African Choirs

I loved working in Africa and being allowed to worship among many of God's choice servants there. There is a deep sincerety and authentic worship which is seen and felt when you go to church meetings, especially in rural towns and villages across the great continent. Although most live in extreme poverty and under harsh conditions the people will walk many miles to church, often dance through the entire time of singing, and then after listening to an hour-long sermon, ask the preacher for more of the Word of God. "Prraaaaaaiiiiiisssssse the Looooorrrrrrd!" There's nothing like it.

A Video of Various Worship Scenes in Africa

Ahhh! Africa! Land of Adventure - Wild, man-eating Lions, Crocodiles, primitive living conditions, malaria, parasites, HIV-AIDS, and many other obstacles. However, you will find a group of dedicated Christian Missionaries doing their best to reach every person on the continent with the message of God's love. One of the most inspiring parts of the African experience is to have the chance to get to know a few African people on a personal basis. My wife and I lived in Nairobi for almost ten years where we served as "overseer" of the Church of God Churches I've been privileged above many of my fellows to be close to them and to share my faith in 23 of the 50 nations. This video is the beginning of my attempt to share some of the flavor of Africa from a missionary's perspective. For an additional 10 years I served our church as the supervisor of our work in 32 nations on this great continent where I met many more of God's humble servants quietly going about the work of sharing the faith of Jesus the Messiah. Hope you enjoy this.

Bishop Fred A. Brannen, Missionary (Retired)

Lessons From Two Churches

While serving as the overseer for the Church of God churches in Kenya, East Africa in the mid 1990s, my wife and I had gone to the beach for our annual vacation! So - the first day, I told her I was going out and drive around to see what churches were near our rented house in the small town of Kilifi Creek. We were going to have two Sundays to visit. The first Sunday I visited a very formal African Church. This was not a Pentecostal church but it was an African church, so I really did not know what to expect. The service was conducted in English. The songs were traditional European Hymns but sounded so strange coming from African lips. It was as if the people knew what they were doing - but did everything mechanically. They looked and sounded un-comfortable, the men in their suits and neckties and the women in their colorful headpieces and long flowing dresses. There was organ music accompanied by an African drum. The preacher's sermon was about God's Grace - and I had to agree with all that he said, like, "Jesus died for all men! His Grace forgives the black man, the white man, the red man, the yellow man......and God's Grace covers you!" His theme was an INCLUSIVE theme. But at the end of his sermon, he led the people present in receiving communion with these very EXCLUSIVE words: "If you are not a member of this congregation, then DO NOT come forward to recieve communion!" Since I was the only white person in that church I first felt that he had made the announcement for my benefit. But then I observed several other Africans who also did not go forward to receive communion. This made me feel somewhat comforted in that I was not being excluded merely for the fact of my skin color.

Lesson #1. I wondered how many times I had preached God's Grace and His full pardon of sin -- but then spoken or acted in such a way that sinners felt they were excluded and un-worthy of God's Grace. God forgive me. Don't ever let my actions be opposite of, or inconsistent with, what I preach.

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The following Sunday I set out to find the Pentecostal church in that town which I had found quite by accident during the week. I recognized the name of the organization. They were over 500 churches strong in the nation of Kenya and I had personally met and heard their Presiding Bishop preach. They were, like us, Pentecostal in doctrine. This time, I knew that I would be in more familiar territory as to style of worship. When I arrived in my Peugeot Station Wagon, it was pouring down one of those tropical rains. As I switched off the engine and glanced toward the door I noticed an African brother putting up an umbrella and running towards my car. I thought, "How nice. This church has it's eye and heart open to strangers and this brother is coming to get me so I can walk under his umbrella to the church service." Wrong!!! When he arrived at my car, he said, "This is a Swahili Church!" To which I responded in my halting newly learned Kiswahili with something like, "That's good. I want to hear it in Swahili because I understand it some and want to improve my language skills." He smiled, said, "Oh. O.K." then turned and ran back to the porch of the Church, leaving me to get quickly drenched in the downpour of rain. Determined not to be deterred, I went straight up to the door and was ready to enter when the same brother stepped in front of me as if to block my entering and looking at my calendar and pens (which I always carry in my shirt pocket) said, "Oh. Sorry! Do you smoke?" So, in my best Kiswahili I said, "Hapana Bwana! Mimi sivute cigara! Mimi, nimeokoa!" (Meaning, No Brother, I don't smoke, I'm saved!") I sat down quietly in the back of the building and stayed the whole service through. Normally, in most African churches the leaders will always recognize every visitor and ask them to stand and say their names (yes, I said names with an "s"). However, the leaders deliberately ignored the fact that a white person was there. That was o.k. with me. I just wanted to hear the preacher deliver the Word of God. However, when the pastor took the podium, he immediately called for an interpreter, "Because", he said, "I have an important announcement that I want to make and I want to make sure that EVERY ONE understands me clear. Last week - we excommunicated two members from this church for their sins. Because of their sins which they have done, they are not welcomed here. And furthermore, if you are seen fraternizing with them you are also not welcomed here!" Somehow, I got the feeling that he thought I had been "fraternizing" with his wayward members.

Lesson #2. When I got back to the rented house on the beach I discussed the events of the day with Frances. I said, "You know, Frances, If I could just come down here and live here, I believe I could start a church in this town. If I did, I would put a big sign out on the front door saying, "ALL SINNERS WELCOMED HERE"! As a matter of fact, that strategy might work most anywhere here in the USA or anywhere else in the world.