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How multicultural churches in South Africa are breaking down race barriers

How multicultural churches in South Africa are breaking down race barriers

RACE is an issue that’s always simmering below the surface in South Africa. One of the ugliest aspects of the recent wave of looting and violence was the killing of people based on their race in a neighbourhood in the port city of Durban. It was a reminder that the internalised apartheid stereotypes and beliefs are still firmly in place. MARILYN NAIDOO, Professor Practical Theology, University of South Africa A consolidated identity has become one of the most worrying South African realities and needs to be attended to as a matter of urgency. Churches still reflect these social divisions, with…
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Why domestic abuse is such a difficult subject for churches

Why domestic abuse is such a difficult subject for churches

CHURCHES can be a refuge for women fleeing domestic abuse. But sometimes they can help perpetuate abuse by failing to offer support when needed. There can be many reasons for this. Sometimes it’s because church leaders simply don’t understand – or are not willing to accept – that domestic abuse occurs within their congregations. AVA KANYEREDZI, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of East London I have spent five years with the Black Church Domestic Abuse Forum (BCDAF) and helped create a programme to train church leaders on the most vital issues in the hope it will address domestic abuse…
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Nigerian startup helps local churches digitize operations

Nigerian startup helps local churches digitize operations

NNEKA CHILE and SEUN SANNI HENRY Okolo has grown accustomed to using his phone to stay in touch with God during the coronavirus pandemic. He uses an app every Sunday morning to listen to a virtual service in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos. Okolo, a father-of-two, has used it to help his family pray at home following the closure of churches in March. Lagos state, with more than 15,000 confirmed infections and about 200 deaths, has the largest share of Nigeria's about 45,000 COVID-19 cases. The O'Sanctus app, created last year by Nigerian tech firm Applus Dome Limited, allows Catholics to…
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Nigeria’s Lagos to allow places of worship to reopen – governor

Nigeria’s Lagos to allow places of worship to reopen – governor

NIGERIA's commercial capital Lagos will allow churches and mosques to resume in-person services from August 7, the state's governor has announced. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also said restaurants, social clubs and recreational centres will be allowed to reopen with limited capacity from August 14 as the state, the epicentre of Nigeria's coronavirus outbreak, eases restrictions despite a continued rise in infections. Lagos state, home to the megacity of the same name with 20 million people, has more than 15,000 confirmed cases and 192 deaths, by far the largest share of Nigeria's 43,151 cases. It ordered widespread closures and a lockdown in…
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