WCC FEATURE: We do not despair but are disturbed

Hope and commitment were central in the report that the Africa region presented to the WCC central committee on 26 June. As is customary during these meetings, central committee members, advisors, stewards, and staff from each region met for prayer and sharing and to identify issues affecting the life and witness of the churches in their region. 26 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: WCC president H.H. The Most Rev. Dr Rufus Okikiola Ositelu of the Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide shares from the African region as the World Council of Churches central committee gathers in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023, for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 28 June 2023 The report highlighted the shift of the centre of Christianity from the Global North to the Global South and that more Christians live in Africa today than on any other continent. Noting the “giant strides made and remarkable signs of hope,” the report did not minimize the “myriad of human-caused challenges.”  The report suggests that these trends are “sustained by multiple interests rooted in politics, economics, social issues, and religion” and various forms of structurally entrenched injustice and destruction, but that “Our vibrant faith in the Living God through Christ Jesus has sustained us in the face of numerous trials and tribulations.”  The report raised concerns about violence in the Anglophone region of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Mozambique, and elsewhere on the continent and the related humanitarian issues and increase in refugees and internally displaced people. The violent approach to Islamization through the activities of terrorist groups, such as Boko-Haram, Al-Shabab, ISIS, and others, was a specific concern. They noted the particular challenge of this violent action to interreligious dialogue. The report appealed for the continued and increased involvement of youth and youth advisors in the central committee and other committees of the WCC. Emphasizing the love of Christ and the imperative of the Great Commission, participants called for continued transformation “by the renewing of our minds.” In the report, African delegates verbalized their “audacious hope for life-giving solidarity” from the WCC “in support of our aspirations for an integrated, peaceful, and prosperous Africa.” Photo gallery of the WCC Central committee meeting WCC Central committee meeting, June 2023 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: WCC reflects on women’s transformative leadership at international conference on innovation in Africa

Prof. Ezra Chitando, World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy regional coordinator for Southern Africa, presented on behalf of WCC deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, a paper on “Women’s Transformative Leadership and Africa’s Holistic Development: The Role of the Churches” during an international conference on leadership transformation and innovation in Africa. The women's choir at Oldonyosambu Mtaawa Namelok (Sweet Hill of Many Colors Congregation), a Masai congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. Photo: Gregg Brekke/WCC 21 October 2022 Held 19-20 October, the conference was hosted by Africa University. “Although leadership globally is often associated with men, in reality women have played, and continue to play, significant leadership roles,” said Chitando. "The ideology of patriarchy has constantly sought to undermine women’s leadership roles in society, while overplaying men’s leadership roles.” In the paper, Chitando examines the role of churches in promoting African women’s transformative leadership. “In the first section of the paper, I outline the major challenges facing the continent,” Chitando said. “In the second section, I highlight the role of the churches in promoting African women’s transformative leadership in addressing the continent’s holistic development.” In the third section, Chitando outlines how churches in Africa can enhance women’s transformative leadership. “In conclusion, I argue that churches in Africa remain strategically positioned to promote women’s transformative leadership for holistic development of the continent,” Chitando said. “This presentation seeks to highlight the critical role played by African Christian women’s transformative leadership in the continent’s development.” While recognising that Africa is characterised by multiple religions that include African Traditional Religions, the Baha’i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Rastafari and others, Chitando’s review focuses specifically on African Christian women’s transformative leadership and how it has the potential to change the continent’s fortunes. “While there have been some very effective male leaders in Africa after independence, the sad truth is that most of them have been guided by very problematic leadership styles,” Chitando said. “Influenced by patriarchy and aggressive masculinities, many male leaders have failed to guide their nations, organisations and communities to prosperity.” This is despite the fact that the continent is blessed with abundant natural and human resources, Chitando noted. “Africa is incredibly rich and does not need to carry a begging bowl to other continents,” Chitando said. African Christian women seek to express a new way of leading that recognises the rights and dignity of all,” Chitando said. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: African church leaders train in leadership, diakonia and development

