Pastor Andrew Brown and Pastor Chris Padiath talked through the concepts of Biblical Justice with WPA’s youth.
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Many are unsure of how to pray during these difficult days as the world watches the Ukraine-Russia crisis unfold. Please click the link below for a list of current prayer needs from PAOC’s Ukrainian Global Workers.
There has been a lot of frustration recently over the imposition of various restrictions due to the Coronavirus. Masks, vaccines, quarantines, social distancing, limitations on gatherings, canceled sporting events and the list goes on. All this and more have created anxiety, fear, frustration, and a longing to just get on with life. I get it, it’s been a pain. In the country where we live, there have been very strict restrictions, and due to travel limitations, we haven’t been able to get ‘home’ for almost four years to see family. That’s been tough on us, the kids, and the grandparents.
What has been interesting (and sad) to see is the polarizing response from Christians. Some rallying around “freedom,” others rallying around those “at risk.” Others quietly doing their own thing trying not to get caught up in the crossfire.
The Bible doesn’t say much about what to do in a pandemic, but in what ways might it speak to this situation and to government mandates today?
The Bible and Government Mandates
Jesus and the disciples lived during a time of a very heavy-handed government. The Romans were not known for their democratic ways or for upholding human rights (to put it mildly). During the times of Jesus and the apostles, the Roman Empire was ruled by Tiberius, Caligula, and then Nero – they were brutal and sadistic, killing enemies, family members, and innocent onlookers alike (a simple google search will prove the point). It was a time of terrible abuse and brutality. Which makes one wonder…why didn’t Jesus or the apostles do more to oppose the government?
In reading through the Gospels, we see that Jesus gave a very unexpected response to such government overreach. In one of His most famous statements (one that even most non-Christians would know), He called people to “go the second mile” (Matt. 5:41). The context of that statement was the ruthless treatment of people by the Roman soldiers who could force anyone to carry something for them. It was a mandate that imposed a harsh burden on just about anyone, at any time. Yet rather than stir up the disciples to a political protest, Jesus did just the opposite. He did not confront the authorities by shouting: “You are not treating us fairly, God wants to give us liberty! I came to set the captives FREEEE!” Instead, Jesus taught, “if they ask you to go one mile, go with them two.” In other words, the disciples were to submit to the harsh government mandate, model a loving, serving, self-sacrificing heart, and go an extra mile with them. Perhaps in that extra mile they could even share the reason for why they were doing so. Maybe the soldiers would get curious as to their different attitude…perhaps the mandate could be an opportunity for mission.
Perhaps the mandate could be an opportunity for mission.
This of course is in the wider context of the Sermon on the Mount—a series of teachings that is quite out-of-step with our modern world today. In Matthew 5:39 Jesus taught the disciples to “turn the other cheek” rather than retaliate when slapped. He insisted that they “love their enemy and pray for those who persecute you” (5:44). Earlier He had taught that it was the “meek,” the “pure,” the “peacemakers,” and the “persecuted” who were blessed (see the Beatitudes in Matt. 5:3-10).
I think that in this present pandemic, Jesus would call us to arm ourselves with the same attitude (and not with picketing protests). What if the response from followers of Jesus was, “You say I should wear a mask to protect from the virus? Sure, I’ll do that—plus, I’ll volunteer to help somewhere.” Or, “You want me to get a vaccine? No problem—and I’ll open up my church as a drop-in center to help as well.”
In this way, we turn the mandate into an opportunity for mission.
Now, this doesn’t mean we personally agree with vaccines or the mask mandate (any more than the disciples were to agree with the Roman “mile” rule). But what the Biblical pattern seems to be is obedience to the rule, while working to change the hearts of the rulers through Gospel witness and advocating righteousness.
In another instance Jesus gave this teaching regarding the religious rulers who had mandates of their own: “obey them…but do not do what they do” (Matt. 23:1-3). In other words, submit to their leadership, but when it comes your turn to lead, do it differently. Lead in a Christlike way.
What about Paul?
