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Journal of African Christian Biography Original Biographies from the Dictionary of African Christian Biography Cumulative Volume 2016 (June to December) The Journal of African Christian Biography was launched in 2016 to complement and make stories from the on-line Dictionary of African Christian Biography (www.DACB.org) more readily accessible and immediately useful in African congregations and classrooms. Published in monthly installments with an annual cumulative volume available on line or in print, the JACB is intended to promote the research, publication, and use of African Christian biography within Africa by serving as an academically credible but publically accessible source of information on Christianity across the continent. All editorial correspondence should be directed to: [email protected] and [email protected] Editor: Jonathan Bonk Associate Editors: Dana Robert, Lamin Sanneh Book Notes Editor: Frances (Beth) Restrick Managing Editor: Michele Sigg Contributing Editors: Gabriel Leonard Allen James N. Amanze Deji Isaac Ayegboyin Priscille Djomhoue Edison Muhindo Kalengyo Jean-Claude Loba Mkole Madipoane Masenya Jesse Mugambi Philomena Njeri Mwaura Paul Nchoji Nkwi Thomas Oduro Evangelos E. M. Thiani 3 Preface to the Journal of African Christian Biography, Cumulative Volume June-December 2016 The editors are pleased to offer the first annual cumulative volume of the Journal of African Christian Biography, the monthly scholarly publication that was launched in June of 2016. Since then, the life stories of twelve individuals who played vital roles in and through their faith communities have been published online as free downloads. But it is important that a selection of DACB stories be more readily available to those without access to the internet. As I mentioned in the fall 2016 newsletter of the DACB, each issue of the journal is available in its e- journal, on-line version, where it is configured either as A4 or 8.5 x 11 format printable as booklets, ready for local printing and binding or stapling. Our intention is to make it easy for academics and church leaders in various parts of Africa to make print copies of the journal available to their students, colleagues or church members. And so it is with this cumulative volume. This cumulative volume contains a scintillating taste of the thousands of biographies to be found in the DACB itself: Walatta Petros and Hakalla Amale from Ethiopia; Josiah Kibira from Tanzania; Dominic Ignatius Ekandem, David Windibiziri, and Abiodun Babatunde Lawrence from Nigeria; William Wadé Harris, the great prophet-evangelist of West Africa; Michael Timneng and Jeremiah Chi Kangsen from Cameroon; and Rainosoalambo, Ravelonjanahary, and Volahavana Germaine (Nenilava), three Fifohazana revival leaders from Madagascar. In this collection, five of the biographies were authored by three women and five male authors wrote the remaining eight. This inaugural volume is offered as a harbinger of successive annual volumes to come. It is our hope that it will find its rightful place in the libraries of institutions, scholars and church leaders, and in the teaching and preaching content of those charged with preserving, cherishing and transmitting the African Christian story in all of its unique character and vibrancy. The Editors December 2016 4 Table of Contents among the inhabitants of the capital and the central provinces, its reception by the sovereign, many of the government officers, civilians, and general population…” Vol.1, No.1, June 2016 Issue 6 Preface by Jonathan Bonk 7 Freeman, Joseph J. and David Johns. A narrative of the persecution of the Walatta Petros by Wendy Laura Belcher 13 Christians in Madagascar; with details of the escape of six Christian Hakalla Amale by Belaynesh Dindamo 16 refugees now in England. 1840. London: J. Book Notes 21 Snow. https://archive.org/details/cu31924029350034 Excerpt from the Preface, (p. a2) “. The following narrative has been drawn up in Vol.1, No.2, July 2016 Issue 27 compliance with the suggestions of many valued friends, who have wished to be Preface by Dana Robert 29 in possession of a succinct and authentic account of the circumstances connected Josiah Kibira by Angolowyse Malambugi 32 with the Christian church in Madagascar and especially with the escape of the six Josiah Kibira by Stephen J. Lloyd 38 refugees who have been now nearly a year in England. .” Book Notes 49 Vol.1, No.3-4, August-Sept. 2016 Issue 54 Preface by Michael Ogunewu and Deji Ayegboyin 56 David L. Windibiziri by Olusegun Obasanjo 62 Abiodun B. Lawrence by Olusegun Obasanjo 76 Dominic I. Ekandem by Olusegun Obasanjo 86 Book Notes by Frances (Beth) Restrick 106 Vol.1, No.5, October 2016 Issue 111 Preface by Gabriel Leonard Allen 113 William Wadé Harris by Gabriel Leonard Allen 117 Book Notes by Frances (Beth) Restrick 139 Vol.1, No.6, November 2016 Issue 144 Preface by Paul Nchoji Nkwi 146 Michael Timneng