From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:AFRICA: CHURCH SEEKS ROAD TO LIBERATION
Date: 7 Nov 92 03:08:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.BxBsqp.EM1
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: AFRICA: CHURCH SEEKS ROAD TO LIBERATION


an inter press service feature

by andrew zhakata

harare, zimbabwe, oct 30 (ips) -- the church in africa needs to
reform in order to address effectively various problems plaguing
the continent.

this view is upheld by a number of african theologians who
argue that the church should come to the foreground even in
politics, which they regard as the root source of disasters in
many countries.

''drought, famine, political unrest, civil wars, repression
and deaths are the major woes currently afflicting africa'',
says desmond tutu, archbishop of the anglican church in cape
town and 1984 winner of the nobel prize for peace.

''in this time of trials and tribulations, let the church
stand up and work out our salvation in trepidation'', he told
the sixth general assembly of the all africa conference of
churches (aacc) held here this week.

more than 700 church leaders, laymen and laywomen from 38
african countries attended the five-day gathering whose theme
was: ''abundant life in jesus christ''.

''certainly in africa we have abundance, but most of it is
negative. we have an abundance of refugees, drought, poverty,
conflicts and debt crisis'', said dr. phillip potter, former
general secretary of the world council of churches (wcc).

the abundance which was not negative, potter told the aacc
assembly, was ''unfortunately controlled by the industrialised
nations''.

economic reforms prescribed by the world bank and the
international monetary fund, the retired dominican clergy said:
''have done more harm than good to the (african) continent''.

meanwhile, tutu, who has been re-elected aacc president for a
second five-year term, thinks the church in africa should play a
leading role in democratic reform as well as in the struggle for
justice, peace and reconciliation among nations.

formed in 1963, the aacc comprises 136 member churches and
national christian councils of protestant and orthodox
denominations. (more/ips)


africa: church (2)

aacc general secretary jose chipenda sees the church on the
threshold of a new era in africa where it must begin to respond
within an african context to the massive disasters engulfing the
continent.

''let us work with hope where there is despair, endeavouring
to rebuild wherever there is destruction.

''where there is discord, we seek to bring harmony. where
there is death, let us bring life'', chipenda says.

however, pastor frank adubra, who is also a member of
parliarment in togo, accuses some church leaders of ''hypocrisy
and colloboration in the violation of human rights in their role
as the voice of the oppressed''.

he told the conference that africa has been stifled by many
an injustice ranging from poverty to the despair of unemployment
in towns, constant famine to the catastrophe of acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (aids) and from dictatorships to civil wars.

the aacc assembly concluded on a note that the church in
africa should expand ethics of liberation -- fight injustice,
break chains of inequality, high-handedness and divisions.

but aaron tollen, a wcc vice-president from cameroon, traces
some disarray in church ranks because of internal power struggle
and lack of unity among leaders.

he says the church lacks the necessary boldness and courage
to carry out the task and therefore, ''it would rather dine and
wine with governments than be prophetic''. (end/ips/az/ar/92)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african