글로벌 사회 속 아프리카의 동반성장을 위한 AICs의 과제

Abstract

Elements of Africa’s crisis could have negative effects aro- und the world. The ‘vicious cycle’ of Africa’s ‘climate chan- ge-famine-conflict-refugee outbreak inflow into Europe-re gional decline’ is already causing numerous African diaspo ras to migrate to the Northern Hemisphere. The self-identi ty of Africans settling in the Northern Hemisphere, especially Christians, is already having a positive or negative impact on the Northern Hemisphere church and society, and it is clear that this will further deepen in the future. African churches are growing the fastest on earth, reaching nearly 40% of all Chris tians by 2060. In particular, AIC(Africa Independence Church) represents African churches, and its social influence is gradually growing. This is where the role of AIC becomes important on the African continent. However, on this continent, AIC not only faces external difficulties that are closely related to the survival of their local communities, a ‘vicious cycle’, but also internally faces problems of leadership, problems of as many as 10,000 sects, excessive regional theologizing and syncretism. Nevertheless, AIC’s social influence is closely related to the ho listic development of Africa as a whole. In this sense, the global world expects AIC to play a public role in the fragmented Af rican society. In this era where the global issues facing Africa are globally connected, AIC must shoulder the common burden not only for African society but also for global society. Can AIC play a role in solving the numerous problems facing Africa with its newly established self-identity (neo-Christianity) that has overcome the pain of the colonial era? Internally, along with true forgiveness for Western colo nialism, AIC must look back on its own theology and have a theological identity that can communicate with global theolo gy without being excessively obsessed with local theology. AIC has an identity as a church that exists ecologically within the local community. If AIC’s identity goes beyond its current du ties of healing individual pain and meeting daily needs and positively impacts global issues such as conflict and refugees, the variables of change occurring on the African continent can make them as partners in a global society in a local way. We have learned through history that sometimes the intangible resources of the subject, rather than Western-supported ODA, become the driving force for social change. AIC already has the strength of knowing how to solve problems in local communi ties by using intangible resources such as ecological spiritual ity, worldview, and social philosophy of Africa such as Gacaca and Ubuntu. The formation of a healthy regional community under the influence of AIC will ultimately play a positive role in the Northern Hemisphere in the global context of resolving the problem of the ‘vicious cycle’. In this sense, this paper seeks to place greater emphasis on the role of Africa and African churches as major partners who must work together to solve global issues, rather than the status of beneficiaries.