— Highlights from Living Word Interview with Rev. Albert Ocran | Tuesday, 29th July 2025
In a moment of bold clarity during a pre-Greater Works interview, Pastor Mensa Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), issued a sobering assessment of the African Church—describing it as vibrant but dangerously shallow.
“Africa is the vibrant expression of Christianity today… but African Christianity lacks depth,” Pastor Otabil declared in his interview with Rev. Albert Ocran on Living Word. “It is expressive, but not meaningful to the core of the Christian message.”
While acknowledging that Christianity’s center of gravity has shifted to Africa, Latin America, and Asia, Pastor Otabil expressed concern that Africa’s spiritual energy is not matched by theological or doctrinal strength.
“Christianity used to be headquartered in Europe… but Europe has gone through a difficulty in its faith. The vibrant expression of Christianity is now happening on the continent of Africa,” he noted. “My concern with that is… we’re not grounding it in the core of the Christian message.”
He pointed out that while Africa celebrates emotional expressions of faith, many churches are losing touch with the historic foundations that define Christianity.
“We must affirm our traditional Christian beliefs—our Christology, who Jesus is, who God is, what the church is about, and what our mission should be,” he stated firmly. “Christianity is not just a recent faith. It’s a deeply rich faith that runs into hundreds of years.”
Pastor Otabil called for a return to biblical depth, urging African believers to go beyond what is popular and appealing, and recover the doctrinal clarity and substance of the early church.
“We don’t have to be so modern, concerned about what people want now, that we throw away everything and give them something shallow, irrelevant, and in most cases, not Christian at all—but appealing,” he warned.
He concluded with a sober reflection that if care is not taken, the African Church could become a global movement in name, but void of true Christian essence.
“I will be sad if Africa ends up with a massive movement that appeals to people, gathers people, but it’s not Christian.”
🎤 With: Pastor Mensa Otabil, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, Bishop Tudor Bismark, Pastor Paul Adefarasin & more 🎶 Featuring: Nathaniel Bassey · Joe Mettle · Dunsin Oyekan · Edwin Dadson · ICGC Choirs 🔗 Visit GWCentral.org for full details
📣 Africa’s moment is now—let’s rise with depth, truth, and power. #GreaterWorks2025 — It’s Coming Down!
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