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Rev. Dr. Samuel Deressa, editor 
(Concordia University, St. Paul) 

 
 
 

Christianity in the twenty-first century has experienced one major phenomenon that scholars have been 
describing for the last few decades— the decline of Christianity in the Global North (Europe and North 
America) and its rise in the global South (Africa, Asia, and South America). The Global South has 
become the home to most Christians in our world. This implies that the center of Christianity has shifted 
to Africa, Asia, and South America, and it is likely that these regions will remain the new strongholds of 
Christianity for decades or even centuries to come. 

The Global South Theological Journal (GSTJ) has started with the purpose of publishing fresh 
thinking and insights related to issues that Christians in the Global South are facing because of these 
developments. In other words, it aims at providing insights into how theologians are engaging and 
exploring some issues that are emerging from the Global South and creating opportunities for the global 
Christian community to learn from those theological reflections. What can the global Christian 
community learn from theological reflections in the Global South? What have the Global South 
theologians to offer the rest?   

It is a pleasure to welcome you to this first issue of the GSTJ. This journal is a biannual peer-
reviewed academic journal published under the Department of Theology and Ministry at Concordia 
University, St. Paul. The five articles in this issue focus on Christianity in Africa. They address issues 
such as the significance and impact of the legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Christian church in 
Africa, the role of endogenous leaders in the growth of the Lutheran church in Ethiopia, and the life and 
ministry of Gudina Tumsa, the “African Bonhoeffer.”  

So, as you read this journal, I encourage you to read it with an open mind to learn from the 
Christian tradition in Africa.  

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Global South Theological Journal 1, no. 1 (2022)  1 
 


