The Gospel Coalition Africa, a growing online platform that exists to equip the next generation of African believers, pastors, and church leaders to shape life and ministry around the gospel, has appointed its first French editor. This exciting development fulfils a critical need to provide access to sound, biblically rich and contextually sensitive theology to the most Francophone continent in the world.
French is spoken by over 140 million people in 21 countries in Africa.
With a reach in central, western, and part of northern Africa, French is spoken by over 140 million people in 21 countries across the continent. “Having a French channel is a major step forward in building a coalition of Reformed and Evangelical church leaders and pastors on the continent,” says Jean Consolateur, who was appointed to this key role, made possible by members of the French speaking African diaspora, brothers and sisters who love the Lord Jesus Christ and long to see his eternal and life-changing truths spread across Africa.
As an editor, Jean is inspired by the prospect of contributing to growing a community of Christian thinkers and writers who tackle African problems from a biblical standpoint. “Francophone Africa is among the least reached and most difficult region to reach with gospel-centred content, either because of poor infrastructure and political instability, mainly in Central Africa, or Islam and anti-western sentiment in West Africa,” he said.
TGC Afrique can be a pioneer in growing a generation of French-speaking theologians and authors.
“TGC Afrique can therefore be a pioneer in recruiting, nurturing and growing a generation of African French-speaking theologians and authors. It is one of the most significant gifts it will ever give to both present and future generations of the African church. I consider it a great blessing to be part of that.”
Consolateur grew up in a refugee camp in western Tanzania, where he did his primary and secondary studies, before returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue tertiary education. It was at university that he was converted to Christianity through the LePhare Church campus ministry in Bukavu. LePhare Church is pastored by Nicolas Kyalangalilwa, one of the 14 TGC Africa council members. Jean interned at the church for four years before attending Africa Reformation Theological Seminary (ARTS) in Kampala, Uganda. He is currently in his final year of completing a Master of Divinity degree.
As the French channel starts to grow its audience, it will initially focus on translated African-authored English articles from TGC Africa, before starting to produce original content through a local community of writers spanning Senegal to the DRC.
The average French African Christian struggles to connect their faith to their everyday life.
When asked about any culturally relevant topics that are of particular interest to French-speaking believers, Jean says that, in addition to all the false teaching and misleading prophecies responsible for spiritual pollution in the region, the average French African Christian struggles to connect their faith to their everyday life.
“People return to African traditional religion as they claim it is a spirituality, not a religion. A harvest on a farm, or a lack thereof, is interpreted through a spiritual lens. African theologians need to demonstrate that, in this regard, Christianity is very much a spirituality and not a religion. In fact,” he added, “it is the true spirituality. A harvest does not come from ancestors, but from the living God.”
Christianity offers hope, identity, meaning, community, and satisfaction.
“Further to this, in an increasingly urban, westernised Africa, individualism, secularism and even atheism are becoming a way of life. There is a great opportunity for platforms like TGC Afrique to demonstrate that Christianity offers hope, identity, meaning, community, and satisfaction, which no event, no matter how tragic, can take away,” Jean concluded.
