wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Africa's spiritual riches an antidote to pessimism,

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Africa's spiritual riches an antidote to pessimism, says WCC's Kobia
03393
September 18, 2003

Africa's spiritual riches an antidote to pessimism, says WCC's Kobia

by Stephen Brown
Ecumenical News International

GENEVA-Christianity in Africa needs to become a "church of the people,"
drawing on the spiritual traditions of African culture, says the Rev. Samuel
Kobia, recently elected to be general secretary of the World Council of
Churches (WCC).

"The first step towards renewing African Christianity should be the
recognition of the valuable elements of African culture," Kobia, a Kenyan
Methodist, writes in a new book, The Courage to Hope, launched in Geneva on
Sept. 16.

Inspired by Protestant theologian Paul Tillich's interpretation of Christian
faith as "the courage to be," Kobia argues that the African sense of identity
growing from ancient traditions provides a rich spiritual resource for
shaping a new Africa.

"Africa must awaken and be restored to her place of destiny," Kobia writes in
the book, which addresses challenges facing Christianity and society in
contemporary Africa, such as racism, colonialism, poverty, corruption in
government and HIV/AIDS.

"We must defeat the Afro-pessimism that strangles nascent initiatives for
transforming our present situation," writes Kobia. "We must convert our
vision, aspirations and insights into a program, just as an older generation
did with regard to ending colonialism."

At the time of his election to the WCC's top post in August, Kobia predicted
that Africa would be a major focus of Christianity in the 21st century. In
his book, Kobia says that instead of top-heavy "institutionalized" ecumenism
in Africa, a "church of the people" is needed.

"For many Christians today," writes Kobia, "the gigantic church buildings are
financial burdens that are now being questioned in view of the rampant
poverty, inflation, unemployment, civil wars and increasing numbers of
refugees in many African countries."

Kobia will succeed the WCC's current general secretary, the Rev. Konrad
Raiser, who retires at the end of the year.

"In many way the future of ecumenism will be decided in Africa," Raiser
commented at the book's launch at WCC headquarters in Geneva.

While Africa had been a central focus for the work of the WCC for the past
decade, Kobia was attempting to place that concern in a wider context, Raiser
noted.

Born in 1947, Kobia is currently director and special representative for
Africa on the staff of the WCC. From 1999 to 2002, he was director of WCC
programs dealing with theological and social issues.

(Samuel Kobia, The Courage to Hope: The Roots for a New Vision and the
Calling of the Church in Africa, WCC Publications, Geneva, ISBN
2-8254-1388-7, price: $16.95)

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