Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network

The Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network seeks to serve as a platform of academic study, spiritual reflection and action for women of African descent in all regions of the world.

Since the earliest Biblical accounts in Genesis, women of African descent have played a critical role in shaping the Judeo-Christian faith. Now is the time for deeper understanding of Pan African Women’s leadership – from Hagar and Zipporah in the Bible to the modern ecumenical movement.

The Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network gathers the stories of Pan African women, too often neglected in ecumenical and church history, and uses them for leadership capacity development and theological education. Building on these women’s experiences, we can find new models of Christian leadership and discipleship for the changing landscape of Christianity.

The network will make available research, publications, and other resources to engage and challenge the ecumenical movement. In cooperation with other WCC programmes, such as the Just Community of Women and Men, and ecumenical partners such as the All Africa Conference of Churches or the World YWCA, the network works through seminars and conferences, mentoring, and exchanges via digital networking platforms.

The network is coordinated by the WCC programme on Ecumenical Theological Education.