Paul the apostle encourages this same heart attitude, summarized by his statement “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). In fact, Paul’s teaching in this context (Rom. 12:9-21) very much parallels Jesus’ – blessing those who persecute, helping those who oppose you, and so on. Interestingly, he says all this just before his statements in Romans 13:1-7 to submit to the governing authorities—again, despite the fact that those authorities were harsh and ungodly.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God, and those that exist have been appointed by God. (Romans 13:1)
But what about Paul resisting the government by claiming his right not to be beaten (Acts 22:25), someone might ask? That does not erase either what Jesus said, or what Paul himself wrote. In fact, what Paul was doing in that instance was merely following the local laws: he knew the laws, and he knew his rights—though he didn’t always insist on his rights. He had served jail time and received many a beating before! But in this instance, Paul was neither rude nor provocative. He reminded them of his rights and then got on with the task of testifying of Jesus. (Not expounding on personal liberties or the negative characteristics of those in government).
The Call to Deny Ourselves
Once again, despite living in one of the most repressive governments, neither Jesus nor the apostles gave a call to protest or revolt. In fact, running through the New Testament is quite the opposite – a call to deny your own rights, to lay down your own life, to put the needs of others before your own. This laying down of our rights is what Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM, used to call “Winning God’s Way” (I’d recommend that book, by the way…now republished as “Making Jesus Lord“).
But rather than denying ourselves, in many of our churches we have been taught that we can come to Christ and hold on to our selves, our desires, our wants. “You can follow your dreams, and get to heaven too!” We like our middle-class way of life, our freedom to do what we want, to enjoy a rather untroubled existence…and we don’t like anything that gets in the way of that. We have turned the teachings of Jesus around so that we think life, liberty, and happiness are somehow the end goal of the Scriptures. But the opposite is true: Jesus clearly stated, “if anyone wants to follow me they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
If you’re not willing to deny yourself with the little act of putting on a mask, how will you deny yourself in big things? Yes, a mask is annoying…but so is going the second mile. So is turning the other cheek. Yet as Christians we are called to “follow in his steps” in the path of suffering (1 Pet. 2:21), not retaliating, but trusting our Father in heaven as we serve and love and witness. Not worried about mandates, but focused on our mission.
When to Disobey?
So is there ever a time to disobey or protest? Well, we see the disciples refusing to be silenced in regards to witnessing about Jesus. Our mission as believers is to make Jesus known (not to advance middle-class liberties, as nice as they are). If a government tells you that you cannot talk about Jesus, then you have a Biblical case for continuing to speak about Him (see Peter in Acts 4:19). Not to picket or protest for personal rights, but to witness of Jesus. So, for example, when my family and I lived in China, we witnessed as creatively as we could during the years we were there, despite government restrictions against religious activity. We brought Christian literature in, taught believers, and so on. And we prayed for a groundswell of Christians who, over time, would bring change to the way things are done.
The apostle Peter himself, though he would not keep quiet about Jesus, did not advocate rebellion. Rather, he wrote:
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17, NIV)
For more on the Bible and civil disobedience, see this post.
What to do about Injustice?
This does not mean that Christians sit back and let sin and injustice go unchecked. We stand up for truth, for human rights and freedoms. After all, it has often been Christians at the forefront of pioneering change, bringing an end to such things as slavery, suttee, and many other injustices. In our work in Asia we advocate for change—in regards to refugee rights, child trafficking, the care of orphans, and so on. But we do so through proper channels, and always attempt to do so in a Christlike spirit.
So during this stressful season, where we all want to get back to “normal” life, let’s remember our Master. Let’s “spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume” (2 Cor. 2:14, NLT). Don’t get sidetracked by mandates, but serve in our mission: to make Jesus known through word and deed, in the love and power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s do what Jesus said and go the second mile, revealing to a surprised and watching world the reasons for our faith, hope, and love – even in the midst of difficulty.
