Page 99 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

The Nile Corridor Churches

refer to the kind of African Christianity with rigorous independence as
“Ethiopianism.”

In conclusion let us note the following concerning the Ethiopian
Coptic Church of the Middle Ages:

• It survived, and for this we are grateful. A majority of the people
in Ethiopia today hold nominal Christians beliefs. Presently,
there are powerful evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal
movements in the country. We will study more about this later.
• There is no evidence that the Ethiopian Coptic Church was
Pentecostal in the Early and Middle Ages. Because of its isolation,
it did not catch a vision of reaching the nations of Africa and
beyond with the gospel. It needed to follow the example of
Frumentius and his companions.
• It developed a highly ritualistic, formal type of Christianity with
a heavy emphasis on monasticism and not enough emphasis
on training.
• We commend the church for translating the Bible into the language
of the people. This may help to explain why the church survived.
However, syncretism (the mixing and blending of religions)
indicates there was not enough teaching of the Word.

We may learn some powerful lessons from the Nile Corridor churches.
How did these churches measure up to the apostolic standards of the
book of Acts? That is how the New Testament church started and should
always be the means of measurement.

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