Page 49 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

African Christian Heritage

the study of the church in Africa, it means that God wanted Africans to be
included in His church from the beginning of time along with the people
of every nation. Africans were among those who were empowered to
walk in the Spirit and witness to family, friends, neighbors, and nations.

The Lord had given careful instructions to His disciples about taking
the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:18–20). However, He knew they
would not be successful unless they received divine power. Therefore,
He promised they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order for them
to be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). Later, when Jesus’
disciples encountered strong opposition, they were compelled to leave
Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). As they carried the gospel to the other towns and
districts, they planted a church in Antioch of Syria.

Interestingly, according to the record given by Luke in Acts, Africans
were involved in this church plant. He mentions “Simeon called
Niger” (13:1), which, according to Sanneh, identifies him as a “black
man, possibly from the Ethiopic countries” (1983, 3). In the same
context, Luke also listed Lucius of Cyrene. Perhaps, Lucius was among
the Africans who were present on the Day of Pentecost. Rather than
returning to North Africa, he may have gone north to Antioch. If so, this
would identify him as a cross-cultural missionary to the people of Syria.
We do not know where he went from Antioch, but it is difficult to believe
there would not have been communications with Africa since Antioch
was a commercial center for world travelers.

The eighth chapter of Acts gives us details of the conversion of an
important government official and his subsequent baptism. Our English
Bibles indicate that he was in the service of Candace, queen of the
Ethiopians. The context indicates that he had gone to Jerusalem to
worship. Many Bible scholars believe he was probably from the Nile
corridor kingdom of Meroë. In this regard, Sanneh observes:

According to a tradition preserved by the Church historian
Eusebius, writing in the early fourth century, the name of this
“Ethiopian” official was Judich. As the story is recounted in the
Acts, the Apostle Philip was urged to go and meet Judich in the
Gaza where he found him reading from the Book of Isaiah a
passage which expounded the theme of the recent Crucifixion of

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