Editorial: African Baptists have questions about us

One of the first things I was asked while in Lagos, Nigeria, for the 2024 Baptist World Alliance annual gathering was why the church in the United States is in decline. This was a popular question during my 10 days there.

By the end of those 10 days, I had reduced my answer to three words: apathy and acrimony.

We can debate the causes but not the fact of our apathy and acrimony. But those of us who care do debate, and too often acrimoniously.

Meanwhile, Baptists and other Christians in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres are growing by leaps and bounds—numerically and spiritually. And they are concerned about us. They wonder when we’re going to get back to obedience, discipleship and evangelism.

African Baptists, American missionaries

Baptist World Alliance has reported numerous times over the last year that during the last 10 years, “the BWA family” has declined 2 percent in Europe and the Middle East, declined 5 percent in North America, grown 26 percent in Asia and the Pacific, grown 27 percent in Latin America, and has grown 102 percent in Africa.

I’ve heard these statistics shared in Norway, the United States and Nigeria. It’s one thing to hear them in a room full of fellow commiserators. It’s another to hear them in a room full of those who many Americans always have thought of as our spiritual children—or worse, as children.

While these statistics pertain to BWA, they are representative of what is happening in Christianity as a whole. The West—Europe and North America—is no longer driving Christianity. The Global South is the driver. We need to wake up to that.

The sharpest questions came from African Baptists, and they didn’t wait long to ask. It was typically some version of: “How is it that we are so much stronger than you? You sent missionaries to us, and now we send missionaries to you.”

It’s true. We boast in our seminaries, mission agencies, money and buildings. For all our institutions and religious freedom, all our (diminishing) money and (former) clout, we can’t hide from our brothers and sisters around the world that we are in decline.

We debate the reasons for our decline, usually pointing our finger at each other, rarely accepting any blame ourselves. Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres want to know when we’re going to get back to obedience, discipleship and evangelism.

African sacrifices, American complaints

It was not easy getting to Lagos, Nigeria. Obtaining a visa was complicated and expensive. For many, it required additional travel to one of a handful of consular offices. There also were safety concerns that had to be considered, addressed and overcome during our visit.

There was some complaining about all of this, as you might imagine. But those complications, concerns and complaints paled in comparison to what so many others in the room endured to be there, much less what they endure on a regular basis at home.

Plenty of attendees came from war-torn homelands in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, whether the conflict is present or recent. The United States is conflicted, but we’re not in the midst of or fresh off of war. So, we didn’t have that hardship to overcome to attend.

Plenty of attendees sacrificed more than additional time and money to be there. A young pastor from northern Kenya sold two cows to pay for his travel to Lagos. I paid more in dollars, but I didn’t sacrifice near as much. But he’s not worried about the cows. He’s more interested in talking about the 300 people he baptized in one day.

Yes, I made him repeat that to make sure I heard him correctly. Then, he showed me pictures. One of the new Christians was a cattle bandit like him and is now a pastor like him, leading other people to follow Jesus instead of the old ways.

We’re both leaving behind “the old ways.” They’re giving up cattle rustling and violence against competing rustlers in favor of obedience to Christ, discipleship to him and evangelism about him. We’re giving up obedience, discipleship and evangelism.

Some would challenge: “Just giving up? Or already given up?”

African challenge, American decision

This week, the burning of First Baptist Dallas’ historic sanctuary made international news. Unsurprisingly, Pastor Robert Jeffress pledged to rebuild the building, saying it’s too important not to.

Nine days prior, I attended a worship service under the massive metal roof of the Baptist International Convention Centre north of Lagos, sitting in a plastic chair on top of bare concrete, cooled by the breeze that blew through the wall-less structure.

First Baptist Dallas counts 16,000 members, not all of whom attend worship every Sunday. For comparison, at least 25,000 people can fit easily under the metal roof of the Baptist International Convention Centre.

The day I returned, former president and present candidate Donald Trump narrowly missed assassination. The following week, President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for U.S. president and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democrat presidential candidate.

The entire campaign has been cast in religious language—holy war language, in fact. American Christians may be lukewarm about church, but we sure aren’t apathetic about politics.

Our brothers and sisters understand the importance of our politics, but what they want to know is when we’re going to get back to obedience, discipleship and evangelism. And is it really contingent on who gets elected?

Remember who’s asking. Those who’ve found their way to obedience, discipleship and evangelism through far greater challenges than we face.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.