Sustainable Seminaries, reliable leadership: The NetACT Story H Jurgens Hendriks Faculty of Theology Stellenbosch University Conflict, Peace & Sustainable development EED Conference 29 Jan 2009:

2 Basic hypothesis / dream The church is the most respected and most influential organization in Africa… Develop seminaries to raise a new generation of theological / church leadership who can Empower ordinary church people to live according to the basic values of a sustainable society

3 Church and public trust % trust in institutions in SA 2006: Churches82% Electoral Commission68% National Government59% Big business56% Police45% WVS: Typical pattern sub-Saharan Africa

4 Southern shift in Christianity Popul 1900 Christ % Christ 2005 Popul 2005 Christ % Christ South % % North % % Total % % Numbers in millions

5 The Growth of the church in Africa million Christians9% of Africa pop Muslims for every 1 Christian m Christians in Africa46% pop m Muslims in Africa 40% of pop

6 Post-1962 growth of Church in Africa Circa 1962 colonialized Africa became independent, missionaries left 1962: 60m Christians; 145 m Muslims : Christianity grow with 16,500 conversions every day….. mostly in poor areas WHY?

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9 Sanneh’s reason’s for the growth 1.The expansion took place after the colonial period 2.The Bible in the vernacular 3.Where the indigenous name of God was used 4.African leadership 5.The role of women

10 Growth? Leadership discrepancies Case study: Onwunta, Ethnicity in the PCNigeria Nigeria: ±160m ↔ 3 major ethnic groups ↔ 240 ethnic nations ↔ Muslim-Christian rivalry & in- fighting ↔ huge economic disparities Ethnocentricm erodes mission & influence of PCN Monopoly of resources & leadership with 2 ethnic groups Huge potential not used – no real growth

11 Growth? Leadership discrepancies Case Study: Kagema, Leadership training in ACKenya 35m people; 13 major tribes; at least 20 other Tested 4self strategy: self-sustaining;-propagating; -governing & -theologizing Enormous growth: 3.7m members, 1555 clergy = 2400 members to 1 priest / minister… growing… BUT: Very poor theological training, Ethnic & provincial infighting; no real contextualization!

12 Conclusions Denominations with access to intellectual resources lack theological leadership & contextualization Growth = kilometers wide, centimeters deep Influenced by American prosperity cult & consumerism, rogue pastors prosper Africa needs reliable, servant leaders following the example of Jesus Christ

13 Centres/NetAct/netact.htm

14 NetACT Network for African Congregational theology Founded in Kenya in 2000 at a conference on theological training & the church At present: 11 seminaries from 8 sub-Saharan countries: Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia & SA Mission: train leadership for missional congregations

15 NetACT goals/ achievements 1.Curriculum Development & Accreditation 2.Reliable Information Technology 3.HIV / AIDS curriculum & effective training 4.Scholarships for lecturers – study in Africa 5.Lecturer exchange & networking 6.Infrastructure development 7.Contextual African theological handbooks

16 WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK? 1.Historical-denominational links (Reformed- Presbyterian) 2.Personal relationships of trust across racial / ethnic & spatial divides. This is an ongoing challenge… it is growing by working together 3.Power issues named & addressed * power must be shared * SU resources put to disposal of network * NetACT owned & lead by its members

17 WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK? 4.Hospitality – giving it and receiving it † AGM’s held annually in different countries † The NetACT house in Stellenbosch (where lecturers / ministers and post graduate students from all over Africa are welcomed & stay while studying) † It is a small “United Nations”… † A home away from home † A spiritual haven when you are lonely or depressed † A place where you get info on all aspects of studying † A think tank where leaders brainstorm Africa’s challenges † A place where deep & long-lasting relationships are formed

18 WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK? 5.Every institution benefitted without compromising its identity. Through NetACT it developed its own networks 6.International networking partners. NetACT’s most valuable partners are those who listen and help, realizing that they can learn from Africa… allowing us to serve them too.

19 Present challenges & agenda No 1 goal now: Internationally accepted accreditation through curriculum & institutional development ACTEA (Accrediting council for Theological Education in Africa) a ccreditation implies that institutions undertakes a process of upgrading all aspects of their core business: contextualized curriculum, adequate facilities, financial control, communication between students, lecturers and churches, discipline and spiritual formation etcetera are pursued by the institutions that set their goals on attaining these standards. All this is peer-reviewed and revisited / re-evaluated every five years.

20 Why accreditation? Internationally recognized accreditation provides quality control and develop self-esteem NetACT acts to support the process through networking institutions with resources AGM meeting = a gathering of lecturers of a theological discipline where the curricula of all the institutions are on the table and the theory and practice of teaching /researching etc in that field are discussed The dream of sustainable seminaries & reliable leadership is becoming a reality…