News
Leading experts in theological education in Africa came together 15-18 November for a continent-wide meeting at the headquarters of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jointly facilitated by the Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the World Council of Churches (ETE/WCC) and the AACC Department of Theology, the meeting received reports from four regional associations for theological education in Africa: the West Africa Association of Theological Institutions (WAATI), Association des Institutions Theologiques d’ Afrique Centrale (ASTHEOL), Association of Theological Institution in Eastern Africa (ATIEA), and Association of Theological Institutions in Southern and Central Africa (ATISCA). In a major effort to revitalize associations of theological schools in Africa, prior regional consultations were held in Accra, Yaoundé, Kinshasa, Nairobi and Gaborone during the past six month in preparation of this continental meeting.
The regional associations of theological education in Africa have appointed new leadership and want to strengthen their efforts to contribute to curriculum and faculty development, joint research and publication projects and to improve quality of theological education in the institutions affiliated.
Closer collaboration and mutual support is also planned in the enlarged ATISCA framework between South African institutions of theological education and those in neighbouring countries. During the long period of apartheid contacts had been disrupted.
The AACC advisory committee decided to launch an African Theological Education Fund which tries to mobilize major support for theological faculty development for growing Christianity in the African continent. The fund should be supported by African churches as well as ecumenical partner organizations and development agencies relating to African churches.
It was also decided to plan for an All African Academy of Theology and Religious Studies (AAATR) which will provide a continent wide platform and congress for leading voices of African theological scholars and African theological and religious research. A project group was appointed to do further work on this project.
Finally plans for a Handbook for Theological Education in Africa were endorsed, a project which has started under the leadership of Prof. Isabel Phiri, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
African Christianity is marked by an unprecedented growth during past decades as well as by increased denominational fragmentation. Strengthening theological education, faculty development and ecumenical commitment is vital for the future of African churches, said Dr Dietrich Werner (ETE/WCC) at the event.
It is hoped that major results of the processes started in Nairobi will be able to be presented to the forthcoming AACC Jubilee assembly in Kampala in 2013.
More information on the Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the WCC
Documents and reports on ecumenical theological education in Africa
