Page 111 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

Triumph and Trouble

I have already mentioned some of the North African stalwarts
or spiritual giants, such as Augustine, who was perhaps the greatest
Christian leader of this age. When the church was free from persecution,
it was free to fight doctrinal battles. As Hyatt observes, “Many violent
struggles ensued that produced sharp divisions in the church. Basil of
Caesarea, bishop of Cappadocia (A.D. 370–379), likened it to a great
naval battle being fought by men who ‘cherish a deadly hate against one
another’” (36).

From a Pentecostal perspective, when the church became formal, it
lost the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the local church. But since
Chrysostom represented the remnant of God, history indicates that
believers maintained the charismata through the Middle Ages. Some
who were involved in the monastic movement gave themselves to
seeking God and to the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

When the church became formal, it neither reached out to the nations
nor engaged in missions. The vision to take the gospel “to the ends
of the earth” noticeably dimmed. Even Augustine and other leaders in
North Africa did not seem to sense an obligation to preach the gospel
beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire. Their focus was inward
on doctrinal debates and on external struggles with the Vandals (a
Germanic people who overran Gaul, Spain, and northern Africa in the
fourth and fifth centuries). While the Eastern Byzantine Church, which
was composed of Nestorians and Monophysites, attempted to carry the
gospel further to the east, one of the greatest challenges to Christianity
lay on the eastern horizon. Let us consider the impact of Islam on
Christianity and the mission of God.

The Challenge of Islam

In the seventh century, a religion began that soon impacted the world.
That religion is Islam and its followers are called Muslims. Because Islam
is so prevalent in Africa, every Christian in Africa should be acquainted
with its teachings. Millions of Muslims live on the continent of Africa.
They are our Muslim neighbors and they desperately need to know
Jesus Christ as their Savior. Some countries in North Africa are Islamic
states, and in practical terms this means that few Christians live in
these countries. In Somalia, more than 99 percent of the people are

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