AFRICAN ORTHODOX DEREKH

AFRICAN ORTHODOX DEREKH (AOD) was launched in February 2024 by Evangelist Silvanus Mutagaywa Ngemera, based at Bukoba, TANZANIA, but was conceived to take over African Christianity, and to become the only Christian denomination for Sub Saharan Africa; from South Africa to Democratic Republic of Congo, to South Sudan, to Nigeria, to Liberia.

AOD is a REVELATION of the Spirit that Mr. Ngemera, 67 years of age, received about 6 years ago, but it has taken him quite a while to be ready to make a public launch of this dedicated African Christian denomination. He needed time to extensively consult both scripture and academic literature on Christian history up to this moment. The outcome of this personal sabbatical is AFRICAN ORTHODOX DEREKH.

AOD makes many changes to Western Christianity that currently dominates Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Key changes are as follows:-

1. Reject the Hellenisation of Christian religion that was undertaken by Greeks in the first centuries by deleting Jewish identity and renaming this religion in Greek. AOD therefore deletes Greek and returns this religion to its true identity as Jewish and as originating from Jerusalem.
2. Equally, AOD reject the Romanisation of Christian faith that was undertaken when the Romans took over Christianity from the Greeks in the 4th century. The Romans greatly facilitated Christianity by preaching it to the whole of Europe but introduced their pagan local culture into it as well.
3. Distance SSA from Western Christianity, which is both Greek and Roman and is therefore adulterated by incorporating in it matters that are not part of DEREKH canon.
4. Even though Western Europe and North America still leads African Christianity, and are fighting to retain control of it, European and North American culture has drifted away from DEREKH scripture, and they no longer have the moral authority therefore to lead SSA or anybody else on matters of faith and spirituality.
5. Reject the American brand of Christianity of fragmenting into an endless number of denominations and bringing those denominations to SSA. This is simply cultural colonialism disguised as religion.
6. Reject the very concept of private churches and private preachers who personally own their churches and turn Christianity therefore into a business venture rather than a sacred spiritual platform it is. This is sacrilege and totally unacceptable. SSA has over 30,000 private churches by 2024.
7. As a result of this gross failure to respect the sanctity of Christianity, Christian ministry has now been taken over by unworthy people who preach tithe and offering from sunrise to sunset but also trap gullible Africans into religious slavery. Millions of African Christians are now having to travel 20 km across town every Sunday to attend Holy Mass at a particular church, because the pastor there presents himself as an anointed apostle or prophet who cures everything.
8. AOD takes its brand of Christianity from the First Church of Jerusalem 33 CE to 100 CE. This church was called DEREKH meaning WAY, The Paved Path, The Way of the LORD.
9. Even with over 200 years of Christianity in SSA, African character has failed to improve, and Christianity has become a mere decoration, where Africans adorn themselves with foreign names but remain ancient and spiritually challenged. SSA collapsed economically in the last 60 years as Asia surged forward, and the major constraint that shackled SSA in this period was satanism and lack of basic spiritual refinement. Poor character became the grave that swallowed SSA alive even as it invested staggering sums of money to acquire European education.
10. With this history in mind, AOD is moving away from the Western brand of Christianity, and AFRICAN DEREKH will be a spiritual movement it was dictated to be from the very beginning, pursuing spiritual refinement and character affirmation, or DEREKH ERETZ, rather than Sunday rituals, prestige, and showmanship.
11. AOD is calling on all Africans to understand that we now have a dedicated denomination of our own that is designed to address who we are and where we need to go, both spiritually and worldly. It is time for Africans to be brave and bold for a change because we have lived through the last 400 years in slavery, colonialism, and foreign cultural domination. The time to recreate African character is now.
12. AOD has observed scripture which dictates the PRISTHOOD OF THE BELIEVERS. This means believers have the same spiritual gifts as the priests. Accordingly, AOD has rejected the Episcopal church governance model of pastors, bishops, Patriarchs and Popes, and the AOD Knesiya (Hebrew for church) will be managed by Councils of Male Elders, elected by Congregations to serve 3-year terms. These Councils will be at Synagogue level, Diocese level, Country Level and Africa National level. Spiritual services will be provided by Shamashim (Hebrew for Deacons or Servants). There will be no rank senior than Shamashim.
13. AOD houses of Worship will be known as Synagogues or Beit Knesset. As Africans join AFRICAN DEREKH, AOD will be looking to inherit church buildings from Western denominations so that it doesn’t have to build new church buildings. Western Christian churches handed over to us will be renamed as Beit Knesset.
14. Healing, Deliverance and Miracles of the Spirit will be a standard service in all Synagogues, all the time. Shamashim will be retrained on how to prepare themselves and how to perform Healing and Deliverance.