African Migrant Christians Changing the Landscape of Christianity in the West: Reading the Signs of the Times

Abstract

Gone are the days when one could clearly define the contours of western Christianity. Such a description must necessarily account for the influences of African expressions of Christianity and African religiosity in general. From the role of religious leaders to the very expressions of Christian rituals in the western world, Africa continues to play a prominent role. This is particularly true for the North American continent where several hundreds of ordained ministers originally from the African continent are ministering. Since Africa is not a monolithic continent, a legitimate question arises: What do we mean by the adjective “African” in the contexts of speaking of both an African identity and African Christianity? This chapter offers a response to the question by first exploring the colonial consciousness of the word. It proceeds further to show innovative ways contemporary Africans reinterpret the word as a pathway for new imaginations of community and self—imaginations that are intentionally inclusive. Furthermore, this work sheds light on the successes and challenges facing African Christians as they navigate western socio-cultural identities both as diaspora African communities and as individuals, especially in the American context.