EMQ » April–June 2019 » Volume 55 Issue 2
By Wanjiru M. Gitau
IVP Academic, 2018
Downers Grove, IL
118 pages
ISBN: 978-0830851034
USD $20.53
Reviewed by Boye-Nelson Kiamu, Doctoral Student, Fuller School of Intercultural Studies, Pasadena, California.
It is not often that one hears the behind-the-scenes story of the development of a megachurch from an eyewitness. In Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered,Wanjiru Gitau explores the development of megachurches in Africa by focusing on the Nairobi Chapel’s Mavuno church plant from the point of view of an insider. She is well acquainted with the African church setting and has contributed several scholarly works on the growth of megachurches. In this book, she argues that church communities that become megachurches do so because they provide a map of reality for specific populations to navigate a volatile world (5). Through examining the life of the founders of the Mavuno church and the context in which they grew up, Gitau shows how megachurches are affecting the millennial generation and are creating social change in Africa.
The book is divided into six chapters, plus an introduction and a conclusion. The book tells the story of the Mavuno church by looking at individuals and the contexts that shaped this movement. Chapters one and four focus on the individual stories of how two men, Oscar Muriu and Muriithi Wanjau, appropriated the gospel to make sense of their context. Chapter two discusses the challenges that faced the Mavuno church while growing, focusing on how the leaders made the gospel appeal to urban millennials. Chapter three introduces the Mavuno Marathon, a discipleship process the Mavuno church used to attract millennials and disciple them. Chapter five discusses how the Mavuno church impacted society by recognizing that post-colonial Christianity had to engage millennials in ways that colonial Christianity did not. Mavuno’s approach to faith superseded the cliché form of Christianity that focused solely on making it to heaven. In this new map, contemporary music, social media, and dress codes were adjusted to more clearly present the gospel. Chapter six deals with the challenges of Christianity for a modern world. In the conclusion, Gitau emphasizes that the gospel must be made relevant within a culture yet it also revitalizes culture (166). Megachurch Reconsidered successfully argues that megachurches are successful because they can look at contemporary urban trends and provide a response to the destabilization of modern societies.
The book also provides insights on how churches can disciple millennials. It is written in an easy to read narrative. Case studies allow the readers to put themselves into the story. However, the use of footnotes and citation is significantly limited so that it is hard to determine if this is an academic work or a popular work—the latter is the opinion of this reviewer. Overall, this book provides a practical guide and useful case study for church planters and those concerned about discipleship, megachurches, and ministry to millennials.
For Further Reading
James, Jonathan D., ed. A Moving Faith: Mega Churches Go South. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2015.
Njogu, Kimani, and Garnette Oluoch-Olunya. Cultural Production and Social Change in Kenya: Building Bridges. Kenya: Twaweza Communications, 2007.
Thumma, Scott, and Dave Travis. Beyond MegaChurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
