Book Review

This volume holds considerable academic value in presenting a comprehensive overview of the history of Adventism in Africa, tracing its development from its challenging beginnings to the remarkable growth observable today. The book contains eight chapters, excluding the general introduction and the conclusion. In chapter one, the author examines the roots of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in General and presents its motto: spreading the good news of salvation to the whole world. From Chapters 2 to 6, the author synthesizes the beginning of SDA in all four corners of Africa; the church started in South Africa mainly because of its multicultural and racial diversity. However, the mission fell into the trap of supporting racial discrimination because of the country’s political turmoil from 1948 to 1994. Adventist institutions like Claremont Union, known as Helderberg College today, had a concentration of white population for 81 years since its foundation; some other institutions, like clinics and churches, had separate services for blacks and whites. The author highlights that the struggle against racial discrimination was not only happening in Africa; the relationship between blacks and whites was not good right from the headquarters of the church. He illustrates this by exemplifying that till 1950, black people could not eat with whites in the Review and Herald cafeteria. Nevertheless, he underlines that Ellen G White, one of the co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was always against any form of discrimination, as shown in her correspondence with missionaries sent to Africa. Despite the odds, the church grew in the southern hemisphere.