wfn.org | AACC - Lumumba Urges Africa to Shun Culture of Begging

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

AFRICA URGED TO SHUN THE CULTURE OF BEGGING

By Mitch Odero

Communication and Advocacy Consultant for Ecumenical Movement

NAIROBI  July 28 Africa was today called upon to liberate itself from its
culture of begging and low self-esteem.

The call was made by the Secretary to Constitution of Kenya Review
Commission Dr. Patrick Lumumba when he formally opened the Africa Regional
Committee meeting of the World Student Christian Federation.

Dr. Lumumba told his audience assembled in the chapel of the All Africa
Conference of Churches (AACC) in Nairobi that Africa had perfected the
business of proposal writing noting that if Africans are to find African
solutions to the African problems then the culture of begging should end.
A beggar cannot be equal to the giver.  Begging is a form of slavery he
noted stressing that the prospect of the 21st century being a century for
Africa will require that we in Africa make a conscious choice to liberate
ourselves from the slavery of begging.

He went on to challenge African theologians to discard synthetic theology
which has only produced sterile Christianity.

Urging that sterile Christianity be consigned to the dustbin of history,
Dr. Lumumba noted that such Christianity had reduced the value and the
depth of faith to a mere mouth-deep.

He expanded that is why Christians slaughtered Christians in Rwanda.  That
is why ethnic affiliations drawn our Christianity.

He recalled that when Catholic Pope John recently appointed a member of
Ndebele tribe in Zimbabwe to the post of Archbishop, Christians from Shona
tribe raised objections thus demonstrating the strength of ethnic
affiliations above other considerations.

It is time we asked ourselves if our Christianity is relevant to our
societies.  Are you relevant to your national politics and national
economies, Dr. Lumumba asked noting that to remain irrelevant would mean
that the gap between words and deed will continue to remain wide in
Africa..

In solving our problems, we tend to deal with the windmill.  We must deal
with the wind.	We must ask ourselves where the wind blows, he advised.

The five day meeting has drawn participants from 24 African
countries.  AACC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala, currently on a
pastoral visit to a number of African countries, was represented by Mr.
Polycarp Ochilo, the AACC Executive Secretary for International Affairs.

WSCF Chairperson Mr. Abraham Chikasa said his organisation is committed to
justice, peace and dialogue.  It also seeks to empower students through
critical thinking.