Although it is unfolding in a mixed context of political and economic upheavals, tragic conflicts, exploitation, and enormous opportunities, growth, and successes, the African experience of diakonia and development has a lot to teach the world, a workshop for senior African church leaders heard. Participants of the capacity building workshop on diakonia and development in Nairobi, Kenya on 8-12 November 2021. Photo: Fredrick Nzwili/WCC 12 November 2021 A key feature of the work is direct integration of all the other church work—worship, caring and fellowship—working hand-in-hand, and service being delivered by unpaid church workers, motivated by faith and love, Rev. Matthew Ross, programme executive of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Diakonia and Capacity Building, observed. “The experience…is a crucial part of our learning. There is much to learn…which needs to be shared with the rest of the world. The experience differs enormously from parts of Europe and North Africa,” Ross said during a workshop on leadership, diakonia and development which convened in Nairobi from 8-12 November. The capacity building workshop, organised by the All Africa Conference of Churches and the WCC, sought to empower church leaders with knowledge-based skills in the area, which they can use in their local contexts. The leaders gained knowledge on diakonia and development to enable them to better manage and strategically think about the delivery of social care services. While it raised the leaders’ awareness on issues and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, it also helped network church leaders in East, Central and Southern Africa. Coming to the forefront of development, the leaders have been engaging the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 in an attempt to shape the future of their congregations. “Churches in the continent are crucial players in our nations and societies, many times called on to provide leadership or be a catalyst in diaconal and developmental engagements.  For this, we need to provide robust leadership,” said Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki, All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary, to the meeting. According to Ross, the Sustainable Development Goals are far from perfect—for example, the need to protect the rights of indigenous communities is not mentioned—but they offer an opportunity to greatly improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. “Issues such as climate change and the right to clean water affect everyone. In caring for the people in Christ’s name, the church has a responsibility to show a preferential option for the poor and to be a voice of the voiceless,” said Ross. The workshop explored topics including human resource management, transformational leadership, ethical investment for sustainability and strategic management. “God’s word establishes strategic planning as one of the ways he works through his people,” said Dr Stanley Ndung’u, a management consultant at the workshop. “But many church leaders are reluctant to adopt formal planning due to lack of training in the process. They believe planning is not biblical or it indicates lack of faith.” According to Dr Bright Mawudor, All Africa Conference of Churches deputy general secretary, churches must understand ethical and moral issues in asset management to better use church resources for the propagation of the gospel. “These days our members do not have money. The church has assets, land resources, but how do we take care of them?” posed Mawudor. Church leaders welcomed the meeting as a great eyeopener. “As a newly elected bishop, I am very grateful to be exposed to some of the themes like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa we want in 2063. This is very important to me since my work is mainly capacity building,” said Rev. Dr Emily Awino Onyango, Kenyan Anglican Church Diocese of Bondo assistant bishop. For Rev. Adriano Kilende, an Angolan Methodist Church pastor, the churches are going to find strategic planning most useful.  “Most churches do not have strategic plans and, looking at the idea, the resources we have and how we can use them wisely—this was the best,” said the cleric. Learn more about WCC's work on Diakonia and Ecumenical solidarity See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Weighing “My Home, My Future,” youth in Africa see the promise

More than 100 young people attended a 16 June webinar, “My Home, My Future,” hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches, finding both inspiration and determination from speakers and from each other.  Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, explained the deep meaning of the theme. “Africa is our home and Africa is our future," he said. “There is no better place.”  Arusha, Tanzania 2018. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 17 June 2021 That means youth will need to make that future work, urged Mwombeki. “When, in your home, your roof is leaking, you don’t go to your neighbor’s—but rather you fix the roof,” he said. “Ultimately, you have to fix the roof because that is your house. Africa is our house.” Mwombeki deeply believes that young people will bring about transformation in many ways. “This is the time for the youth to think about how Africa will be in 20 years or in 30 years, when all these young people will be 50 or 60 years old, and progressing,” he said. “This is the task.” Keynote speaker Hon. Prof. PLO Lumumba noted that the 16 June is a very important day because we choose to commemorate the African child. “This commemoration is born out of the events that commenced on the 16th day of June in the year 1976 in Soweto in South Africa,” he said, referring to the Soweto uprising, a series of demonstrations and protests led by 20,000 students in South Africa. They were met with police brutality and many were shot and killed. “I think it was the most dramatic demonstration of man's inhumanity to man,” said Lumumba. “But yet there is a sense in which Africa continues to be promising and disturbing at once.” The All Africa Conference of Churches is organizing a series of webinars to promote the campaign “Africa: My Home. My Future” in the run-up to the All Africa Youth Congress scheduled for 2022 in Ghana.   The All Africa Conference of Churches Youth in the Ecumenical movement See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland