ABSTRACT
Despite its perceived decline elsewhere in the world, Christianity remains a strong religion in Africa, and the church, in its various forms, is rooted in African society. This chapter argues that Africans are the main actors in Christianity in contemporary Africa. One of the fundamental errors of Church historians today is that they are writing the history of African Christianity “as if the Christian Church were in Africa, but not of Africa.” 1 The Lutheran Bishop and missionary to South Africa and Tanzania, Bengt Sundkler (1909–1995) has stated repeatedly that “The Church is no longer in Africa, but is now of Africa.” 2 “Even the global overarching Church trends such as the Charismatic renewals are modified in Africa according to local structure and indigenous peculiarity;” 3 and “no other movement in Africa allows the individuals African personality to stand out as clearly as does the movement of the Church.” 4