First Nations Ministries is a specific ministry of the Western Ontario District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. It was first formed in the 1950s as Ontario Northland Mission, then in the 1990s, it became Aboriginal Pentecostal Ministries.
We seek to support pastors called to minister to our First Nations people and communities, and to provide support and fellowship to all those doing the work of Christ in remote places such as fly-in reserves. We want to fight poverty, addiction, and systemic racism and bring hope to every person in the name of Jesus. We do this by partnering with ministry and work crews from churches all across Ontario to build churches and pastors’ homes, and to help with community outreach ministries in these First Nations communities. We continue to shine the light of Jesus through building relationships with local leaders and supporting those committed to bringing the gospel.
We hope you’ll pray for us, get involved, volunteer, and support this ministry with your generous financial gifts. Monies donated and received through Western Ontario District or specifically through First Nations Ministries go directly to support ministry to First Nations people on reserves and in our cities. First Nations Ministries raises funds for First Nations leadership conferences, Christian teaching resources, church building construction, and the ministry to the pastors and lay leaders in our twenty-three churches located mostly in Northern Ontario.
To pray for our First Nations Pastors and Leaders by name, click this link for a list of pastors, communities and church names. https://wodistrict.org/here-to-serve/first-nations-ministries/
The PAOC celebrated a historic moment at General Conference 2012 when an official statement of apology, forgiveness and reconciliation between The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and its Aboriginal leadership was read and signed during Wednesday morning’s plenary session.
The reconciliation process has been unfolding over the last two years, with the committed involvement of members of the Mission Canada Guiding Group, led by Jaz Ghag. Members of that group include Alex Sasakamoose, of the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Ministries (SAM) group, Kyle Mason, director of the North End Family Centre in Winnipeg, MB, Dan Collado of Eastern Ontario District Aboriginal Ministries and the director of Aboriginal Bible Academy (ABA), Bruce Brown, lead pastor of Vancouver Native Pentecostal Church, and Patti Victor, pastor of Chilliwack Native Pentecostal Church, all of whom were present to witness the signing and to express to delegates the spiritual and cultural significance of the event.
The official statements for each side (The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada apology and the Aboriginal response) was read and signed by general superintendent David Wells, and George Gunner, Western Ontario District Aboriginal Pentecostal Ministries (APM) director. Simon Clarence, Alberta & Northwest Territories District Aboriginal director, led delegates in prayer after the signing and invited everyone to pray in the spirit for two minutes, asking God to continue and complete the work He had begun through the reconciliation process.
Bruce Brown and Patti Victor presented David Wells with a protocol gift in the form of a silver serving spoon with a hummingbird engraved in the centre. The serving spoon represents mutual service, one group to the other, and the hummingbird represents the bringing of good news.
Jaz Ghag was acknowledged and commended for his role in guiding the two-year reconciliation process as Aboriginal Co-ordinator with Mission Canada.
Communion was shared among delegates at the closing of the morning session.
Click here to read the official letter of apology.
A rich document called Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada(TRC) deepens our understanding of some of the heart cries of Canada’s Aboriginal population.
A Prayer for Reconciliation by Reepa Evic-Carleton with an introduction from Dan Collado, The PAOC Indigenous Guiding Group Coordinator. (Click here to view or share.)
As a result of immigration, congregations in urban cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver can be described as mosaics. We celebrate the PAOC’s mono-ethnic churches that were planted across our nation by first-generation immigrants in order to preserve culture-specific traditions, language, and expressions of worship and to pass on these values to the next generation. At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that people from the nations of the world are at our doorstep. Our PAOC churches must embrace diverse peoples and discover together what it means to be a multi-ethnic church. This requires us to move from our current practice of representation into the future practice of integration. Click here to read the full article.
On Sept 30th, Canada will be honouring The National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. This is a free course hosted by the University of Alberta.
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions.
Click the link below to access more information or to register for this course.
