Seven Videos Of African Church Congregations' Offertory Processions (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, & Kenya)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases seven videos of African church congregations church processions during offerings.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and religious purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENTS [updated June 30, 2018)
I have been interested in the subject of Black church processionals for some time. The earliest pancocojams posts on this topic is Part I of a four part 2011 pancocojams series on "Marching For Jesus" http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/marching-for-jesus-black-church.html.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/06/bethel-apostolic-church-jamaica-hold-on.html for a June 2018 post on this topic is entitled "Bethel Apostolic Church, Jamaica - "Hold On Out" (Church Processional Videos & Song Lyrics)". And click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/06/seven-videos-of-african-church.html">http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/06/seven-videos-of-african-church.htmlfor a June 2018 pancocojams post entitled "Seven Videos Of African Church Congregations' Offertory Processions (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, & Kenya)".

I decided to search for YouTube videos on African church congregations' offertory processions as a result of reading several YouTube discussion thread comments that attributed the custom and/or styles of Black church offertory marches to Africa.

The result of my search certainly indicates that there are examples of African congregation offertory processions. However, I'm not sure whether Christian church offertory processions those customs originated in Africa and not. However, these dance/marches conform to the traditional high value that Africans place/d upon the performance of rhythmic movements and singing in all aspects of life, including religion. Furthermore, it seems to me that African church processionals may also be expressions of Africans love for pagentry.

Also, I believe that Black church offertory processions and other church processions in Africa may have also been influenced by the customs and particular styles of those processions- particularly the performance styles in the Pentecostal and Apostolic congregations in Jamaica.

Read my comments in the comment section for the pancocojams post entitled "Bethel Apostolic Church -Jamaica- "Hold On Out" post" whose link is given above. Those comments present the theories that circular dancing/marching in Black religious worship may have originated in Islamic "saut" ceremonies and/or the Bakongo (Central African) Cosmograph.

Any information and comments on the subject of Black church processions are welcome.

Also, if you know of other YouTube videos of Black offertory processions, please share the links to those videos in the comment section below. Thanks!

****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS

This pancocojams post on African church congregations' offertory processions is a compilation of most of the videos of that description that I've found online to date. Unfortunately, most of these videos have no comments in their discussion threads.

Note that one of the videos features a Ghanaian congregation in Japan, and one of the videos features members of a Cameroon women's alumni organization in the United States.

Example #1: Offering Processional - Central African Republic [Central African Republic]



Vonda Drees, Published on Sep 9, 2011

This video is part of an Advent curriculum, developed by the ELCA TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod, called "Faith Together: Come, Lord Jesus." The curriculum celebrates the synod's global partnerships with the Lutheran Churches of Peru and the Central African Republic, and explores the question, "What does it mean when the church prays, 'Come, Lord Jesus!'"
-snip-
This video is the only offering processional video out of 6 videos that are included in 2011 pancocojams post about African church processionals
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/marching-for-jesus-black-church_6.html

****
Example #2: Offering Processional - Central African Republic (2) [Central African Republic]



Vonda Drees, Published on Sep 28, 2011

This video is part of an Advent curriculum, developed by the ELCA TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod, called "Faith Together: Come, Lord Jesus." The curriculum celebrates the synod's global partnerships with the Lutheran Churches of Peru and the Central African Republic, and explores the question, "What does it mean when the church prays, 'Come, Lord Jesus!'"
In the Lutheran Church of the CAR, the people process their offering forward with music and dancing. The women and girls put their offering in one basket and the men and boys in another. This is meant to be quite joyous! Often, on the next Sunday, it is announced which side gave more, the men or the women, and a loud cheer goes up for whichever side won.

****
Example #3: GHANA @ 55, CHURCH OF PENTECOST, JAPAN. DANCE AFTER OFFERING (1).m2ts [Ghana]



Isaac Frimpong, Published on Mar 18, 2012

55th GHANA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY IN JAPAN, CHURCH OF PENTECOST, KAWAGUCHI ASSEMBLY

****
Example #4: LESA USA Inc. Offertory Procession, Charlotte, NC 2012



Nicoline Ambe, Published on Jun 24, 2012

Offertory Procession during Mass at the 13th Annual LESA USA Convention
-snip-
From http://lesausainc.org/
"Welcome to LESA USA Inc, a 501 (c) 3 organization…. LESA stands for Our Lady of Lourdes Ex-Students Association. Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School is an all-girls school in Mankon, Cameroon, Africa. Opened in 1963 by the Holy Rosary sisters, this school continues to rank as the #1 Girls’ secondary school in academic excellence in Cameroon. As an organization, LESA USA’s focus is on the Girl child; supporting our alma mata with development projects, providing scholarships to current students, and serving as a social network for past students living in the United States.

There are six Chapters of LESA USA Inc in Washington DC, California, Minnesota, Georgia, Texas and the Midwest. Every year the chapters meet at a National Convention to set goals for the upcoming year and raise funds to support our projects."...

****
Example #5: African Mass - Offertory Procession [Kenya]



Harris Moriarty, Published on Sep 10, 2012

Offertory Procession

****
Example #6: I love African church offerings...! [Côte d'Ivoire]



Mark Brand, Published on Aug 6, 2013

I love offerings in African churches...because the Bible says, "God loves a cheerful giver! (2 Corinthians 9:7) This was taken during last Sunday morning's service at l'Eglise Evangélique du Réveil in Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

****
Example #7: David Reed - Offering Time, Church of Pentecost, Ghana [Ghana]



David Reed, Published on Jul 17, 2014

Dancing in worship occurs mostly during offering time. This is worship in a Church of Pentecost congregation, Akropong, Ghana, June 2014..

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.