Oasis International

Reports from the Field: Print on Demand in Demand

Keith Wiederwax, Director of African Operations

The arrival of the POD system was highly welcome in Jos and this is not just for Oasis Bookshop but for aspiring and local authors as well. Its existence was made known mainly through word of mouth advertisement and the fact that any quantity of a book could be printed made it really appealing.

For Oasis Bookshop, it helped greatly to print books that we are out of and new titles gotten from Publish For All’s website. One particular title was a hit among those we printed and it is Colour My World, a children activity book. Parents and teachers liked the book and we printed many of it but had to stop due to the laminating film problem we encountered. The Shop Supervisor for our Lagos bookshop requested we print at least 300 and send to them as soon as we solve the lamination problem. Even he couldn’t resist the book.

Aspiring authors used the opportunity to test run their manuscripts so we printed single copies of quite a number of manuscripts while some established authors printed their new books with the POD. The lowest quantity we have printed is 72 and highest is 300.

Reports from the Field: Surprising Surveys

The ASB Editorial Team

A research survey of 8,041 African Christians in three countries asked questions about Christian leadership and Christian organizations. One of the questions also inquired about their reading habits:  what do they read, how much do they read, and who are their favorite authors.

The survey of literate Christians in Kenya, Central African Republic, and Angola showed that they wanted to read and did indeed read African writers. However, when they read Christian literature, they mostly read American and British authors. Why?

In papers recently presented at the American Missiology Society Conference, the researchers said that both distribution and promotion were part of the answer. Books by these western authors were more available and were also more promoted. However, the important conclusion for the Africa Study Bible is that African Christian did want to read and would read work by African Christian writers, if their books were available. 

Favorite books were often in the categories of motivation, self-help, and practical living. The reports cites the following: “Again and again both in the religious and non-religious writers, themes of power, success, and human flourishing make their appearance against the backdrop of struggles with painful childhoods, poverty, and the challenges of modern life. Exemplars of success against such backdrop are particularly attractive – as with the Number 1 favorite author of Kenyans, Ben Carson. A high proportion of these authors are, quite apart from their writing, famously successful in other arenas of life.”

 

Putting ideas and concepts in the context of African life is important to these readers. “Contextualization” is a word frequently used, and we believe that the practical nature of more than 1,000 Application Notes, the contextualization through more than 500 African proverbs and stories, and the relating of the Bible to Africa through the 200 Touch Points will help not just these survey respondents but Africans across the continent understand that the Bible is applicable to Africa. In addition, the 50 Articles and 70 Learn Notes zero in on practical living, self-help and motivation, a theme that is repeated over and over.

Thus, the editorial team for the Africa Study Bible is highly encouraged by these survey results. We believe that the contribution from more than 250 African writers will result in a work that is both needed and wanted.

Reports from the Field: South African Connections

ASB Editorial Assistant Hannah Rasmussen

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a conference that the IFES, or International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, held in South Africa.My main purpose in attending was to recruit writers and partners for the Africa Study Bible. Fifty staff members who attended represented countries from all over the African continent: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Lesotho. After presenting on the Africa Study Bible, I met with several other young leaders over dinner. Encouragement overflowed as I listened to the stories of how God using the youth of Africa to advance his kingdom. It was wonderful to build relationships and connect with these amazing leaders.

At this IFES conference, there were many different training sessions that addressed issues facing the African church. In the Southern IFES region, they’re confronting many false teachings (e.g. prosperity gospel), experiencing frequent staff transition, and trying to develop a local donor base. Health and sexual ethics are also on their minds, as they had sessions on how to respond to homosexuality, AIDS, and Ebola. The church’s involvement in politics was another hot topic. One speaker has been jailed for his activism against Uganda’s government corruption, and two delegates had to leave early to help with Botswana’s elections. We also visited the apartheid museum and mentioned South Africa IFES’ integration struggles.

I unfortunately had to leave the conference a little early, but before I left, I was invited up and presented with a thank you gift. I felt that I truly made a strong connection with the IFES staff, and I look forward to a long and fruitful gospel partnership between Oasis and IFES.

Africa Study Bible Testimony: Dr. David Ngaruiya

Dr. David Ngaruiya talks about how the Africa Study Bible will benefit both pastors and laypeople in Africa.