The great goal to which the Bible points is that day when God’s

people from every nation, tribe and tongue will be gathered around
the throne of God and of the Lamb. The end to which all things are
heading is the restoration of relationship. That gathering begins in
this life when people who carry the message of the Gospel go and
make disciples of all nations. Should we not then take the time to
recover both the priority of relationships and the priority of
evangelism in our own lives and in the communities to which we
belong?

Of course no one is saying that this will be easy. In an age that

offers more connectivity than any other time in history people are
finding themselves disconnected from real relationships. In a time
when tolerance is paramount, the challenges of sharing the gospel
are ever on the rise. No doubt this is merely scratching the surface,
but here are four challenges to evangelism that the African continent
is currently facing.

1. Challenge: Political instability

Politics is not just political. It is spiritual too. We cannot
dichotomize the sacred and secular. This approach cannot influence
society. The only way to change the way politics is done is through
a Spirit-filled life. This is the same as in business. If one separates
business from one’s spiritual life it means the latter can have no
influence or bearing on how business is conducted. When a country
boasts a high percentage of Christians why are their politics still
marred with malpractice, regionalism, nepotism, tribalism, and
corruption?
the church should revisit the theology and history of the church-state relationship,
identifying the most effective alignment that will make the church a true change agent for
holistic societal transformation
 
The church must see itself as God does: an intervening factor for
reconciliation and effective conflict resolution, shaped by the gospel
message (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Matthew 5:9). More critically, the
church should revisit the theology and history of the church-state
relationship, identifying the most effective alignment that will make
the church a true change agent for holistic societal transformation.

Political turmoil also shows that the political agendas of our nations
are not entirely controlled by our political leaders. There is so much
western influence on our politics, shamelessly insisting on alien
practices such as advanced human rights. Our governments are
pressured to compromise on issues that previously would not have
been considered: progressive liberal sexuality, abortion on demand,
reproductive health information offered at a troublingly young age,
etc. The West does not necessarily know best. Where possible we
must explore avenues for a greater Christian influence on politics.

2. Challenge: Social and economic

factors
Poverty in Africa, particularly southern Africa is high. Our
evangelistic thrust should incorporate these realities, making our
ministry more holistic. This is accomplished by combining the
preaching of the gospel with ministering to the personal needs of
those affected — a combination of proclaiming God’s love and
demonstrating it ourselves. This also calls for the effective
preaching that can inspire and motivate people into vocation and
entrepreneurship.  We need to understand the fundamental causes of
poverty in the region and identify means to address them. The
church can help people to become productive and lead self-
sustaining livelihoods.
3. Challenge: Information and
technology
We need to reclaim the role of our Christian parentage and improve the effectiveness of
our pulpits in order to reshape and influence our youth through biblical truth and God’s
life-changing gospel
 
Our generation has access to more information than any before us,
possibly even all of them combined. This is largely because of the
internet, social media and television. Young people are engaging
more with social media than they are engaging with their parents or
leaders, face-to-face. This means that the critical source of
information for our young people is no longer parental or pulpit
guidance, but the countless scores of opinions online mediated
through their gadgets. We are losing our children to a world without
morals and without hope. We need to reclaim the role of our
Christian parentage and improve the effectiveness of our pulpits in
order to reshape and influence our youth through biblical truth and
God’s life-changing gospel.

4. Challenge: The growth of Islam

Throughout the continent, where they are not already the majority,
Muslims are penetrating politics, business, sports, education and
philanthropic work. They are making themselves more and more
visible to the media and through public engagement. Muslims are
seeking to be included in the affairs of their respective nations. The
Muslims are targeting women and children and they are appealing to
the poor of our society. We should look ahead and protect the space
we occupy, but more importantly we must make inroads for
effective witness to Muslims. The Christian message of love should
drive our ministry into the Muslim world, as much as it need shape
our reception of Muslims to our regions. Facing this challenge,
along with those mentioned above, cannot be done in our own
strength. Therefore we must turn to our sovereign God in prayer.
The Christian message of love should drive our ministry into the Muslim world, as much as
it need shape our reception of Muslims to our regions. Facing this challenge, along with
those mentioned above, cannot be done in our own strength. Therefore we must turn to our
sovereign God in prayer