*Mark 16:15 — _"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."_
*ALEXANDRIA- THE CENTRE OF CHRISTIAN LEARNING*
Alexandria is a city in Egypt named after Alexander The Great. It was formerly Rhakotis but after the conquest of this young world ruler, he asked that they build a city there that will be named after him.
Alexandria became the greatest center of Christian learning in the whole world. It was the Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge of the early church put together. It was a hub of theology, biblical exegesis and philosophy.
The *Catechetical School of Alexandria* was founded there. Great teachers like Pantaenus, Clement, and Origen taught there. Thousands of students came from all over the Roman Empire to study the Bible in Africa.
It was in Alexandria that the Old Testament was translated into Greek — the Septuagint. It was in Alexandria that Christian theology was defended against heretics. It was in Alexandria that Athanasius and Cyril later stood.
Africa was not a mission field in the 1st century. *Africa was a missionary-sending continent in the 1st century.* So when someone tells you that Christianity is a foreign religion brought by white men, you can smile and tell them the truth:
Christianity in Africa is not 150 years old. It is 2,000 years old. When most people hear about Christianity in Africa, they think it started when the missionaries came in the 1800s with Bibles in their hands.
That is a lie. A big lie.
Christianity came to Africa when the Apostles were still alive. Church history records that *Mark the Evangelist*, the young man who wrote the Gospel of Mark, the same Mark who ran away naked in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52), the same Mark who failed Paul on his first journey and was later restored — left Rome and came to *Alexandria, Egypt, around AD 42.*
That is only about *9 years after the resurrection of Jesus.* Think about it. While many parts of Europe had not yet heard the name of Jesus, Africa already had a church. While Britain was still worshipping trees and rivers, Alexandria already had bishops, elders, and deacons.
Mark did not come as a tourist. He came as a missionary. Tradition says he founded the Church in Alexandria, preached in the streets, and was eventually dragged through the streets and martyred for his faith. His blood watered the ground of Africa.
And from that seed, Alexandria exploded.
Satan is busy preaching to Africans that Christianity is foreign to them. He is saying it was never in our history so we should go back to the religion of our fathers. That is a big lie.
God had Africa in mind from before the world began. We may have made our mistakes ad gotten it wrong through our defiance nd rebellion to God's word yet the plan of God for Africa remains unchanged.
As Christians of African origin, let us become missional with our faith like our forebears. Let us stand in defence of the faith that was once delivered unto the saints like Athanasius. Africa! Arise
Father, make our cities, towns and villages places where the light of Christ will shine forth to other places all over the world. No longer shall be known for witchcraft, vodoo&idolatry n the name of Jesus Christ