A rebellion against Pope Francis is brewing in Africa. On Jan. 11, African Catholic bishops, gathered at a conference in Accra, declared the Vatican’s recent proposal to allow priests to offer non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples is contrary to their…
Diaspora communities improve lives in Africa with remittances, but sometimes that comes at great personal cost
In this season of giving, some African expatriates are weary of being asked for financial assistance from people who assume they’ve got money to spare. One such person is Asisat Oshoala, a Nigerian soccer star based in Barcelona, Spain. In…
In South Africa, a solar boom lights up forgotten rural churches
South Africa is home to Africa’s largest drive for solar and renewable energy, allowing rural churches — which were forgotten in electrification of the last two decades — to finally light up on the cheap. “It’s the first time to…
In Zambia and beyond, controversial ‘prayer consultation’ hotels drive mini real estate boom
“One-on-one” or “consultation hotels” are motels built by wealthy evangelical prophets to offer personalized “spiritual services.” And they are driving a mini real estate boom in Zambia’s biggest cities and even in neighboring countries. “To see a senior prophet, the…
Kenya’s latest cult tragedy highlights a deeper problem with religious worship in Africa
At last count, more than 400 corpses of people linked to a cult in Kenya called Good News International Church have been exhumed from where they were buried in the Shakahola forest of Kilifi County. The human remains were exhumed…
In Mozambique, Saudi Muslim scholarships for Christian students win hearts
Paulos Do Manuere, a staunch Catholic, doesn’t forget the Thursday in 2013 when he received a fully funded scholarship from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to study civil engineering at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. “I was astonished to…
Is American influence waning in Africa?
American Christians may think of Africa most often as a mission field, but the continent now plays a prominent role in global politics too. “Look, this forum is about building connections. It’s about closing deals. And above all, it’s about the…
Amid Sudan war and elsewhere, water scarcity threatens lives
Within just a few days of the recent outbreak of war in Sudan an essential resource, water, became a scarce commodity. The scarcity continues to this day in parts of the North African country, making life a living hell for…
In Mozambique, informal economies are springing up around Pentecostal pilgrimages
Formal jobs with decent wages are scarce in Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest nations, a place where the once-dominant Catholic Church is losing ground to open-air nondenominational Pentecostals who specialize in the appealing Prosperity Gospel. Conditions are dire for…