sub Saharan Africa) I could not agree more with this article. Physical and social needs abound out here: a deteriorating infrastructure due to corruption; gross lack of job opportunities for the young and young at heart (again directly traceable to corruption that permeates every level of society); outrageous medical practices that maim, cripple and kill a people that deserve so much more (need I mention corruption’s direct link?); an education system that offers “sexually transmitted grades” to the female population from puberty right on through doctoral programs (and in recent years reaches out to engulf the male population in a country rapidly becoming “liberated” in their sexual orientation); and on and on it goes. From our “front row seats” vantage point we have witnessed endless well intentioned and often well financed humanitarian aid groups come and go. A few stay and make some level of impact but the vast majority fold up shop in time and return to the home country older, wiser, considerably poorer, and sometimes embittered by the hard cold facts of life in a country run on corruption. The only hope for this country we have come to love lies in a heart change. Men and women boys and girls desperately need the Lord. We have witnessed the lasting change the risen, living Lord of lords and King of all kings makes in lives that are abandoned to Him. We are dedicated to persevering out here in “Darkest Africa” where gospel preaching missionaries are still greatly needed for the Glory of God.
I have twice visited German mission’s sites in Zambia where German friends of ours were agricultural missionaries. And we now support them as they help build an evangelical teacher college in Malawi. What I saw confirms what this atheists said in his article. Without a change of heart, Africa is a “barrel without a bottom” with the western governments pouring endless amounts of money into a system that does not change, but with simple projects and with Christian teaching a difference can be seen. In both the agricultural and education sectors the purely secular projects end up as a flash in the pan; the lack of morals or witchcraft destroy the projects in the long run.
Doug,
Thanks for posting that article! Awesome! I have worked in East Africa for 10 years, and I have seen everything described in this article and more. I am amazed that an unbeliever can so plainly see the need and the difference that the Gospel makes. I’ve been alarmed, on the other hand, by the opposite view that I’ve heard in modern mission thinking. Western missionaries are on the decline, partially because we have bought into the thinking that nationals are faster, better, and cheaper. And that is very inaccurate. We’ve convinced ourselves that we are not needed, that nationals can do the work themselves, faster, better, cheaper. The fact is they cannot, not completely. The Lord won’t let them. God has called me as a missionary, therefore the people I am sent to work with need me. They will not be complete without me. Also, I will not be complete, and fulfilling the call on my life will be impossible without them. I believe that God has been speaking to many people in these days about ‘coming over here to help us’. May God help us respond to His call!
The western missionaries have been in Africa for more than 100 years. How many years more is needed to make the changes? I think we should not be simplistic in our analysis. The problems like corruption and others that people like to placard on Africa are also found everywhere. Please, let look closely to the situation and stop using stereotypes to describe Africa. Otherwise, we will keep doing the same things and expect different results.
Younoussa Djao
An African
SORRY, I forgot to clarify one thing: I am not saying that Africa doesn’t need missionaries from other parts of the world. It is God who calls and send from everywhere to everywhere. No one can defend that some places in this world doesn’t need missionaries from other parts of the world. Every part of the world need missionaries from everywhere. It is God’s work and He calls from everywhere to send to everywhere.
Concerning Africa, let change the way we (the Church) do missions and we will see different result.
Blessings!
Yunoussa Djao
An African
I was born and grew up in Africa, then spent 42 years of ministry there. Africa needs the change the gospel brings, be it from missionaries or nationals. That needs to be missionary and national. The USA needs that change of the gospel also, every nation needs it. May God help us all to bring social and educational uplift as we bring new life in Christ where ever we may live. With out Christ the world is lost. Every nation in the world needs Christian missionaries and nationals, this is what we call the church.
It is encouraging to see an athiest willing to be so observant and honest about things related to spiritual matters whne they do not conform to his previous held views. (Not to say that other athiests are not honest. Most often they do not chose to comment openly in this way.) I too believe that God’s calling on many to be missionaries in Africa is real and important. I beleive that all people need to have tgheir worldview challenged and changed where it is inconsistant with God’s pattern for man. Corruption is indeed everywhere and needs to be challenged wherever it is found to devalue any person in any way. I also believe missionaries have sometimes bought into the social thoughts that the “cultures” of people are not to be challenged. It may be true that culture is amoral in itself but many things in culture can be and often are very wrong and should be able to be seen as wrong from anyone who cares about how people are treated. Christian teaching is full of directives which show that wen Christ enters into a relationship there are remarkable changes which must take place, many of them naturally and others which require a great deal of work and struggle. But, the old is gone and the new is come. I am happy to read in the article the observation of the freedom which can be seen in the lives of these people who have become Christian. That in itself verifies Jesus statement that He came to set the captives free. I do believe missioanries are needed in Africa and in every other part of the world. Chang is needed everywhere we look which requires the willingness of those God has called to willingly wrestle with the challenges of how to allow God through His Holy Spirit to bring the changes rather than trying to implement them from our limited and ethnocentric views.
I think we need to think a lot harder about what this article is saying. At first glance it seems positive – but if he is so keen on the changes the Gospel brings, how come he is still an atheist? He is saying that God is good enough for Africans, but not for him. This says more about his attitude to Africans than it does about his attitude to the Gospel.
I’ve commented in more detail with links to some African comments on this here: http://www.kouya.net/?p=1602