The Disciples of Christ in USA and Canada had sent missionaries to India, Japan, China and Jamaica, but Africa was left in her dark night. The Disciples of Christ mission in Africa started in the early 1880s when the Disciples of Christ in the United States and Canada, realizing that they had had no share in carrying the Gospel to that part of the world, developed a great concern for Africa. ![]() The Restoration Movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Formerly Zaire) Hence the Restoration movement in Africa reflects the particular approaches of the different branches of the American movement. The only branch of the Restoration Movement among others that operated and had an impact in the Congolese nations is the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) through its mission board and, more recently, through Global Ministries, while on the other hand the Churches of Christ is the branch of the movement that strongly impacted Southern Africa. What is more, the Restoration movement had a significant but again different impact in Southern Africa, in countries such as South Africa (which served as the hub of the movement), Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia. The Restoration Movement in Africa did not have the same impact in Central Africa, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, as it did in the USA and Canada. All of these matters had contributed to divisions among the churches, whereas unity was the key principle of the Restoration Movement. Of particular importance to them was the recognition of the New Testament pattern of church with respect to the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the rejection of unbiblical names, creeds and ecclesiastical traditions. Their goal was for everyone to abandon their denominational prerogatives and become united as one church under God’s rule. The Restorationists believed that different organized denominations had constructed rules and practices that did not explicitly come from the Bible. ![]() With their belief in Jesus as the only model and the Bible as the only sacred book, they endeavored to re-establish Christ’s church as it had been in the first century. ![]() Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others abandoned their formal denominations with hopes of establishing a church based solely on the Christianity taught in the New Testament. Associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are the Churches of Christ in Australia, the Associated Churches of Christ (New Zealand), the United Reformed Church (UK) and others. These are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, the Church of Christ (a capella) in the United States and the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ also in the United States. Three modern North American religious groups trace their heritage back to the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. The leading figures of the movement are Barton W. The Restoration Movement, also known historically as the “Stone-Campbell Movement”, is a Christian reform movement that arose in the United States of America during the Second Awakening in the late 18th century and early 19th century. He is also author of a chapter in Chalice Introduction to Disciples Theology, edited by Peter Goodwin Heltzel. Before going to South Africa to pursue his doctoral degree, he served as Regional Minister of the Kinshasa district based in the capital of the country. ![]() He is an ordained pastor of the Community of the Disciples of Christ in the Democratic Republic of Congo. candidate at the Department of Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics of the University of South Africa. The Restoration (Stone-Campbell) Movement in Afirca: Its Beginning and Development
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |