July - September 2014
Better our World The Voice of African Instituted Churches
Empowering farmers for a food secure Africa
Inside Front Page Empowering Farmers for a food secure Africa. Page 2 Transforming theological education in AICs
Among the key challenges that the farmers highlighted included; the lack of credit facilities to finance their agriculture, lack of important agricultural information, lack of extension services, lack of proper markets for their produce, unpredictable weather patterns, lack of access to quality seeds, fertilizers and equipment, exploitation by brokers and the high dependency rate of farmers on well-wishing organizations to fund their The workshop was aimed at strengthening farming projects. the capacity of the farmers in the church congregations empowering them to improve The role of women in agriculture was one of food and nutritional security at household the highly discussed topics since they make levels. The participants were engaged in the most active population in farming. It was various activities that encouraged them to noted that the women should be encouraged to take up agriculture in order for the contishare and exchange their experiences. nent to have food security. Generational The workshop sought to explore how ag- issues in agriculture were also discussed, ricultural policy issues affect small scale especially on the challenges of engaging farmers and educating the farmers on their youth in agriculture. It was established that the youth need to be involved and engaged role towards attaining food security in in agriculture and to boost food security. Africa. KENYA - On the 12th -13th August 2014, the OAIC hosted the Regional farmer resource persons’ training workshop that saw 18 participants take part. The workshop was targeted at the small scale farmers who were involved in agricultural initiatives and leaders in the local church congregations or community based organizations that are affiliated to OAIC member churches.
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Empowering women to play their role in the African Instituted Churches TEE training continue in OAIC Burundi Chapter Page 3 African Faith Communities engaging in the Post 2015 Development Agenda
Contacts: The Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), Junction of Riara / King’ara Roads, P.O Box 21736 - 00505, Nairobi. Tel: (+254)728 606 613 /(+254)020 241 6446 Email: communications@oaic.org Web: www.oaic.org
Transforming theological education in Empowering women to play their role in AICs setting the African Instituted Churches KENYA - Theological education in the African Independent Churches has always been done through mentorship and apprenticeship and has many times not been documented. With new challenges facing the AICs, a need for an appropriate theological curriculum that can recover, articulate and document their theology based on the context, mission and identity arises.
KENYA - Women from the National Independent Church of Africa (NICA) – a member church of the OAIC were treated to a national women conference in Meru, Kenya. Under the banner of Family, relationships and leadership, 500 women from across the 42 counties in Kenya took part in the conference that took place from 26th – 30th August 2014. The main objective of the conference was to awaken women and educate them on of issues family, health and leadership.
The Organization of African Instituted Churches discovered the need for the AICs to have a framework for Theological training at three levels certificate, diploma and bachelors before moving on to graduate level. The Programme for Theology & Ministerial Formation (PTMF) is in the process of concluding the certificate curriculum.
The women were taken through training on health issues that included;HIV/AIDS and cancer , leadership, the role of women as stewards, communication and crisis management in the family, the role of the mother as a doctor in the family and the role of women in the church.
The process of developing framework for theology training in African Independent Churches (AICs) is a living proof of resourcefulness of the stakeholders. This was demonstrated during a two days workshop on curriculum development for certificate level early June at JJ MacCarthy Centre.
The conference was led and facilitated by leaders and doctors from the Organisation of African Instituted Churches, the Ministry of health, the World Council of Churches and the Methodist Hospital in Chogoria. It was evident that the four-day conference was fruitful, especially from the participants who were exited to have learnt from each other, voiced their need for more conferences of the same kind in the future even with the inclusion of the men who are the fathers in the family.
TEE training continue in OAIC Burundi BURUNDI - During 2012 and 2013 Programme for Theology and Ministerial Formation (PTMF) started and continued with a process of training TOTs in Theological Education by Extension (TEE).
The workshop which was a building up on the December 2013 Theology Consultancy, brought together eight participants including programme personnel, scholars, practitioners (Pastors), and students representing five AIC denominations. It was a combination of the top (experts) and bottom (practitioners) where all have been to school but only varying in levels. The process involved developing aim, learning objectives, modules/specifics and lessons/units. Each of the mentioned categories brought varying contribution that resulted to the curriculum that has been referred to experts for critique and comment. Moreover, the participants received insights on how to go about curriculum development and are eager to use the same in training in various member denominations which have started Theology programmes.
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It is anticipated that the third and final phase of training will take place before the end of this year. Since the second phase of the TOTs training in Bujumbura in November 2013, 23 participants from 11 member churches (denominations) out of the 28 churches in the Chapter were represented. The two phases training (2012/2013) covered TEE leadership, organising TEE, reporting format and developing work plan. Reports received indicate the continuation of TEE training in the Chapter that led to 287 people being trained (37 clergy 55 men 106 youth and 89 women) so far. The PTMF is planning to hold a final workshop for Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) team before the end of the year. During the workshop the TOTs will do an examination and the results will be used to grade them and release them to continue training.
African Faith Communities engaging in the Post 2015 Development Agenda UGANDA - Faith leaders from 25 African Countries met in Kampala Uganda on 30 June-2 July 2014. The aim of the Interfaith Summit was to strengthen and scale up the engagement of Faith Communities and Faith Leaders in shaping the Post 2015 Development Agenda. African faith Communities are looking to a future development agenda which recognizes the progress made globally in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals while dealing with the gaps that limited the achievement of the MDGs. Faith leaders are working for a new development framework which puts good governance and accountability, environmental sustainability and economic growth that leads to shared prosperity rather than inequalities.
than any other period, but at the same time inequalities are increasing the gap between the rich and the poor.As faith communities we have the responsibility of bringing our moral voice and say this is not right” said the OAIC General Secretary, Rev. Nicta Lubaale. The summit was one major event in a broader mobilisation process by the Africa Interfaith Initiative on post 2015 with three major result areas: 1. Harnessing the resourcefulness of Faith Communities in engaging and influencing the conversation on the post 2015 Development Agenda and its outcomes. 2. Enhancing the leadership and capacity of African faith leaders in order to engage and contribute effectively to the prevailing discourses on development and the architecture of sustainable development after 2015. 3. Generating coordinated and programmatic actions that enable African Faith Communities to bring their voice and organization to bear on the formulation and implementation of public policy in connection to the new charter on development.
“The future demands that we should not accept the abnormal to be normal. We need to look at the theology we have accepted. The high maternal and infant mortality rates are still too high; even if the number of people living in hunger has reduced, one in four people living in a state of chronic hunger should not be a normal situation for us. As we move towards 2015 Development Agenda, we have to be bold enough to work for a world where poverty, hunger and premature deaths are eliminated. Poverty is not an accident, it does not come from hell or heaven, it is manmade. The structures, the institutions, and the processes that cause poverty and suffering are in the hands of us human beings and we are the ones who can bring about change. As we look forward to the coming 50 years of Africa, we must look at the theology we have accepted.
Two key documents which reflected the collective voice of Africa’s faith Communities were: Africa Faith Leader’s Position Paper on post 2015; Statement by the Africa Faith Leaders Summit on post 2015
photo:bolokole.org
We have buried many people who have died prematurely of HIV/AIDS, men, women and children, yet we say, “Lord we have brought back your servants”. God is not in the business of calling African men, women and children prematurely. He is a God who gives life to all.
The summit was hosted by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and organized by the Africa Interfaith Initiative on post 2015 which is a platform of Regional Faith organizations including under the auspices of the African Council of Religious Leaders, Organizations of African Instituted Churches, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, All Africa Conference of Churches, Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, Union of Muslim Councils of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i, the Association of the Evangelicals of Africa, Christian Aid, Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa Programme for Christian Muslim Relations in Africa and Arigatou International, Nairobi.
The next development agenda demands of us to create a better world where dignity is possible for all. Not everyone will be a millionaire, and not everyone will live in a big mansion, but each of us should have access to at least two decent meal a day. It is time for us to dismantle the foundations on which poverty and inequalities have been built and lay new foundations on which shared posterity is built. More wealth has been generated in the last 50 years of the world 3