The Anabaptist church has clearly taken root in the African continent with more than 530,000 members in 21 countries - more than a third of all Anabaptists globally. This resonates with the reality that Africa is now the centre of the growth of Christianity from a global perspective.
This morning we participated in worship with the newly emerging conference of Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa. It was a dynamic service as some 450 delegates concluded a weekend of meetings and fellowship. The moderator, Frank Nkala, noted that there are 1010 members in the 13 churches based in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The conference was a participatory affair with young people, women and men providing input and song. Throughout the delegates applauded and encouraged the people who spoke, sang and prayed their thanks for this growing body of believers. Frequently when someone needs to go to the front for a presentation they begin to sing as they leave their chair. Before long the entire congregation is singing and clapping along as they make their way to the front - truly a signal of affirmation and unity.
A recent count of church membership in the region is noted below. Mennonite World Conference tallys include only those who are formally part of the church. African realities however would suggest that the local churches count all people involved in the church community (even if they are not formal members so those numbers are likely significantly higher than stated here.
Angola - 10,920
Malawi - 4,186
Mozambique - 5,835
Namibia - 630
South Africa - 1,791
Zambia - 24,721
Zimbabwe - 36,704
The Anabaptist church has clearly taken root in the African continent with more than 530,000 members in 21 countries - more than a third of all Anabaptists globally. This resonates with the reality that Africa is now the centre of the growth of Christianity from a global perspective.
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