Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Haunted by the Ghost of King Leopold?




Should international donors and global church missions just hand over the money and take a “hands-off” approach to avoid evoking “colonialism”?  Is this why organizations and churches in wealthy countries feel they must debase themselves and dare not demand accountability of local clergy leaders in developing nations? Expecting transparency and stewardship is the responsible thing to do. Simply throwing money at the problems plaguing developing countries perpetuates a more colonialist mentality because it empowers the society’s elitists who deprive the poorest citizens of the help they need and deserve. Make informed choices; find out where your church’s international donation is going and how it’s being used.

“Bishops and senior clergy inherited from their colonial predecessors lavish lifestyles with huge houses and expensive cars, behaving like diplomats and being bowed and scraped to as though they were medieval potentates”.  
Hugh McCollum, Africafiles

 

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