DISCIPLESHIP AND THE FUTURE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH IN AFRICA

Résumé

There is so much talk about discipleship in the church today in Africa without a corresponding deep understanding of the theme in relation to the gospel of the cross and spiritual discipline in many quarters. Many see emphasis on the cross which is the true gospel and road map to genuine Christian faith in Africa as archaic and at best an old fashion of Christianity. For them, Jesus has done it all. This casts serious doubt on the authenticity of the faith professed, and, more gravely, creates a bleak future for the survival of the faith in Africa. The main aim of this paper is to emphasize that if the future of the Christian faith in Africa is to be brighter with hopes of revival and genuine Christian living, then discipleship that hinges on the gospel of the cross is indispensable. To achieve this, the paper looks at key passages in the Gospels and Pauline Epistles with a view of using exegetical method to draw the lessons thereof for the region concerned. And the paper recommends that the church should pragmatically follow Jesus' model of discipleship as cardinal to the survival and success of Christian faith in Africa.