By Mitch Odero
An African theologian yesterday proposed that assembly participants take home the
"African gentility and humility found in our culture and which has been demonstrated
by South African President Nelson Mandela as well as the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission".
Professor Jesse Mugambi of Nairobi University suggested that "the spirit of the
(South African) Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be the assignment for the next
millennium for the international Christian community."
Making a padare presentation, he noted, "Won’t it be good to start a new
millennium with a public acknowledgment of our sins in this century, followed by
forgiveness?
"If this can happen between Koreans and Japanese, if this could happen in respect of
slavery, if we could hear forgiveness and reconciliation in Vietnam, China, the United
States and elsewhere?"
Paying tribute to Mandela, he recalled that despite serving 27 years in jail, Mandela had
not lost the African culture of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Mugambi, who has authored several books on theology, noted that the current debate on the
place of women in the church was never a problem in pre-colonial Africa and in the African
Independent Churches.
"In the history of Africa, women were founders of religion and high priests." he
added.
Referring to Africa’s contribution to development of knowledge, he said, "In the
time of the shaping of Greek philosophy some 500 BC, Africa was the centre of learning and
one was considered learned if he had been to institutions in Africa."
Noting that Christianity was now several centuries old in Africa, he said it would have
been good if at least "the fifth century of Euro-Christian presence was being
celebrated along with WCC’s 50th anniversary".
There was no war between evangelicals and ecumenists in Africa, he said. "The war is
elsewhere where it has taken an ideological undertones."
He however expressed regret that some prominent non-African evangelicals had supported
colonialism and apartheid in Africa. They included "Africa Evangelistic
Enterprise", which fought against sanctions imposed on apartheid South Africa, and
others who threw their support behind pre-liberation ruler in Zimbabwe, Ian Smith.
Prof. Mugambi, a professor of religious studies and philosophy, noted that globalisation
had triggered a process of reconsolidation of confessional families. This would affect the
ecumenical movement at a time when churches in Africa are experiencing a withdrawal of
support from their traditional partners, who are redirecting support to eastern Europe.
He noted that in the coming century, pan-Africanism is likely to embrace Africans in the
diaspora.
"Pan-Africanism in the next century will be one in which the largest African nation
will be Brazil," he said. At present, blacks make up three quarters of Brazil’s
population.
The padare was hosted by the World Student Christian Federation’s regional office for
Africa, and Mugambi spoke on "500 years of colonisation of Africa".
