African Seventh-day Adventists want to play a more active role in making concepts of Christian faith relevant within their own cultures, say church leaders who met for a communication summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, April 30 to May 3.

In Africa, the greatest challenge for the church is communicating the Adventist message of hope in ways that can be understood and accepted within local cultures, explains Super Moesi, communication director for the Adventist Church in north Botswana. “We need to help our people understand that Christ saves them as Africans,” he says. “They should be helped to realize that there are some African practices which are not at war with the Gospel and therefore should be encouraged.” 

Moesi points to the strong sense of extended family in African cultures, and the reliance, in many areas, on communal effort in farming. These are African cultural practices that embody Christian ideals and mesh with the Adventist emphasis on unity and quality of life, says Mosei.

“The church in Africa needs to raise its own profile,” says Sadock Butoke, communication director of the church in Tanzania . “It’s not enough to put our faces on Western concepts. Evangelism will only be truly effective if it relates to images which are often not talked about, but [which are] felt.”  Boitirelo Kabo, communication director for south Botswana, adds that, “In Africa, we need to learn how to present ourselves where we are.”

Participants at the summit also discussed the need for local African input when satellite programming or church resources are developed outside the region for which they are intended.

Ray Dabrowski, communication director for the Adventist Church worldwide, says there is an awareness among church leaders in Africa that culturally appropriate public communication about the church should be a high priority.

“Often we are the best kept secret in a community,” says Dabrowski, who was a presenter at the summit.  “What do people know about us? Does it make a difference what we do, how we live? These are the questions Adventist communicators in eastern Africa are asking.” Dabrowski also applauded the pursuit of media opportunities by church leaders in eastern Africa.

The communication summit marked “a new day for communication in Africa,” says George Mwansa, communication director for the church in eastern Africa, and host of the event. Participants at the summit, which is held every five years, came from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.