Witchcraft and its impact on black African Christians: A lacuna in the ministry of the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika

Abstract

Witchcraft is presented as a threat to the life and well-being of the people of Africa, their embracement of Christianity notwithstanding. This article seeks to highlight the negative impact of witchcraft beliefs and experiences among many African people, including Christians and the educated, that is, "educated" in the western sense. The article identifies a lacuna in the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika's ministry to the sick and to those who find themselves engulfed by misfortune in one form or another and believed to have been caused by witchcraft. The article points to the need for a ministry that will be relevant and meaningful in addressing the illnesses and misfortunes of black African Christians.