The effects of African traditional festivals of the Seventh-day Adventist Church among the Kabyes in North Togo : a case study

Abstract

It is important for every pastor or missionary to see the church grow spiritually, numerically, and geographically in the African traditional context. To be successful, the pastor or missionary must know the African worldview and how its rituals affect the church. By examining some puberty rites and other traditional dances, this work provides pieces of information that will assist every pastor to be aware of the dangers threatening the growth and well being of the church in Togo and the entire African milieu. This descriptive research deals with traditional festivals and how they affect the church physically, numerically, and spiritually. After research into the rites concerned, the researcher met with two prominent writers who wrote extensively on Evala and Kondona rites as well as on the Habye dance, these meetings have been of great help in writing this paper. The researcher then traveled from the capital Lomé to Kara to watch some of the festivals and meet with local traditional priests, chiefs and Christian leaders. He also administered questionnaires to them and to the Seventh-day Adventist Church members in the region. Most of the local chiefs and priests were open to the researcher and ready to give him the needed information. It was an opportunity for the church elder who accompanied the researcher during the journey through the villages to know more about these traditional practices. Finally, this research opened avenues to build a relationship with the local community and its leaders. This information was shared with the Seventh-day Adventists who were interested to know these effects and how to avoid them. We believe that this work will be of great assistance to all gospel workers, especially Seventh-day Adventist pastors or missionaries among the Kabye community.