Independent African Worship

Worship on the continent of Africa has a rich history, dating back to the earliest period of the Christian church. In recent years, however, new and exciting developments have occurred in sub-Sahara Africa. This article describes these recent developments and the worship of independent African churches. These practices are particularly interesting, as examples of how the Christian faith interacts with local culture. The history of Christianity in North Africa begins in the very first century of the Common Era. The bishops and theologians of Egypt played a decisive role in the early years of Christianity. The desert Fathers and monks exerted a monumental influence, particularly in the arena of Christian spirituality. Orthodox traditions were established in Egypt and Ethiopia; and Christians courageously survived the Islamic expansion of the seventh and eighth centuries that engulfed and cut them off from the rest of Christendom. These Orthodox traditions continue to worship with litur…