For God will grant a man’s requests but in his own good time. Therefore, for quick results, one turns to the right jurisdiction, namely the ancestors who are authorised to direct the affairs of the clan in the here and now.” In short, most Africans view the ancestors and spirits as more dependable than God.

Every community, culture, and tradition has a worldview. In most places and times throughout history, God has been a part of those worldviews, in some way or another. This is especially true on our continent. Who God is and how God works in the world significantly influences how most Africans interpret their experiences and engage the world. At the same time, however, many Africans believe that God entrusted the affairs of men to spirits and ancestors. They are seen as responsible for both disaster and fortune. This is even the case among those who identify as Christians. Worldviews are difficult to dislodge.

Countless African Christians will consult sangomas to help them appease the spirits. Others insist an ancestor is behind their misfortune. In both instances God isn’t present or involved, but far off and unconcerned. This raises a number of important questions. How can African pastors, theologians, and ministry workers help their people think biblically about their worldview and practices? How can we shepherd Africans in Christ towards a Christ-centred and biblical worldview?

This article is the first of four attempting to answer those questions. My aim throughout will be to demonstrate how the doctrine of the Trinity can help shepherd African congregations towards a biblical worldview and practices. For I’m firmly convinced that a better understanding of God’s nature (as Trinity), revealed in the Bible, is indispensable for thinking about ourselves and our world.

Why Do Africans Turn Everywhere but God?

African theologians assert that Africans consult ancestors and spirits in times of need because they believe that God cannot be directly approached. As one scholar, John Pobee, writes “As the greatest King, [God] is never to be approached directly but always through his linguists who are the ancestral spirits. God as King has delegated areas of authority and jurisdiction to the ancestors and gods, because as a matter of his dignity, he is not to be bothered with the small and trivial affairs of men.”

Many Africans believe God has entrusted the running and maintenance of man’s affairs to ancestral spirits. To mediators. Thus when people desire supernatural intervention they don’t turn to God. They turn to the ancestors and spirits. In practice, then, many African Christians don’t depend on God in their troubles. To quote Pobee (above) again, “The Akan says Onyame betse me sufre, ‘God will hear my cry.’

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