African Challenge Magazine: A Platform for Evangelism
Another brilliant and very successful evangelism platform in Nigeria and Africa at the middle of the twentieth century was the African Challenge magazine published by the Sudan Interior Mission. The first issue came out in July 1951, and until it ceased publication in August 1975, it was the most popular Christian magazine in Africa and the second most popular magazine in Africa, after Drum magazine that was published in South Africa. So phenomenal was African Challenge’s success that the editor of Drum once visited the magazine’s office in Lagos, wanting to know how they had achieved such a massive circulation “without sexy stories and advertisements of alcohol.”
Meeting the Needs of the Everyday Reader
In his response, Harold Fuller, then the editor of African Challenge, said, “Our formula is to meet the needs of the man on the street with news about developments in Africa and educational material.” The formula for Challenge was a departure from what churches and missions thought was a Christian publication. The main emphasis was to interest the non-Christian rather than the Christian. We knew if we could get his interest, the Christian would be interested as well. There was lots of material for the Christian, Bible studies and so on. But the hook was to the man on the street: the Muslim, the atheist, the nominal Christian.
Wide-Ranging Content Relevant to Society
African Challenge spoke eloquently to the issues that people of all ages and societal classes in mid-twentieth century Africa had to grapple with on a daily basis: education, finance, religion, marriage, sex, career, in-laws, the fear of witchcraft, political change (colonialism and nationalism), and health. Each issue featured “news, general interest articles, features for women and children, a fiction story, and educational materials, as well as Bible studies.” As Harold Fuller remarked, “Themes spoke to readers ‘right where they lived.’ One of our most popular issues featured the topic of juju, occult magic and spiritism.”
Addressing Superstition and Promoting Faith
“The cover featured a juju mask, a grotesque distortion that could strike fear into anyone threatened by it. Fetishes provided a lucrative livelihood for witch doctors and a powerful way for chiefs to keep their subjects in order. Christians believed that juju had satanic power. Through Bible studies and personal stories, we emphasized the greater power of the living God and protection for followers of Jesus Christ. That juju issue featured the testimonies of African Christians who had found deliverance from Satan’s power and who had inner peace. Readers flooded our counseling department with positive response, including professions of conversion.”
Educational Value and Influence
The range of discussion from issue to issue was really wide—fitting perfectly into the thirst for knowledge of the burgeoning literate population in Nigeria and Africa. The educational features were so rich that the magazine was used as a textbook in many schools. The editors made sure that the topics in each issue were carefully crafted to mentally inform and spiritually enlighten the readers: For instance, most believed that witchcraft caused such phenomena as ‘solar eclipses.’ “They were amazed when we published a cover photo of a total eclipse weeks before one did take place… Inside the magazine, diagrams and explanations enabled teachers to give a science lesson—and articles presented the truth of the Creator-God’s love for humankind.”
Impact on Communities and Spiritual Outreach
African Challenge Reading Clubs sprang up in many towns across Nigeria to share the magazine and discuss articles. In homes, schools, churches, offices, and vendor stalls, people eagerly awaited every new issue. At some point, the magazine’s headquarters, in Lagos, was receiving up to 400 letters monthly from people requesting spiritual counsel.
Tale Tuesday 021
Date: 13th December, 2022
Title: The African challenge
Source: A Heritage of Faith: A History of Christianity in Nigeria
Author: Ayodeji Abodunde
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