The numbers look bleak. Sometimes it looks worse on the ground. In one part of West Africa, a drought and major currency fluctuation resulted in more than fifty million people averaging only one meal every other day. Choices had to be made: feed the healthy who can work, feed the elderly who teach their culture and history, or feed the young who will be Africa’s tomorrow. There was simply not enough for all.

Poverty seems overwhelming in Africa. Government corruption, lack of education, health care, and wealth disparity are compounded by Africa’s desertification and stifling urbanization that reduces production in rural areas and leads to greater unrest in the growing, urban hives. We can claim that if we “teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime,” but it’s not that easy when life’s circumstances are stacked against him.

“We can claim that if we ‘teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime,’ but it’s not that easy when life’s circumstances are stacked against him.”

Poverty, according to sociologist Peter Townsend, is more than a lack of money. Rather, it’s a complex spectrum of deficient social relationships and exclusion from a perceived normal life that impacts a person’s well-being. Organizations today quantify individuals’ well-being by measuring their access to a long, healthy life, a decent education and standard of living, personal freedoms, even local generosity levels and social support structures. The United Nations looks at these and other factors of well-being as measures of “happiness” to assess the progress of nations.

Most reports indicate that general well-being around the world is improving. However, it’s not difficult to notice that isn’t the case in Africa.

•     Eighteen of the twenty poorest countries in the world are in Africa.
•     Nineteen of the twenty least-developed countries in the world are in Africa, and almost all of them are qualified as economically unfree or repressed.
•     Sixteen of the twenty least-happy countries in the world are in Africa.

Poverty is systemic in Africa and reproduces itself from generation to generation. Development researchers say the stressors and deprivations of poverty conditions actually cause the physiology of the brain to change. The hippocampus shrinks, and people make more reactive decisions rather than proactive ones. Basically, parents raised in poverty make poverty-prone decisions and end up raising their children in poverty. It’s an unending cycle.

The Church’s Mixed Response

The systemic, cyclical problems in Africa display why the gospel of Jesus Christ is so important. Christians understand that the gospel is hope in the midst of despair, and to enact real change, we must be faithful to the holistic gospel that urges us to convey Christ’s salvific work through word (Rom. 10:14) and actions (Matt. 25:35–46). Historically, it’s been a little lopsided.

For decades, the mentality of workers in Africa was to “develop” people to Jesus. Missionaries started agricultural projects, built hospitals and schools, and hoped that by bettering the lives of Africans, people would naturally be drawn to Jesus. This had some success, and social improvement organizations do great work on the continent today. But missionaries eventually saw that these efforts weren’t moving the African church to reach Africa. Locals gladly received all that was given to them, but they rarely synthesized the gifts and the gospel and became missionaries to their own people.

“Locals gladly received all that was given to them, but they rarely synthesized the gifts and the gospel and became missionaries to their own people.”

So mission organizations made a shift to focus solely on evangelism and church planting. Today there are thousands of churches across the continent established by Westerners seeking to “win Africa.” But we are seeing these groups pop up quickly and fade just as fast. The gospel has reached places deemed impossible ten years ago, but we haven’t yet seen a theologically sound, sustainable, and reproducing, indigenous church.

Where Do We Go from Here?

The African church won’t reach this vision until the economic, development, and psychological factors of church planting are considered. The way full-time missionaries can empower Africans reaching Africa is a different article, but there are ways the global church can engage in this battle for Africa.

Pray

George Müller prayed every day for the necessities of his orphanage in Bristol, England. God provided in such amazing ways that Müller never had to publicize their needs or ask for gifts. In Africa, multilayer systems keep populations poor, underdeveloped, and unhappy. Pray for a miracle to loose these bonds.

“In Africa, multilayer systems keep populations poor, underdeveloped, and unhappy. Pray for a miracle to loose these bonds.”

We also pray for open eyes. Pray that God will open our eyes to the needs around us and open the spiritual eyes of people living without him. No matter which country you’re in or happiness index you use, people are unwell. We can find true well-being, true shalom, only in a right relationship with God through Jesus. The heart change the Holy Spirit instigates in believers is a prerequisite to long-term societal change.

Read

Okay, so not everyone likes research. It’s tempting to jump straight into action, but honestly, sometimes our action does more harm than good. In the past several years, our understanding of poverty, its causes, and ways to help have improved immensely. I recommend three books to better inform our response:

Poverty and the Kingdom of God
Toxic Charity
Preach and Heal

“It’s tempting to jump straight into action, but honestly, sometimes our action does more harm than good.”

Give

The Global Hunger Relief Fund is a great avenue for effective giving with no administrative costs taken out. I also recommend Baptist Global Response, an organization that addresses physical and spiritual poverty. As you research more ways to give, look for organizations that see poverty holistically and treat it as a personal and systemic problem.

Go, but with This in Mind

We have a call to minister to physical needs around the world. For this reason, I encourage “going” as a response to poverty, but I caution that it be done in partnership with organizations that have a long-term approach to poverty in the communities in which volunteers serve. Read Helping without Hurting in Short-Term Missions for more information on going as a response to poverty.