Muslim

Modern Christianity in Africa

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Nearly half of all Africans are members of a Christian church – this despite oppression from Muslims, yearly famines, and devastating diseases like AIDS. Interestingly, despite the hurdles they face in their own countries, African Anglican bishops have begun sending oversight missionaries to the West in an effort to provide conservative leadership for disenfranchised Episcopalians who have left their denomination over the election of a gay bishop.

Impact:  The growth of the African churches shows no sign of abating in the face of persecution and hardship.

Cost of discipleship

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More Christians have been martyred in the last 100 years than during the previous 19 centuries. In Third World countries, Islamic kingdoms, and Communist nations Christians have been killed by the millions. After World War I, for instance, over one million Armenian Christians were exterminated by the Turks. Today, in countries like Sudan, Muslim insurgents kill, enslave, and rape Christians almost at will. One of the most famous twentieth-century martyrs was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who fought for religious freedom in Nazi Germany. He was imprisoned and executed in 1945 as the war was coming to a close.

Impact: The early church leader Tertullian wrote during the Roman persecutions that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” What was true then is true today as the worldly sacrifice of brave Christians serves to inspire others to take their place and continue preaching the Gospel message.

Martyn, Henry

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Henry Martyn (1781-1812) was an English missionary to India, Martyn was inspired by the work and writings of William Carey and David Brainerd. In 1803 he was ordained a deacon in the Church of England and two years later obtained a chaplaincy from the East India Company. Stationed in Calcutta he studied the local dialects so that he could preach and translate the New Testament. His frail health forced him to leave India in 1810 and he sailed for Persia, hoping that a change in climate would improve his condition. He ministered to the Muslims, once again preaching on the streets and translating the Scriptures. He died of tuberculosis while on a mission trip to Turkey. He was the first missionary to both the Hindus and the Muslims and his Journals, where he detailed the great importance of missions, inspired many in the 19th century to spread the Gospel around the world.