Written by: Olayiwola S’-Olayinka
Racism as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another”. In the same dictionary, another definition of racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized”. God created every nation and determined their boundaries (Act 17v26). Despite the corruption and perversion in the world, we all represent a part of the earth by our birthplace. This includes the continent of Africa which is my continent of origin. The cause of all perversion is the fall of man preceded by deception from the devil as recorded in the Bible in the book of Genesis. This same devil is still busy walking to and fro the earth deceiving people and destroying lives. Included in this deception is the feeling and belief that one set of people are superior to another either because of their skin colour, geographical location, hair type, accent and so on. The truth though is that God created humans by creating one man and later, one woman. Everyone on earth, therefore, is connected to this first people. This should dispel the lie that a group of people are more special than another and bring unity and love founded in God’s creation story (Genesis 1 & 2).
Racism is fundamentally rooted in the feeling of superiority and it is as old as the world. The feeling of superiority and not wanting another man to be better led to the first murder recorded in the Bible (Genesis 4 v 1 – 9). Here are some other examples of racism in the Bible. In Exodus 1:1-22, we read of the account of post-Joseph days when a new king arose and made up his mind to make life miserable for the Israelites. They were racially profiled, made to do hard labour, treated harshly, denied social security and even their male children were set up to be killed. This sounds very much like what some races have faced and are still facing today. In another account after the kingdom of Israel was divided under King Jeroboam (1st king 12), Israelites from Jerusalem regarded Samaritans from Samaria the former headquarters of Israel as inferior people, who are problematic and should be avoided. (John 4 v 9). In yet another record, Peter the foremost apostle after being baptized by the Holy Spirit and becoming a leader in the Church of Christ avoided relating with gentiles when the brethren came from Jerusalem to Antioch. He acted hypocritically by not eating and relating with those he considered as inferior gentiles (Galatians 2 v 11 – 16). Apostle Paul confronted Peter’s hypocrisy that had drawn some of the brethren including Barnabas away from the truth. This reveals that we need to be careful that we do not become racists ourselves by our actions in a bid to impress other people.
There is a tendency for human beings to lean towards racism because of the sin nature referred to earlier. Pride of life which is sin can make one human feel he is superior to another human being. Racism shows up in a variety of ways. At the family level, it is called favouritism. Loving one child preferentially above another is evil and may destroy families. Many parents have treated one child preferentially to the others and sown the seed of hatred and bitterness among their children (Genesis 37 v 3 – 4). A case in point is Isaac, Rebecca and their two sons Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27 v 1 – 41). At the tribe level, it is called tribalism, at the national level, it is nationalism and racial prejudice. Other forms of racism are discrimination, bigotry, inequity, racial injustice and intolerance, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, bigotry, apartheid, and chauvinisms. The anti-dote to this big issue is a life filled with and submitted to the Holy Spirit of God. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to put the desires and works of the flesh to death and get us to a place of humility that acknowledges and accepts that every human is created by God and no one is preferred by Him based on looks, nationality, or race (1 Samuel 16 v 7).
Focusing on the issue of “Black Lives Matter” (BLM), I believe that sin is the main reason humans have treated one another badly. Sins like selfishness, greed, pride, manipulation, unforgiveness are amongst the ones that come to mind readily. Not realizing these are sins makes us pursue dangerous paths with the intention to self-protect and (or) self-enrich. In every country of the world, there are people who are tribalistic to one another. In Africa for example, we have stories of atrocities that some leaders have committed against some of their people just because they are from a different tribe or speak a different language. In North America also we have issues of gang conflicts amongst brothers of the same colour trying to prove superiority over another group. Therefore, I have concluded that the issue of racism is a human and global issue. I have chosen to tow the path of history and reason not to undermine the BLM movement but to analyze the issue from its foundation where it can be dealt with rather than some low hanging stems or fruits.
