Page 9 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

PR E FA C E

It is often said that history is written from the standpoint of conquerors.
This may be particularly true when one talks about military conquests.
The vanquished would rarely write about how they were defeated. It
may also be true to state that no two eyewitnesses will give the same
report of an incident. Their perspectives might differ depending on
where they were standing, what they saw, and most important, how
they processed or interpreted what they saw. Their presuppositions
and assumptions—a natural result of their experiences, beliefs and
formation—would no doubt color their report, though this might not be
easily recognized. Understanding is based on how one makes sense of
what has happened.

This may seem an unusual introduction to the preface of a book on
African church history. The truth of the matter is, however, that in reality
all history is interpretation. I believe that reporting on events from a
perspective that seeks to understand the story of how the message of
Christ has advanced to reach many nations is to begin to understand
God’s story. If it is not His story, then there is little point in history that
seeks to document seemingly unrelated events of human endeavors.
This is why chronicling the advancement of God’s kingdom in Africa
becomes significant as God positions Africa to truly bless the nations of
the world through His own blessing.

It has been stated that theology was born out of mission. I believe
that history is born out of mission—God’s mission and dealings with
humanity. What Reverend Jerry Spain chronicles is one such attempt
to narrate the story of God’s dealing with African peoples over the past
2,000 years. Reverend Spain is particularly qualified, having spent
most of his life on the African continent. He is a true adopted son of
the soil. His research is from a practitioner who has himself been a
player in the field.

May you be blessed by this textbook. Most important, may we
all learn from the past so as to become better bearers of the most

::: ix :::