Articles by Jim Olang
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Women for Change, a South African women’s rights organization, launched a petition calling for the cancellation of Grammy-winning artist Chris Brown’s December 2024 Johannesburg performances due to his history of domestic abuse. The change.org petition, which surfaced on Oct. 2, 2024, asks concert promoters and the government to “reconsider” allowing Brown to perform at the FNB Stadium, the largest stadium in Africa, where over 94,000 tickets sold out in less than two hours. The controversy refl -
Increasing bans on FGM and child marriage in Africa give hope for end of harmful practices
It has been one month since the Gambian Parliament upheld the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on July 15, 2024 – a practice that experts warn can cause severe short-term and long-term physical and psychological harm, including infections, future reproductive complications, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The ban is a significant milestone, especially given the country’s high FGM prevalence rates. -
Cybercrime threats escalate in Africa and beyond, churches among those at risk
A Cameroonian man and more than 20 Chinese citizens received lengthy prison sentences and fines in a Zambian court for online fraud activities on 8 June 2024. The convicts worked for a Chinese-owned call centre in a suburb of Lusaka. The company exploited digital platforms to deceive victims within Zambia and globally from Singapore to Peru. -
The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa urges citizens to keep leaders accountable regardless of who wins election
South Africa holds its local and national elections today in what will likely be the toughest election for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party that has been in power since the end of apartheid thirty years ago. -
As Eastern Africa faces "first" cyclone, Christian leaders hope to shift attitudes towards gospel-centered farming
As Cyclone Hidaya looms over Eastern Africa, Kenya and Tanzania brace for yet another natural disaster. Still reeling from the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands, torrential rains forecasted to hit the coastal city of Mombasa and the Eastern coast of Tanzania are causing major concerns. -
Message of Global Christian Forum recognizes brokenness, points to healing only in Christ
As the Global Christian Forum (GCF) concluded in Ghana this past week, the 250 participants from more than 60 countries and all streams of Christianity sent a message reflecting on their joint experience in Accra, Ghana. They had met from April 16-19 for the fourth GCF global gathering, with part of the program including a day trip to slave castles in Cape Coast where they offered a special service of lamentation. -
Global forum kicks off in Ghana, highlights shift of Christianity’s focal point to Africa
The Global Christian Forum’s (GCF) fourth global gathering kicked off in Accra, Ghana, with an emphasis on major demographic shifts in global Christianity. With the theme That the world may know, the event held from April 16 to 20 brought together 240 participants from 60 different countries representing all major Christian traditions. -
On 30th anniversary of genocide, Rwanda's evangelicals envision lasting reconciliation
As Rwanda commemorated the 30th anniversary of the genocide this past week, the nation has been confronted with reminders of its painful past. -
Africa's migration trends: an opportunity for the Church
Recent data from a United Nations report on ‘Migration Dynamics, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa’ sheds light on the migration dynamics within Africa, revealing a continent experiencing significant movement both within its borders and beyond. -
Ghana's parliament passes bill introducing new criminal penalties for LGBTQ+ activity and promotion
On Wednesday, February 28 Ghana’s legislative body passed a bill in the country’s parliament that introduces new criminal penalties for LGBTQ+ activity, advocacy, and promotion. This development follows the rejection last Wednesday of an amendment by ruling-party lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin that would have replaced prison time with non-custodial sentences including counselling. Currently, gay sex is punishable in the West African nation by up to three years in prison, a penalty that would i -
Evangelical leader warns against spiritual extremism, as leader of Kenyan cult charged for hunger deaths
Following the discovery of more than 400 victims buried in shallow graves in a remote forest in eastern Kenya, a cult leader has been charged with murder. Paul Mackenzie and 29 other defendants pled not guilty when they appeared in court in the coastal town of Malindi. Mackenzie is accused of torturing children, committing acts of terror, accusations that he denied. -
Femicide in Kenya on the rise, Church leaders call for justice
A ground-breaking study, “Silencing Women,” highlights the devastating toll of women killed by their partners or family members in Kenya from 2016 to 2023. Femicide is the most extreme form of gender-based violence against women. It is often fuelled by gender stereotypes, harmful social norms and an unequal balance of power between men and women.