Speaking of foundations, I cannot ignore the history of what brought black people whose origins are in Africa and parts of Asia to Europe and North America. The history of slave trade that began in the 16th century brought millions of Africans to Europe forcefully. According to Wikipedia “the Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of various enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Passage and existed from the 16th to the 19th centuries”. Slavery was widespread in the ancient world found in almost every other ancient civilization such as the Greek and Roman Empires. Many developed nations also had their people enslaved by other predecessor kingdoms. While studying the history of slave trade at the library of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, I discovered it was the Kings, Chiefs and other highly influential leaders who were already engaged in slavery of fellow Africans that encouraged the selling of their brothers and sisters to European slave traders who had come to exploit the continent for various other reasons. The study revealed that slavery in Africa was only less brutal than what was faced in the Americas.
“Black Lives Matter” is certainly a valid statement and struggle in the context of North America, especially the United States of America (USA). The USA made the repression of freed slaves unwritten (though written initially but later was abolished) but an integral part of their system of Governance, especially in the legislature and judiciary. This was a deliberate attempt to continuously subjugate freed slaves forever and make them lower-class citizens. This eventually transformed into “red zones” and “law and order” programs targeted at the black community to keep them imprisoned and provide cheap labour for the government and Caucasians. Over the years there have been attempts to fight for a permanent change for black people in North America. It is obvious that other races have made significant progress to be accepted for who they are but the struggle of the black man to prove him or herself above and beyond is still obvious today.
In the media, we hear news of arrests, imprisonment, and killings of blacks in the United States of America (USA) sometimes for reasons that can only be racial prejudice. We then sometimes see a white person who does the same or worse things and the case it treated with soft hands. It is almost like the mere sight of a tall, black male speaks threat to the average Caucasian in the USA. Fathers and mothers of black boys often have to teach their children a certain way to behave when they come in contact with a white police officer for example.
My first opportunity to visit downtown New York City sometime in 2007 left me depressed for days and made me decide never to live in the United States. The broken life and depravity of the “Boys in the Hood” was a reminder of black histories that I have read about. I could not imagine raising my kids in such downtrodden communities filled with violence, lawlessness, and disrespect for each other. From personal experience and the news, it is a known truth that blacks are facing different sorts of racial prejudice in every continent and many known nations of the world. I faced some terrible forms of it when we lived in the United Arab Emirates, it was in my face. With the high population of blacks in the United States though and the treatment many of them have received as seen in the news and stories from family members and friends who live there, it is almost like, despite a constitution that seeks to protect every American irrespective of background and race, there is a demon that continuously challenges their constitution and ensures racism is firm and standing irrespective of the institution in question. Unfortunately, this includes the church.
The church played a leading and vital role in the slavery and post-slavery eras in North America. This has caused a lot of pain and even led to some blacks deciding to never have anything to do with Christ. An example is my colleague and first non-Nigerian black friend that I made in Canada. I would like to call her KV for the sake of this write-up. KV was born and raised up in the church. Reading about slavery and the role the church and some Caucasians played during slavery made KV decide to leave the church and deny her faith. She does not see any reason why a black person would accept the Faith of the white people or love their God. I still pray the Lord will encounter her one day and bring her back to the Faith. Sadly, politicians and church leaders used the scriptures to justify slavery and the continual subjugation of black people. Some renowned and influential White clergy have refused to publicly speak against this black repression and rather choose to behave like Peter the Apostle who does not want to lose the endorsement of his fellow Jews and refrained from interacting with the gentiles in Antioch. Racial injustice as it is will continue until the end of this world if those who should speak against it and act choose to keep quiet and do nothing.
As a church, Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly (WPA) must be acknowledged for the efforts of the Board and Pastoral team who are willing to engage discourse around the topic of race with an intention to engage her members and speak up to enable change in the right direction. It is my hope that WPA will continue to defend the oppressed and speak out for the freedom of those who are oppressed (Act 6 v 1 – 7, Luke 4 v 17 – 21). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ showed us in many of his works how to respect and treat everyone as a creation of value, cherished and loved by God. John 3:16 reminds us how much the Father loves humanity, this made him send His only Son to save us from the depravity caused by the first people through sin. Though he started his ministry in Jerusalem, he went to Samaria (a marginalized people) and preached there. Jesus did not discriminate against anyone. He related with the sinners, women, racially profiled, poor, rich, politicians and so on. No one was too small or too big for Jesus to associate with. Most importantly, Christ was able to speak up against the attempts of the religious and political leaders of His days. He did not approve of his disciples who tried to prevent some people from receiving His love and salvation based on their race, gender, status, or age (Mark 10 v 14). As the church, we need to take a cue from our head and return to the place of compassion, empathy, and love to those who are racially prejudiced. We also need to speak up against any oppression in the community and be examples of Godly direction on how to receive and relate with people of other races with respect, kindness, and humility as we will any human being.
