VOA标准英语2013--尼日利亚教堂在美国的扩张计划

 

Nigerian Church Has Huge Expansion Plans in US 尼日利亚教堂在美国的扩张计划

FLOYD, TEXAS — The Redeemed¹ Christian² Church of God was founded in 1952 in Nigeria. It had no U.S. presence a few decades ago, but has since planted hundreds of churches across the country. It now aims to harness the explosive growth of African Christianity in re-evangelizing a country where surveys show that one in five people don’t belong to any faith. A visit to the church’s newly expanded headquarters in northern Texas shows what is in the works. 

In this bucolic³ setting in Floyd, Texas, the Redeemed Christian Church of God recently opened its $15-million North American Redemption Camp.

A recent gathering⁴ here featured spirituals and fervent⁵ prayer.

It also featured the church’s worldwide leader, Enoch Adeboye. “In Jesus’ mighty⁶ name we have prayed! “Amen!” he said.

His appearance was part of a U.S. tour that began at a rented megachurch in Maryland. His disciples⁷ consider him a prophet, despite the former mathematics professor’s almost phlegmatic⁸ demeanor⁹.

“Don’t be surprised if tomorrow you have a test on what you have learned today,” he said playfully to laughter.

His lesson was on how to win converts for this intensely energetic Pentecostal movement.

Pastor¹⁰ James Fadele is the North American director, also based in Texas. He said the headquarters are not finished and will be expanded outward to ultimately seat one million people.

Fadele argued that if large rallies can be held in America over issues like civil rights… “Why can’t we gather one million people overnight just to worship God, to praise God, and just be ecstatic and just worship and dance. It’s going to come to pass, mark it down.”

The U.S. has many imported religions. But this one could be influential¹¹. A Rice University study found that Nigerians are the most highly educated people in the country.

Fadele concedes there’s a cultural obstacle. “Right now when I speak, people say I have an accent. Some other people that come to church say, 'You know what? We are straining our ears to understand you.'”

There are few non-Africans here and only one white couple.

But Matt Patterson believes American Christianity has lost its evangelical fervor¹². "Jesus said to go out and preach the Gospel, not just certain groups, not just people they’re comfortable talking to, but he said to go out and tell everyone. And that’s exactly what this church does.”

As night falls, the supplications become more intense.

The West may have brought Christianity to Africa, but this African church believes it has a mission from God to re-Christianize societies that it sees as too secular¹³ and Godless.

Could African religion appeal to Americans who increasingly are shunning¹⁴ their own spiritual roots?

Nigerian-born religion professor Kola Abimbola said the church has “huge prospects¹⁵.”

Why? Because he says it takes the Christian belief in God and angels…

“And then they believe in evil forces which go beyond that which is contained in the bible,” said Abimbola.

Abimbola, who also is a Yoruba priest, said traditional African religions view multiple sources of evil at work in everyday life.

“It definitely appeals to people who are not Nigerian, people who believe that religion might make an important contribution to navigate¹⁶ this complex terrain¹⁷ we call the world,” he said.

“Wave your handkerchiefs and make the devil mad!” exclaimed Adeboye.

Making the devil mad makes these believers want to dance. But it’s far from clear how many Americans will make a cultural shift and find meaning in this rapidly growing African style of Christianity. 

1 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 bucolic   

adj.乡村的；牧羊的

参考例句：

• It is a bucolic refuge in the midst of a great bustling city.它是处在繁华的大城市之中的世外桃源。
• She turns into a sweet country girl surrounded by family,chickens and a bucolic landscape.她变成了被家人、鸡与乡村景象所围绕的甜美乡村姑娘。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

6 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

7 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

8 phlegmatic   

adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的

参考例句：

• Commuting in the rush-hour requires a phlegmatic temperament.在上下班交通高峰期间乘坐通勤车要有安之若素的心境。
• The british character is often said to be phlegmatic.英国人的性格常说成是冷漠的。

9 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

10 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

11 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

12 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

13 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

14 shunning   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My flight was more a shunning of external and internal dangers. 我的出走是要避开各种外在的和内在的威胁。 来自辞典例句
• That book Yeh-yeh gave me-"On Filial Piety and the Shunning of Lewdness"-was still on the table. 我坐下来，祖父给我的那本《刘芷唐先生教孝戒淫浅训》还在桌子上。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

15 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

16 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

17 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。