Synopsis "Fellowship: Working together in cooperation"
The Christadelphian fellowship is special, they are unlike any other group in the world. Their community is not a church like any of the other churches that are around it. It is unique in its structure, and unique in its make up. A Christadelphian Ecclesia does not have a hierarchy of Bishops, Deacons, Pastors, Fathers, Popes, Teachers, Rabbi or Priests; no member is more important than any other (Galatians 3:28), and Christ is seen as the head (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12). They try to follow a first Century Jewish Biblical way of life that has been largely forgotten. Fellowship is central to the Jewish way of life. It is fellowship that binds Christadelphians together and what makes them into the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). Each part of the Brotherhood working separately yet guided centrally by the Word of God (Psalm 119:105), in perfect unity (Romans 12:4-5) based on Bible principles that are commonly believed and commonly accepted as the guiding force in their lives (Jer. 10:23) leading them to salvation (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Elements of such a communal way of life are not readily understood, particularly in an African and global south context. Many of the concepts of working together for the common good are quite contrary to traditional Church, colonial and native African customs. Our book contains a Bible-based, Christ-related, life-impacting message of what that fellowship is, and why humanity needs to get back to that way of life. It clearly outlines the way forward for all churches which is to return to the old well trodden narrow path that leads to life. In Africa (particularly Tanzania) the Christadelphian community in recent years has drifted away from this first century ideal; and certainly almost all Churches do not follow the particulars of daily living that are clearly set out in the Word of God. This is a practical book written, not just for Christadelphians in Tanzania, it should be seen as a Bible based definition of what Bible based fellowship should look like whether you describe yourself or the community that you are part of as Christian, Jewish, Muslim or even pagan or atheistic. This book should not be seen as a misanthropic condemnation of the current state of churches; but may it invigorate all communitiess to "be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as [we] know that [our] labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58). This is a book about a better way of living.
