African church leaders meet in Nairobi on freedom of belief

The World Council of Churches reports that more than 100 church leaders, theologians, academics and victims of persecution met in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 5 to 8 for a symposium on freedom of belief and persecution in Africa. The All Africa Conference of Churches organized the four-day gathering. The WCC says it was the seventh in a series the ecumenical body has held since 2019 to help its member churches develop theologies that speak to the cultural, social, religious and political realities they face.

Its general secretary, Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki, said religious persecution is a major global challenge rooted in friction between dominant and minority religious communities. "Many conflicts labeled 'religious persecution' are also rooted in economics, ethnicity, and resource competition," he said. He cautioned that the problem cannot be treated as physical violence, terrorism and martyrdom alone.

Illia Djadi, senior analyst on freedom of religion and belief for the Arise Africa Campaign, told the gathering that persecution of Christians has become a reality in sub-Saharan Africa and is affecting thousands. "Violent persecution has reached alarming proportions," he said, according to the WCC. The report says that in Nigeria at least 52,250 Christians have been killed over 14 years. Fulani pastoralists, pushed by climate change and desertification, have moved into the Middle Belt and clashed with Christian farmers, and the violence has displaced over 4 million people. In the northeast, the report says, Boko Haram has destroyed more than 200 churches, displaced 1.5 million people, killed 13,000 and kidnapped and enslaved hundreds of Christian children and women.

The report also describes Coptic Christians in Egypt who face violence and limits on church buildings, and Christians in Libya, mostly migrant workers, who face forced veiling, executions and floggings by militias. An estimated 9,000 migrants are held in detention there. The WCC notes signs of courage as well. Sudan's Catholic Bishops' Conference has used public letters to demand religious freedom from the state, and Christian leaders in Nigeria and Kenya who publicly forgave their attackers are countering jihadist messages and building alliances with moderate Muslims.

Participants closed by calling for critical reflection, responsible action and a renewed commitment to meet a rising challenge on the continent. Rev. Dr. John Ngige Njoroge, the conference's executive secretary for theology and interfaith relations, said the call to action rests on Isaiah 1:16-17. He said participants reaffirmed the responsibility of churches to advance freedom of belief, defend human dignity and challenge injustice, and that the conference will carry the symposium's commitments into advocacy, interfaith cooperation and practical action across Africa.

Their work gives us a clearer picture to pray from as November 1 nears. Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. These leaders have given us names of countries and a sense of the need. Bring them before the Lord this weekend.

Read Proverbs 31:8-9