When I was a new Christian, I naively assumed anything with a Christian label was genuine. My lack of discernment led me to seeker-sensitive churches that followed worldly wisdom instead of the Bible. Since God brought me out of these false churches, I have been yearning to know the marks of a biblical church. Thankfully, I discovered Conrad Mbewe’s new book, God’s Design for the Church: A Guide for African Pastors and Ministry Leaders.
I live in the West, and I am sure there are other books about the church that would better suit my living context. But I chose this book because I was born and reared in Africa and wanted to know more about God’s work there. The African Church has recently seen a growth explosion. In only one century, the number of believers went from nine million to over 380 million! And it is still growing!
With such an increase of believers hungry for God’s word, there is an enormous demand for sound biblical churches across the continent. So Mbewe wrote God’s Design for the Church to guide African pastors and leaders in establishing healthy churches.
Mbewe is the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, and the chancellor of African Christian University. He wrote this book for two primary reasons. First, to explain at length what Scripture says about the church. Second, to address unbiblical practices plaguing African churches like witchcraft, tribalism, and deliverance sessions.
He says, “The aim of writing this book was to show God’s design for the church so that our generation can ensure that our churches across the African continent will indeed be what God meant them to be. This is because the glory of God shines brightest when the church fits his design as taught in the Bible.”
The book has 20 chapters, each answering questions regarding the church. For instance, what is the church? Who should be in the church’s membership? What should happen during worship services? How should church raise money, and how should your church grow numerically? Each chapter features study questions to understand further the concepts covered and put them into practice.
There are several things I love about this book.
First, though the content is for African pastors and ministry leaders, any Christian can benefit from it. Mbewe describes the general biblical principle of a healthy church that all believers ought to know, regardless of where they live. Moreover, Mbewe’s writing is easy, and one doesn’t need former theological training to understand his points. I learned a lot about the church’s functioning and my role as a member I didn’t know before.
Second, Mbewe emphasizes the importance of the gospel for the Christian life and the church’s health. Mbewe clearly explains why the gospel must be the church’s foundation and cannot function without it. In our culture, where many churches have abandoned the gospel to scratch the itching ears of unbelievers, it’s refreshing to be reminded of its power and sufficiency.
Third, Mbewe bases his teachings on the Holy Scriptures alone. He doesn’t compromise any church building aspect with worldly pragmatic reasons, as many churches do today. Instead, he faithfully presents what the Bible says.
Last, I loved learning more about the unique triumphs and challenges of the African church. Despite its many challenges, I am hopeful about Christianity in my homeland. And I am thankful for God’s work there through men like Conrad Mbewe.
I highly recommend God’s design for the Church to you. God created the Church for His glory and commanded us to meet for His glory. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance we learn His design as established in Scripture. This book is an excellent guide as the biblical truths in it apply to all contexts
Crossway graciously gave me a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