Every human being is created by God with a clean and blank mind (tabula rasa). The type of education and information passed to us by our parents and those who have authority over us affect the growth of our spirit, soul and body. The family will have to also support the cause of dealing with racism. Parents will have to take up the responsibility of speaking right about other races and acting right to people who are from other races. Kids pick what we do and say and once they feel like they are superior to a particular race, the racism will continue to be carried on from one generation to another. We can put a stop to this menace in our generation if we work hard at it. If we all play our part and the families and church support with playing their parts, the government will be forced to rethink, and change will start one person and one step at a time to ensure justice, equality, and equity for the black and all other races that were subjugated by the state.
In conclusion, every race has a role to play in the journey to reduce and eventually end racism. We all have something to repent of. As black Christians, it will be beneficial to follow Joseph’s example in the scripture (Gen 50 v 15 -21) and choose forgiveness, openness, giving another chance, trust, kindness amongst other things. Joseph did not stop at forgiving his brothers but also reassured them of his love and commitment towards caring for them. He promised that he would not hate them despite what they had done to him. This is the way Blacks should respond to racial injustice, we must teach our children about our history and charge them to forgive and not be bitter towards the Whites but to love them and be committed to caring and peacefully cohabiting with them.
In the same vein and equally or more importantly, Whites Christians should be encouraged to courageously exhibit Jonathan’s Dimension/Grace (1st Samuel 18 v 1 – 4 and 2nd Samuel 1v26). This will include choosing humility, love, compassion, sincerity amongst other things. There will be a need to willingly share their “robe” of honours and privileges with the blacks in their neighbourhood and be willing to stand out and defend the cause of the racially oppressed and prejudiced blacks just as Jonathan did in 1st Samuel 19 v 1 – 7 and 1 Sam 20. The time for change to ensure that black people in our communities feel like every other race does is now. In the eyes of our God who created all humans, all lives matter, and I acknowledge this. In the context of the reality of this write up I dare say, BLACK LIVES TRULY MATTER too.
Written by: Olayiwola S’-Olayinka
Reference:
Information was retrieved from the following online sources and articles: 1. Definition of Racism from Oxford Dictionaries.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
3. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Slavery in Britain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Britain#:~:text=Slavery%20in%20Great%20Brit ain%20existed,separately%20in%20law%20or%20custom.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_n_the_Hood
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efunsetan_Aniwura
6. United nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Slavery and Remembrance – A guide to sites, museum, and memory. Oyo Empire.
7. The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorubaland, The International Journal of African Historical Studies Vol. 41, No. 1 (2008), pp. 77-100 (24 pages) Published by: Boston University African Studies Center. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40282457?read now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents
8. Project MUSE, African Economic History, The Atlantic Slave Trade and Local Ethics of Slavery in Yorubaland, Volume 41, (2013) pp. 73-100, Olatunji Ojo. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/565350
9. South African History Online (SAHO) https://www.sahistory.org.za/about-us , The Atlantic Slave Trade, Causes and results of slavery. November 2011. https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/atlantic-slave
trade#:~:text=A%20main%20cause%20of%20the,sugar%2C%20tobacco%20and%20cott on%20plantations
10. British Broadcasting Corporation BBC, History, Atlantic Slave Trade, Roles played by leaders of African societies in continuing the trade. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/7#:~:text=African%20rulers%20la rgely%20maintained%20and,eliminated%20as%20well%20as%20strengthened