Nazarene compassionate ministry: implementing the Wesleyan vision of social holiness in the Great Lakes Region of Africa

Abstract

The Great Lakes Region of Africa is facing natural and man-made disasters. People are often left upon God`s hands as the Governments are not caring for them and the church is busy preparing them to meet their Lord in heaven. The proclamation of the gospel is now more focused on the spiritual and neglects physical needs. Hence, the lack of practical love for one another, and for the needy creates a hindrance to evangelism, and effective Christian witness. Among the problems found in this region, the war came to increase the poverty faced by people.in addition to that illiteracy, corruption, to which one may add the cultural behavior that being a complexity to the social situation, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the political crises came to accentuate the hard life to people. People need to be helped but from where will this help come? The church being a community based organization and where love is a central theme, can be on the front line in social problem solving and would attract many people in the Great Lakes Region of Africa today. John Wesley set an example that was quite successful in spite of the challenges he faced during his time. I assume that his understanding of the Christian faith, its implications and practicing it could help in finding solutions for contemporary social and cultural problems faced by people in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.it is the research`s conviction that if Christians would imitate the Christianity that was preached and practiced by John Wesley they would make a positive difference. The Church of the Nazarene, being part of the Wesleyan tradition, and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries as an expression of Wesleyan social holiness; are the focus of this study. This study describes the social problems of the Great Lakes Region, what the Church of the Nazarene believes about social holiness, what is being done through her Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and how things can be improved in GLR.