End-month news September 2024
Jimoharries@gmail.com (My news is archived here: jim-mission.org.uk )
Christianity in Africa
I confess, that I often consider myself to be a ‘trend leader’ when it comes to comprehending and communicating about Christianity in Africa. This is simply because I am not aware of many others who have made the efforts that I have to learn about Christianity in Africa, and subsequently to assist fellow Westerners to be able to share Jesus in African contexts in helpful ways. To me this is an ENORMOUS CHALLENGE. It is a theological challenge – at the end of the day, the key question is, how would God have me communicate on the way forward for the church in Africa? Please pray for me on this one, as I speak and write on, and engage closely with many, believers in Africa.
The Role of Western People in Theological Education for Africa Today: An Appeal for “Vulnerability”
Go to this link: https://omf.org/mrt-the-role-of-western-people-in-theological-education-for-africa-today-an-appeal-for-vulnerability/ to get a free download of the article that I presented at the recent conference in Cape Town. Go to https://youtu.be/CUH9IOiRrmY for an audio of my presentation that roughly follows this paper. (Note that this you tube video is audio only! )
Here is the ‘blurb’ on this article that was produced by the editors of the OMF journal that published it: “There are serious questions about whether foreigners should perceive themselves as having some kind of power that they can bestow upon local people. Through his decades-long service in Africa, Jim Harries has come to understand how the issues involved in this thinking impact our practices in theological education. His solution? Become “vulnerable” by using only local languages to train people for ministry and living at the local level so that it is clear you have nothing to give but service.”
Is ‘Poverty’ an Option in Mission?
I am very grateful indeed for colleagues of mine in Cape Town, who have worked hard on making arrangements for an open event held on the evening of 10th September 2024. People from a variety of churches within the city were invited. Many who came were people with whom I had already in one way or another had interaction in my two weeks in South Africa. We presented two things that people seeking to do outreach within the city should consider: 1. Use a local African language. 2. Be careful about outside resources. As the evening progressed, for a while, the message seemed not to go home. Then, suddenly, things turned around, and ‘aha moments’ were to be seen on people’s faces! Give thanks
Competing Churches
Back in Nairobi … I could compare the indigenous church scene and life in general in Kenya with what I had found in Cape Town. Facilities, such as public transport, are very much more organised in Cape Town. They also seem primarily to be government run. In Nairobi, buses all seem to be private. ‘Profit maximisation’ rather than ‘quality of service’ seems to be in Nairobi people’s heads. In some ways surprising also – whereas motorcycle taxis constantly criss-cross Nairobi, there are no such in South Africa.
A very striking thing, that I these days frequently find in urban Kenyan contexts, is noisy churches operating simultaneously very proximal to one another. On 15th September, the next church was about 1 metre from where I sat. Initially, they had a PA system (on full blast?), whereas we didn’t. There was only a tin sheet separating us. I think if that had been in the UK – we would simply have called off the experience and been very determined to find a location at which we could hear ourselves think! Here in Kenya, no one batted an eyelid. We just carried on with our own service, despite being able to hear the church next door even more loudly than we could ourselves, our own preachers, worshippers and so on.
A Way of Looking at Translation
One of my presentations while in Cape Town proposed a model for understanding intercultural communication. It is a way for me to say ‘look folks, can’t you see what is happening? We need to change how we do things!’ A well-informed friend of mine said this about it: “Thanks for sharing the video. I do think the sports analogy is helpful, and I think it is one of the better analogies out there. Though, at the same time it is hard to know if it will be convincing. I think these kinds of “disconnects” really need to be experienced in order to be understood, sadly. There is no substitute for having an English language conversation with someone from a very different cultural background—and walking away completely and utterly confused.” Here’s the recording of that presentation: https://youtu.be/qM2ui3m2P2M
November in Tanzania?
Please pray for the prospect of theological teaching in Tanzania in November. I have approached the Mennonite Bible school at which I taught at the end of June. They had invited me, but I had not given them a definite response. If it can work out, I will spend two weeks teaching at their certificate course, in the town of Musoma. I will stay at the Coptic compound there, and do ministry locally with the Coptic Church. (My preference for Tanzania arises because it is increasingly difficult to teach in Kenya using Swahili, but I find use of English in teaching very problematic.) Many of these students will just be beginning their formal orientation to service in the Church.
New Coptic Hospital Under Construction (September 2024). Maseno, Kenya.
(The Coptic mission compound where Jim has his office.)
Jim’s Presentations in South Africa (26th August to 12th September 2024)
See below for links to you tube videos (some are audio only)
| Date | Location | Activity | Link |
| 27th Aug. | University of Western Cape. 13.00hrs lecture. | Title: Comparison Between Sport-Languages Illustrates the Urgent Need for Translation to be into the Known, with respect to Europe and Africa. | https://youtu.be/qM2ui3m2P2M |
| 28th to 30th August | IAMS (International Association of Mission Studies) Africa Conference. Stellenbosch University, Cape Town. | Title: The Role of Western People in Theological Education for Africa Today: An Appeal for “Vulnerability” | Audio only: https://youtu.be/CUH9IOiRrmY (This presentation parallels the article published by OMF in The Mission Roundtable, found at this link: https://omf.org/mrt-the-role-of-western-people-in-theological-education-for-africa-today-an-appeal-for-vulnerability/ ) |
| 1st Sep. SUNDAY | Preach at a Reformed Anglican church. | Title: ‘Portraits of Christ: The role of the sacrifices and how Christ fulfils them’ | https://youtu.be/ZHWj3QZ1aNU |
| 9th Sep | George Whitefield College, 14.00hrs. Lecture: | Title: Jesus Retreated Alone so as Not to be Made King (John 6:15) – Truly Holistic Intercultural Mission from Personal Experience. | https://youtu.be/tkZIjxuigxE (audio only) |
| 11th Sep. | University of Cape Town, dept. of Theology. 16.00hrs. Lecture. | Title: Tackling Envy and Witchcraft Biblically: Differences Between the West and Africa | https://youtu.be/J7a5tWyPnxU |
Jim
To donate to Jim’s work, go to: https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/jimharries