May 30, 2008

Weekly Round-Up: Mormonism in Africa, the Lord's Resistance Army, African Christianity, and Biblical Reflection

Here's this week's round-up:

1) Carrie A. Moore, "LDS Beliefs Help, but Attitude Toward Native Worship Affects, Church Growth in Africa" in the Mormon Times. A news report on a Mormon History Association meeting where well-known religious historian Phillip Jenkins spoke. He talked about both the success and challenges of Mormonism in Africa. Here is a saddening projection made by Jenkins:
Present LDS membership is about 270,000 in Africa, and 25,000 others are converts to the Community of Christ (formerly the RLDS Church). Jenkins predicted African Latter-day Saints will number between 3 million and 4 million in the next quarter century.
2) "Children stolen, forced into firefights" on WorldNetDaily. Check out this informative introductory piece on Joseph Kony, the Lord's Resistance Army, and children soldiers in Uganda.

3) Richard J. Gehman, Makumbuko blog. A while back I reviewed Gehman's book Who Are The Living-Dead? A Theology of Death, Life After Death and the Living-Dead. An American missionary and evangelical scholar, Gehman served for years with the Africa Inland Mission at Scott Theological College in Kenya. He was also editor of the Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. He does an excellent job relating biblical truth to an African context. So the moment I heard that he had begun a new blog, I subscribed to it. So should you.

4) Sam Storms, "Taking every Thought Captive for Christ (2 Cor. 10.4-6)" on the Enjoying God Ministries blog. In light of the loud voices of militant atheism heard all around us, Storms provides an edifying biblical reflection on defending our faith.