by Paul Nkwi and Julius Tohmentain 152 Jeremiah C. Kangsen by Paul Nkwi and Mih Clement 157 Book Notes by Frances (Beth) Restrick 166 Vol.1, No.7, December 2016 Issue 170 Preface by Michèle Miller Sigg 172 Rainisoalambo by Berthe Raminosoa Rasoanalimanga 175 Ravelonjanahary by Berthe Raminosoa Rasoanalimanga 179 Volahavana G. (Nenilava) by Berthe R. Rasoanalimanga 184 Book Notes by Frances (Beth) Restrick 193 5 198 Antananarivo, the presence of the Bible in the highlands and the use of it as a text book in schools. From that moment the Merina population sensed that the Bible had power; as a result their interest to get copies of it grew throughout the capital and the surrounding villages. Chapter four provides information about the uncertainty of Christianity in Madagascar. It was uncertain because of the death Walatta Petros and Hakalla Amale of Radama, friend of the missionaries, and the accession of Ranavalona I, an anti- Christian queen, to the throne as his successor. It continues with the dusk: a period of confirming the church, then the queen’s edicts against the converts. It ends up with the edition of the Bible, translated into the Malagasy language. The Pious Women of Ethiopia focus of chapter five is the sustaining power of the Bible during persecutions. First of all it considers the causes of the persecutions, then the role of the Bible in the Malagasy language in the hands of Christians. After that it speaks of the use of the Bible by the indigenous Christians and the power they gained from it during times of persecution. It also speaks about the edict of the queen to collect all the Bibles and burn them, and how the Christians managed to save some and hide them. Then it concentrates on the three waves of martyrdom, in 1837-1842, 1849 and 1857. Lastly it highlights the courage of these martyrs until death with Original Biographies from the Dictionary of African the Bible in their hands and the contribution of the Bible to the growth of Christianity in Imerina during the persecution. Chapter six will be the conclusion Christian Biography with commentary by of the thesis. It underlines three aspects of the Bible and its encounters with the martyr church. It considers, in the first aspect, the effects of the translation of the Dr. Jonathan Bonk, Project Director Bible into the Malagasy language. The second aspect deals with the interaction of the Bible with the Malagasy culture and context; and the last is about the power of the Bible itself. The very last paragraph will try to prompt a further research on the Bible and its impact in Madagascar after Ranavalona’s death.” [Excerpts from the Abstract] Open Access: Historical Works Ellis, William. The martyr church; a narrative of the introduction, progress and triumph of Christianity in Madagascar, with notices of personal intercourse and travel in the island. 1869. [Boston, MA]: Boston Congregational Sabbath School and Publishing Society. https://archive.org/details/martyrchurchnarr1869elli Excerpt from the Preface, (p. a –iv) “The present volume is offered to the Christian public…for a more complete account than has been hitherto given of the Martyr Journal of African Christian Biography Church of Madagascar, including the progress of Christianity in that country, from its introduction to its recent and marvellous extension among the people. Volume 1, Number 1 (June 2016) The present work is confined chiefly to an account of the growth of Christianity 197 6 The Stories of Walatta Petros and Hakalla Amale churches in Madagascar’ and also to enrich the field of historical research for the Dictionary of African Christian Biography Church in Madagascar. The revival movement is rooted in the Protestant Church history, so this research is intended to study the concept of indigenization Journal of African Christian Biography through the preaching, sermons and teachings of Rainisoalambo. There are two Vol 1, No 1 (June 2016) main Protestant churches in Madagascar: the Reformed Church (FJKM) and the Lutheran (FLM). The revival found within these churches inspired me to think The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey made public on August 15, about the power behind the Church growth in my country. Rainisoalambo 2010 showed that Africa is the most religious continent in the world.1 The contextualized the Gospel. He used indigenization as a strategy and its principles as a source of vitality for the Malagasy Protestant churches. He did not teach a share of Africans who described religion as “very important” in their lives new doctrine either. He helped the people of God to express their faith in ranged from 98% in Senegal to 69% in Botswana. That compared with 57% Malagasy culture. In the 20th century, the revival movement shifted from the of Americans, 25% of Germans, and 8% of Swedes. perception of mass conversion and dramatic social changes to the revitalization of The study also reported that the number of Christians in sub- God’s people.