Workshop puts 15 writers on the road to publishing contextual African materials

The African Christian Writers’ Workshop took place in Kenya last month at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). “It exceeded my expectations,” said Dr. Bill Houston, OC Africa Regional Director. He came up with the workshop idea because he has been concerned for years that Africa’s theological seminaries have been largely dependent on good books produced by the Western Church addressing the Western context; however, Africa needs African writers who can interpret Scripture and apply it to the African context, which is shaped by HIV/AIDS, poverty, tribalism, lack of leadership, gender inequalities, etc.

OC partnered with Langham Literature, a program of John Stott Ministries, to host the first workshop for 15 aspiring writers and set them on a course to produce published books by providing the training and encouragement needed to write these much-needed materials. “All the writers left the workshop with a clear table of contents and a high level of commitment,” Bill said. Follow up will take place to support the writers and monitor progress. Writers came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Another workshop will take place for West Africa if funding is available.

Topics included:

• Biblical leadership and solving conflicts in Africa
• Missions to Muslim women
• Childhood in Africa
• The influence of the “ancestor cult” on what Christians believe about God and Jesus Christ
• Contextual Christian responses to witchcraft, illness and death in Africa
• Bride price
• Leadership models and church growth
• The role of discipleship in the evangelical churches and seminaries in Africa
• Christian ethics in Kenya and tribalism
• Contextualization in multi-ethnic, multi-racial churches
• Utilization of research in Church revitalization
• The role of the Church in social/political issues

The workshop facilitators brought much experience and expertise from the world of writing and publishing: Pieter Kwant is the International Program Director for Langham Literature, which aims to see Majority World churches being equipped for mission and growing in maturity; Isobel Stevenson is the Chief Editor for Creative Projects of Langham Literature; Tim Stafford is an award-winning writer and regular contributor to Christianity Today and Campus Life magazines; and Sid Garland is the Executive Director for Africa Christian Textbooks.

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