Doing Ministry in the Igbo Context: Towards an Emerging Model and Method for the Church in
Africa arises out of reflection on experience and practice. The volume reflects on the author¿s
own cultural context religious heritage and pastoral functioning. In addition it considers
the author¿s personal experiences in relation to the common experiences of others within the
author¿s cultural and religious traditions and places these experiences and the voices they
represent into mutually critical correlation. Thus commonalities and dissonances in them
emerge leading to insights where to go from there in providing ministry to the People of God in
the «local church» context and still within the framework of one universal church. This book
presents a contextual model of local theology that begins its reflection with the Igbo cultural
context. The Igbo or Nigerian or African Church can have a pattern of ministry with a model and
a method that are consistent with the peoples¿ values. To accomplish this goal a local cultural
value must be explored and brought into the scene. Since the Igbo society is the heart of
Christianity and Catholicism in Africa the author relies on Igboland as his situational
context. The exploration of the indigenous Igbo value of collaboration will be an advantage in
ministering to the rest of the African people who have cultural resemblances to Igbos. The
African Church has to learn from the Igbo values of umunna bu ike. Umunna is the basic Igbo
unit and possibly the most powerful missionary force in Igboland and potentially an Igbo gift
to the Church in Nigeria and Africa and even beyond.
